Southern Region Jamboree Weblog

The Back Nine…….

For those who understand a golf metaphor, we have now made the turn and started the back nine. Our score for the front nine is spectacular and I have no doubt that the back nine will be just as awesome.

The weather forecast for today included the chance of some rain in the afternoon but clearing in the evening. No problem of course. We had one subcamp (Volcano) out on their community service project – Starburst – and the other subcamps were involved in on-site activities. Charles and I took the first bus to the site to start our rounds so that Larry and Greg could take care of some business in town before heading out. Given the intensity of the Centenary activities on Wednesday, we found most units moving at a “relaxed” pace this morning as they made breakfast and prepared for their day. This is the normal course of events that I have seen in past jamborees. Once we pass the mid-point everyone tends to kick back and “let it happen” and that’s a good thing.

Everyone without exception was absolutely overwhelmed with the events of yesterday. The food, the music, the dancing, and most of all the interaction of cultures that occurs on the mid-point sub-camp party day is often the ultimate highlight of a Scout’s jamboree experience. I asked at least 25 of our guys and gals if there was any way that they knew to explain what they have already experienced to their family and buddies back home. Each and every one had no idea how to do this. This is my fourth jamboree and I have not yet discovered how to do it either. I don’t mean to be “mystical” but it truly is a thing of the spirit rather than of the mind and perhaps that’s why there is no way to do it. So do your best to understand why your young person will have difficulty sharing this aspect of their jamboree.

Sadly, at our mid-day regional support meeting, we began to talk about our exit strategy. It seems that all of our units – regardless of their flight time – will be leaving the jamboree site next Wednesday at 400AM. Most probably, there will be little of no sleeping that night after the closing ceremony and dance/party breaks up around midnight. Our guys will have all day Tuesday to break camp, pack their personal gear, and begin saying their sad goodbyes with their new friends. Their adrenaline level will sustain them until they get on the bus and then most, if not all, of them will collapse in exhaustion as we make the drive to the airport. Don’t worry parents, it’s like this every time and they all make it.

Late afternoon, after a brief spat of rainfall (not enough to do anything more than settle the dust), most of units had the honor of a visit from Kent Clayburn, our Regional Support Chairman (my boss). Jack Furst, our National Jamboree Chairman (Kent’s boss); and Wayne Perry, the International Commissioner for the BSA. They plan to visit all of the units in each region and started this process with the Southern Region. They greeted and chatted with many of our guys and at the end of the evening they told me that we had set the bar high for their subsequent regional visits. In other words, our region rocks!!!

The jamboree is not without some good natured humor. One of our units is in a subcamp where there is a bit of disagreement about the sufficiency of the food distribution. All of our units insist that they are receiving much more food than they need and have no complaints. The unit leader for the troop from one country (whose name I will omit to avoid creating some type of international incident – let’s just call them “No-name-ia”) has been complaining every day that her scouts are not getting enough food, an opinion not shared by her peers or Scouts. So our guys set a food box out front beside their gateway with a sign that reads (more or less)….”40 No-name-ia Scouts are starving every day. Please contribute a loaf of bread to the No-name-ia Hungry Scouts Fund.” Everybody except the No-name-ia unit leader thought it was very funny. My prayer is that she will live long enough to get over it.

Once again the hour is late and I am tired. Greg has over 50 pictures to upload after I sent Hoke my blog to post so he will be up even later than me. Thank those of you who have taken time to comment on the journal entries. Your encouragement helps me to get my eyes open long enough to do it.

Bonsoir.