World Scout Jamboree 2007

Saturday 28th July 2007

Today saw the opening ceremony of the World Scout Jamboree, and the growing excitement was palpable even as the different countries’ contingents were assembling in their uniforms ahead of the walk across site to the main arena.

Mexico

Each of the countries had their own distinctive identities and were celebrating some of their national culture in front of the their fellow travellers. From Italians singing and clapping, Nigerians dancing and Brazilians drumming, everyone was proud to have been chosen to represent their country at such a memorable event.

Italy

Ireland

Once arrived, the ceremony was kicked off by a sequence of dances symbolising the way the different countries, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales come together under the banner of the United Kingdom, represented by the Union Flag (or Union Jack as it’s often called).

UK

His Royal Highness Prince William and the Duke of Kent arrived by helicopter onto the lawn in front of Hylands House and walked through the crowd to a chorus of cheers before taking their places in the Royal Box, in view of both the stage and the crowd.

UK

Colombia

I was lucky to be among the 42 UK Contingent adult Scouts who then stood on the massive stage and sang the UK National Anthem “God Save The Queen” before the Duke of Kent (himself President of the UK Scout Association) opened the ceremony and then read to the crowd a message from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who has been Patron of the Scout Association since 1952.

Hong Kong

UK Chief Scout Peter Duncan arrived on stage in a battered London Taxi which had travelled all the way from the previous World Scout Jamboree in Thailand, bringing the official World Organisation of Scout Movements’ purple flag, although the last part of the journey was by plane, and a team of parachutists dropped in from overhead to deliver the flag to the stage.

UK

Sri Lanka

The flags of each of the participating countries were then announced and brought onto stage, to an eruption of cheers from each contingent as their name was called out, before Jamboree Director Bill Cockcroft, and Herman Hui, Chairman of the World Scout Committee, greeted the participants with a series of messages emphasising the unity of those in Scouting, and the important work that Scouts can do in making a better world.

Egypt

Two Jamboree participants, Dan from UK & Hannah from Morocco, then read out the Scout Law & Promise to a hushed crowd, before Peter Duncan then led a noisy countdown to a series of fireworks that marked the Jamboree officially open.

Netherlands

Later in the day, the participants met back in the main arena for a concert party that went into the evening, featuring acts from all over the UK, many of them Scouts and Guides themselves. The atmosphere was amazing, and even the rain that started didn’t manage to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm.

Guatemala

Sunday sees the start of the full programme, so check back for more news and photos.

Friday 27th July 2007

Here we are, on the day that the remaining 30,000 participants arrive, from all over the world. Most of the adults have been here three days, (although some have been here weeks) and the UK contingents arrived yesterday, but today is the day we welcome all of the international contingents.

Some have had relatively short journeys, while others have travelled from the other side of the world to be here.

Preparations are still continuing at various activity areas around the site, ready for the full programme to start on Sunday, and the different stands and exhibition areas are really starting to take shape.

For most, however, today has been the day for walking from the coach arrival station to one of the sixteen sub-camp areas, unpacking gear and getting tents and camping equipment set up ready for the next week and a half.

The Scouting values of unity & helping others were ably demonstrated, with many contingents finishing setting up their own camps, then going to assist their newly-arrived neighbours. Language barriers didn’t seem to be a problem, as young people from opposite corners of the globe helped each other and started to forge friendships that crossed geographical, cultural & religious boundaries, in the true spirit of the Jamboree’s “One World, One Promise” theme.

For some, there was an opportunity to relax and mix with those who had travelled with them, while others took the opportunity to explore the Hylands Park site and perhaps enjoy an ice cream in the sunshine (while it lasts!).

Tomorrow will see the official opening ceremony, which will be attended by His Royal Highness Prince William and the Duke of Kent, as well as Peter Duncan, UK Chief Scout. With everyone together, and in full Scouting uniform, it’s sure to be a sight to remember.

Welcome to the first posting from the Jamboree itself, on the day the first Scouts and Guides arrive. Most of the adults in the International Service Team (IST) arrived 2 days ago, and are here to make the event an unforgettable experience for 40,000 Scouts, Guides and their contingent leaders from all over the world.

Some of the IST arrived last Friday, but for most, Tuesday was the day to get set up and start training for the roles they’ll be doing for the next two weeks. Although not suffering the way some parts of the UK have recently, Chelmsford has had a fair share of rain, and many areas of the site are already covered with mud, although the Site Operations team are working their hardest to get bark chippings down in the worst affected areas.

Building of the site continues right through the day, then at night time, there are delivery lorries for the restaurant areas in each of the 16 sub camp areas for the participants, the massive two restaurants for the IST, as well as the local Sainsbury’s stores positioned around the site.

This is the first time in the 100 years of Scouting that an international jamboree has had attendance from every single country where there’s a scouting presence, representing the 28 million Scouts worldwide.

The Jamboree Build Team (JBT) started weeks ago, as soon as they were given the keys to Hylands Park in Chelmsford, usually a quiet country park location, but now transformed into a global village, with a population bigger than the town of Llanelli in Wales.

Over 4,600 Scouts & Guides from all across the United Kingdom have been arriving today, so that they are ready, as the host nation, to welcome over 30,000 participants from across the world tomorrow, ahead of the opening ceremony on Saturday.

Watch this space…

Welcome to my new Nortel LearniT Weblog covering the 21st World Scout Jamboree in Chelmsford, Essex, England, celebrating 100 years of Scouting. There will be 40,000 people from over 150 countries joining together for the challenge and excitement of Scouting, and sharing each other’s cultures & traditions

Check back regularly, as I’m hoping to provide a daily update & photos of what’s going on, and some video clips of the highlights.

Let me know if you have friends who will be attending, I’ll look out for them.

There are a number of people on site already building the main parts of the site, such as the main hubs, the stage etc, but the bulk of the adults are arriving Tuesday 24th, UK participants follow on Thursday 26th July, with all of the international participants arriving Friday 27th.

Many of those arriving Friday will have had a huge distance to travel, and some will have had a journey over 24 hours.

To all those coming to the Jamboree, have a safe trip, & I’ll see you Friday!