The Jamboree Making It Work

[Eamonn]

Before I married Her That Must Be Obeyed, she came over to England for a visit. I took to all the tourist hot spots. Including the museums in South Kensington. Around this time the IRA were busy bombing in the London area. As we entered the museum a security guard asked to examine her purse. She wasn't very keen on having a stranger look in her purse and was shocked when he reached for it. There was a line of people behind us waiting to enter the museum.
Later in the day she paid a visit to the Ladies room and when she came out she was laughing!! I have no idea what goes on in Ladies bathrooms and was a little surprised that she would be so happy. I asked her why? She proceed to show me a sheet of TP which had printed on it "Property of HM Government".
I have no idea why they would want to spent the time and the money printing that TP was the property of Her Majesties Government on toilet paper. I do know why they had Security guards checking people and purses on the way in.
Any event as big as the National Jamboree takes a heck of a lot of organization. Some things like the Security will or could seem a little over the top, but we know that they are in place to keep our Scouts and Me safe. Other things will not seem to make any sense what so ever.
Maybe the guy who came up with the idea of printing who owns the TP thought it was a good idea at the time? There are times when life is a lot better if you just accept what is as being what is.
There are systems and procedures in place which may seem wonderful or may seem daffy, but at an event this size the best thing to do is just follow the procedure and use the systems that are in place.
Scoutmasters do get to fill in an evaluation form on or near the end of the event. This is a good time to vent or ask "Why day do dat?"
We had a troop near us at the last Jamboree, where one adult leader was very unhappy, he was unhappy about everything, nothing pleased him. He moaned and groaned for ten days. His moaning and groaning must have been infectious, soon the Scouts were following his lead.
The Jamboree will work if we let it.

[riverwalk]

I heard that when the rule about "patch trading" (youth to youth, and adult to adult only) was put out, it was initiated due to practices at a NJ?

Anyway, regarding "important papers" (like from the Scout skit)...we have some old ones at one of my Fire Museums. The building once served as a "Civil Defense" site (remember that term from days gone by). There are official water containers and various personal needs items, including "important papers" from 1952. Another example of your printing showing the "property of" is in my Industry. We have a problem with equipment like backboards (for trauma Patients) ending up at some other agency! So, some Departments have this on the underside of the Board, in case you see it as the Board is carried by: "Stolen from agency "so and so", haha.

[wagionvigil]

It takes the cooperation of 40000 plus people to make a Jamboree work. How many of you are aware that there is a full time BSA staff at A. P. Hill? One is the Engineer and one is the Site Manager so to speak. There job starts the day after a Jamboree ends to get ready for the next. In the overlap they are still working on the past Jamboree that just ended.It takes a volunteer staff of over 5000 to operate the jamboree plus the contracted staff the BSA hires. REmember those Volunteers paid to come and work. I have staffed two previous Jamborees there are always problems like opening the Rappel tower in 01 with the staffs equipment as the equipment ordered by BSA was not there yet. We made it work for the Scouts. Our sub camp dining was really bad so I made arrangements for the rappel and BMX staff to eat elsewhere. There will be rain and there will be insects but I have always had a great time. Friendships found through the Jamboree will be life long friends. WHen this one is over I will probably come home and say never again but a week or two down the road say lets get ready for 2010

[Eamonn]

Your going back in 2010?
I think I'll stay home!!

[wagionvigil]

you are chickening out already? Got to go for the 100th Anniversary

[hops_scout]

I'm so excited about the 2005 Jamboree.. much less thinking about 2010. Though, I would like to do it too;)

Hopefully (or maybe not) I will be too busy to attend in 2010. If all works out how I plan, I'll be too busy training;)

Anyway, cant wait! Just spent 70 bucks from the Jamboree catalog and have at least another 50 to do so. Got 155 bucks for my birthday this weekend, and at leat 50 of it is going towards Jamboree stuff

[Eamonn]

Hops Scout you are of course right to look forward to one Jamboree at a time. Did you see the cheap shorts in the catalog?
Wagionvigil, I am fast approaching old age - This is my last National Jamboree as SM. As yet I have no idea what I will do in 2010.
I will celebrate 100 years of Scouting at the 2007 Jamboree, in England. Once I have paid for that I may not be able to afford another Jamboree. Heck I will just have to cut back on Scout golf outings!!

[wellread]

This is the 95th. Thats plenty big for me.