28 °C 82 °F
No11
32 °C 90 °F
8/8/2015
31 °C 88 °F Official newspaper of the 23rd World Scout Jamboree / Le journal officiel du 23e Jamboree Scout Mondial
There and back again
By Catherine Talbot, photo by Daniel Ahlberg
“You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” - Walt Disney As the Jamboree draws to a close it’s the perfect time to reflect on the last 12 days and the amazing experience Scouts have shared with their Scouting family from across the world. Tents will come down, activities will be cleared away and people will begin to return home. But that doesn’t mean it’s over. In the literal sense life will resume as normal but in reality, life won’t be normal again. Scouting has the power to change people, communities and even the world. The Jamboree is simply evidence of that.
The Jamboree has given a lifetime of memories for Scouts to share with people back home and to look back on for years to come. They will have swapped a lot of badges, sung a lot of campt songs, and definitely worn a lot of suncream. Japan has provided 12 days of adventure, fun and education - it’s these that have made the experience unforgettable. With nearly 33,000 Scouts present, the Jamboree is a gateway to other cultures, languages and friendships. None of these have been a boundary for the young people and true friendships have blossomed between countries, proving that the Spirit of Unity is alive and well, even with the official Jamboree drawing to a close.
The Jamboree site is an escape from reality. It provides a place away from a world of differences, proving that together, Scouts can influence real positive change. Baden Powell once said “The uniform makes for brotherhood, since when universally adopted it covers up all differences of class and country.” It couldn’t be more accurate for the Scouts here at the 23rd World Scout Jamboree. The uniform of Scouts soon became blended as people swapped neckers and accessories - uniting the world of Scouting into one harmonious group. Together the Scouting family have been a part of something truly special.
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