Western Cape Jamborees: 1951 Report
Wilderness: Country Scout Jamborally
Glentyre, Serpentine, Wilderness.
The 6th Country Scout Jamborally held near The Wilderness during the October 1951 school holidays kept up the great traditions of the Country Jamborallies. Old-timers speak with awe of the "Breezy Hill" camp at Worcester, which blew away twice, or of the night at Stellenbosch when the oaks sheltering the camp blew down on top of everything. This time it was rain! And it rained!
Fortunately there was only one "shower", and it lasted only for two whole days. Then someone noticed that the deluge had slowed down to an ordinary storm, and we decided that the weather was lifting. We were right. By Monday it was clearing fast, and the rest of the week went according to plan.
If the weather was up to the Jamborally tradition, so were the fellows. The same spirit that stood up to five days of howling wind at Worcester was in evidence here. I wonder what climatic conditions would shake our Country Scouts!
Kiewiet Hodgkiss had about 180 Scouts in Camp - and what a and crowd they were.
They came from the following Country Groups:
1st Beaufort West, 1st Malmesbury, 2nd Mossel Bay, 4th Oudtshoorn, 1st Paarl, 1st Riversdale, 1st Somerset West, 1st Stellenbosch, 1st Strand, 1st van der Stel, 1st Caledon, 1st Ceres and 1st Hermanus
There were also about a score of peninsula Scouts from the following Groups:
1st Clifton, 9th Cape Town, 1st Mowbray, 2nd Rondebosch 1st Wynberg, 3rd Wynberg and 1st Bellville
Looking back on the camp I wonder what the highlights were. We had three very good camp-fires, a stunt evening, a lot of instructional work and test-passing, two or three swimming parades, a public afternoon with displays which, I think, were thoroughly enjoyed by those taking part.
Then, of course, there was the Scoutcraft Trophy competition. The result of this was:-
- 1st 1st Stellenbosch
- 2nd 2nd Mossel Bay
- 3rd 1st van der Stel
There was also the Athletics battle for the "Springbok Cup", which 1st Malmesbury retained. This was very fortunate, as they were so sure of winning it again that they had not even brought it to camp with them!
I could tell you lots more about the Jamborally, but the Ostrich will be shouting about space, so all I can say is that it is a jolly fine show - and here's to the next one
Scout Heritage 2018