Western Cape Jamborees: 1957/8 Report
Gilray: SA Jubilee Jamboree
Grassy Park
The Badge we show here is that of the Jubilee Jamboree of the Coloured Boy Scouts Association of the Cape Western Province Division.
Actually it was to be more than a Cape Western affair for members of the three non-European branches (Coloured, Black and Indian) of the Movement, as attendance was from all over South Africa.
The camp ran over the New Year from Monday 30 December 1957 to Saturday 4 January 1958, and because most were feeling a little exhausted with the pace of the past Jubilee Year, we can the more sincerely congratulate the non-European Scouts for so courageously carrying on to the very last and into the new.
This camp, in fact, not only ended the first 50 years, but began the next 50.
It needed courage too, to organise it. There were many benefits granted to European Scouting, but not to non-European. For our Mossel Bay Jamborally in April last year for instance, we were able to borrow tents and all nec¬essary equipment from the Defence Department. The Coloured Boy Scouts had to find their own and anyone who has tried to hire one tent can guess how costly and difficult they found it to hire a 100. In spite of all difficulties we still carried on.
The result was a busy camp at their Training Ground on Prince George's Drive facing Princess Vlei – Gilray, which was a hive of activity for 328 Scouts for 6 days. We thank them all for the good camping and the success that their splendid efforts deserve.
Honorary Secretary, Mr A Philander (Alex 'Jakala')
Scout Heritage 2018