Western Cape Jamborees: 1991 Report
Stellenbosch: Join in Jamboree
by District Scouter André Foot
The jamboree took place Saturday 12 to Sunday 13 October 1991 at Mountain Breeze Park Stellenbosch in fantastic surroundings and weather. From our District, 1st (22 boys) and 2nd (12 boys) Durbanville Troops participated from the Friday evening, with 1st Kraaifontein (7 boys) joining them on Saturday morning, making only 3 of 6 Troops from our District. District Scouters in attendance were John Kleynhans (GS 1st Durbanville), Geoff Hodgson (ATS 1st Durbanville), Karel Loncq (TS 2nd Durbanville), Geoff Merrick (New ATS 1st Kraaifontein) and myself (5 Scouters) the Sub-Camp Chief for CW22 (Kanonkop District).
Our contingent CW22 was United Kingdom, with our camp entrance consisting of the biggest pioneering construction in camp - London Bridge. Pole's were supplied from 2nd Bellville's hall and transported to and from by truck of Geoff Merrick of 1st Kraaifontein.
All Scouts and Scouters of our District were issued with white scarves (R2.50 each) with red screen printed badges on the point, as well as a screen printed camp fire blanket badge (50c each). Thanks to our LA for initial funds, my wife Soekie (buying material), Albert Snyman (AAC, scarf making), Karel Loncq (TS 1st Durbanville, screen printing) and his wife Ruth who made up extra larger scarves for the Scouters. Due to poor District attendance, the balance, approx. 75 scarves and badges, were sold off during the badge swopping activity, thus min. loss was encountered here. Our jamboree scarves were in great demand over the weekend and were selling on the black market for up to R12.00 each eventually.
The opening ceremony at 14:00 on Saturday was most impressive, with marching into the arena and the lighting of the friendship flame. There-after the camp was alive with making friends in a big scale friendship game, tea parties and badge / scarf swopping. Scouters exchanged invitations amongst Districts for international dinners and the evening ended with international carnival stalls with fun, play money to play, music and all. Our carnival was run and put together by 1st Kraaifontein due to no show of 2nd Kenridge at the event, as promised.
Sunday saw the inspection of camp sites, international displays (some were very good, especially the Dutch campsite of CW31/38 1st Athlone), Scouts Own Service, exhibitions and activities. There was also a Wood Badge Reunion with many old friends and faces popping up again, the Cape Times Cross Country Run (Stewart Fehrs of 1st Durbanville taking 1st place in the senior event), Quinn Trophy (1st Durbanville winning the Gladiator event) and skydiving into the arena.
In the arena, our LA had set up a stall and were fighting the heat of the day in producing Bangers (braai wors) and Mash (smash) with sauce topping for all the hungry stomachs at R3.00 a serving. This was later reduced to R2.00 a serving, but still the stall eventually had to close and count our losses. We had catered for 4 000 meals, at the time, only 4 stalls would be erected, but on the day about 20 seemed to pop up. A suggestion here to higher level, that next time, Districts not registered as having a stall on the day, should not to be allowed to erect a stall? Many thanks to the following involved with our stall, Ken Rochefort (LA Chairman for all the buying and organising as well as equipment supplied by him and I for the day), Judy Muller (LA Treasurer), Keith Rochefort (Ken's son), Connie Meyer (Chairlady 1st Durbanville), Louise Lindemann (PS 1st Brackenfell), Paddy Payne (Chairman 1st Brackenfell) and his wife Lynda, for running / assisting us on the day at the stall.
The fun filled weekend came to a sad end at 16:30 on Sunday with the closing ceremony and putting out of the friendship flame, to be re-lit again in 4 years time at our next Join-in-Jamboree. Thanks to all who attended and made the weekend work from our District and thanks to Errol Kotze the Camp Chief for making the event possible. A further suggestion I would like to make effects our District site as found this weekend, Scouters must please ensure in future that when we camp as a District, Groups must camp closer together, otherwise the feeling of "togetherness" as a District is lost.
In closing, it was rather sad to hear after the event, that the ablution block had been badly vandalised along with other camp structures, so much so that Scouts were banned from using the site again. This is rather disappointing and not a good publicity for Scouting.
Otherwise well done CW22!