WHAT'S A JAMBOREE?

A jamboree is simply a gathering of Scouts from across the world. The word jambo is the Swahili word for "Hello and Welcome".

The World Scout Jamboree is the big one! Like the Olympic Games or the World Cup, it's a unique and special event, a jamboree that takes place once every four years.

The last World Scout Jamboree was held in 2003 in Thailand; previous to that one, 1999 saw the World Scout Jamboree in Chile.

The last World Scout Jamboree in the UK was held in 1957 at Sutton Colefield. There have been in the past and will continue to be in the future many other significant international camps, jamborettes and moots but these are simply not on the scale, importance and magnitude as the World Scout Jamboree.

2007 - 21st World Scout Jamboree - One World One Promise

To coincide with the centenary of Scouting, the 2007 World Scout Jamboree comes home to the United Kingdom.  40,000 people, composed of 32,000 Unit members and 8,000 staff, will be gathering from over 200 countries for 12 days at the magnificent grounds of Hyland Park in Eastern England from Friday 27 July 2007 until Wednesday 8 August 2007.

These young people will camp, live and work alongside each other. They will come from a variety of different cultures, backgrounds, and religions. Together they will celebrate what unites them, and learn what they can do together to help build a better world.

The theme of the 21st World Scout Jamboree in 2007 is "One World, One Promise" - which captures the aspirations and hopes of young people for the future.

The opening ceremony will see a Scout from every nation and a cheer as each country's flag is brought into the arena. But the loudest and longest applause is for the World Scout flag, the symbol that unites everyone at the Jamboree and promises peace.

On 1 August 1907, Scouting's Founder Robert Baden-Powell blew his kudu horn on Brownsea Island at 8 O'clock in the morning to open the world's first Scout camp. Soon thereafter, Scouting began to quickly spread around the world and now exists in 216 countries and territories. Wednesday 1 August 2007 will truly be a remarkable day that everyone will remember for the rest of their lives. This is the day that Scouts all over the world will wake to watch the sunrise and celebrate Scouting's Sunrise and our centenary. A giant video link with Brownsea Island will see Scouts from every nation remake their promise.

Of course there will also be a wide range of on-site and off-site adventurous and community activities throughout the duration of the jamboree.

UK contingent members will arrive a day early to help establish the sub-camps, to celebrate the UK and to be around to welcome overseas visitors. Additionally, you will get a UK Contingent Member uniform and, with your fellow Berkshire Scouts, have the experience of your life. As a member of the Berkshire Scouts Jamboree Unit you will receive training and some valuable life-skills during the next 1½-2 years with the Unit. And when it's over, we do hope we can actively involve you as young adults at Berkshire's own international gathering, WINGS 2009.

* exact timing and location not finalised yet