The 11th
World Scout Jamboree
The World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17.
The first World Scout Jamboree was organized by T ...
was held 1–11 August 1963 in
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
.
Jamboree activities
The Jamboree Camp had 11 sub-camps for the participating Scouts and 5 sub-camps for administrative and technical personnel, and covered a total area of about 5 square kilometres. The Camp Chief was Demetrios Alexatos.
The focus of the camp was the "Greek Village" which offered sights and sounds, food and entertainment from all over Greece. There was also a 20,000-seat amphitheatre, and refreshment stands and expositions all around camp.
There was an Olympic theme to the Jamboree, with the triathlon and other sporting events taking place. A major event was the "Labours of
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
" - a series of tasks designed to test the strength, skill, and stamina of participants.
The largest group of attendees was the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
contingent, with almost 1,200 Scouts (the largest UK Scout airlift ever).
The Chief Scout of Greece,
Crown Prince Constantine, attended every one of the event's 11 days. At a special ceremony, the Chief Scout of the Commonwealth
11th Baronet Maclean of Duart (later 7th Baron Mclean of Duart and Morven) awarded the Crown Prince with the
Silver Wolf - the highest award of
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origin of Scouting in 1907, the association was for ...
of the United Kingdom.
The World Chief Guide
Olave Baden-Powell
Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell (''née'' Soames; 22 February 1889 – 25 June 1977) was the first Chief Guide for Britain and the wife of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and co-founder o ...
, wife of
The Founder
''The Founder'' is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by John Lee Hancock and written by Robert Siegel. Starring Michael Keaton as businessman Ray Kroc, the film portrays the story of his creation of the McDonald's fast-food resta ...
, spoke at the closing ceremony:
:"I want to coin a new word for you to remember;
:the word is "welgo". Go well now on your way, carrying
:with you the light of Scouting like the Marathon torch,
:and work well, play well, and spread the ideal of Scouting
:as far as you possibly can.
:We trust you Scouts of the World to help bring about the
:reign of peace and goodwill in all the world. Welgo to you all!"
Following the speech, a torch was handed to an American Scout, to be rekindled at the
12th World Scout Jamboree in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Tragedy
Flags at the Jamboree were placed at half-mast in mourning after the bulk of the
Boy Scouts of the Philippines
The Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) is the national scouting organization of the Philippines in the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The Scout movement was first introduced in the Philippines on 1910 during the American Occupat ...
contingent died in the crash of
United Arab Airlines Flight 869 at 0150 hours on 28 July 1963, in the Arabian Sea nine nautical miles from Madh Island, Bombay (now Mumbai), India.
Despite the fact that most of the scouts from other countries had already arrived in Greece for the Jamboree, preparations for the event continued as planned.
Nevertheless, the BSP sent a token delegation of three Scouts to Marathon some days after the crash, in addition to several BSP officials
[P&CS Gabriél A. Daza, VP Hermenegildo B. Reyes, VP José Plaridél A. Silvestre, NSE Godofredo Palencia Neric, Vicente F. Delfín, Miguél Gatusláo, Benjamín C. Limso, Pedro I. Malonda, Loreto Vallora, and Fernando S. Vinzons.] who had arrived in Greece ahead of the accident.
Notes
External links
11th World Scout Jamboree Official WebsiteJamboree Histories at Scout.org
{{WOSM, jamboree
#1963
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1963 in Greece
August 1963 events in Europe