First Complete Day Of Jamboree Activities

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31880, 7 January 1969, Page 1

First Complete Day Of Jamboree Activities

Yesterday was the first full day of both on-site and off-site activities at the national scout jamboree at Kaiapoi.

About 2000 of the 6000 boys were away from the camp taking part in such activities as flying and gliding, prospecting, climbing, archaeology and driving courses. Taking boys to off-site activities between now and the end of the jamboree on January 12 is expected to keep 50 buses busy 15 hours a day. On Sunday about 8000 members of the public visited the camp, and when an exact count is made it is expected that the total number of visitors yesterday will have been much the same.

On the camp site yesterday the “new skills” area and the neighbouring “challenge valley” commando course area were the most popular.

In the new-skills area the activities included lessons in

fencing, weight-lifting, theatrical make-up, basket weaving, photography, book-bind-ing, fly-casting, car repairs, yachting, archery, judo, party tricks, slot-car racing, stamp collecting, tape-recording, volley ball and trampoline acrobatics. Equipment Lent Nearly all these activities were well patronised, and fencing, weight-lifting, judo, and tape-recording were among the most popular. Much of the equipment has been made available by local firms.

The go-karts in a nearby area were also popular, and many scouts patronised the “pioneering” area, where rope and branches are used to fashion the most ingenious shelters, watch-towers, and other contraptions, not all of them with any obvious use. But one of the most popular activities of all was the commando course, of which there are two versions: one for the scouts, and a more difficult one for the older Venturers.

Each comprises an obstacle course, with observers at each obstacle to note the performance of each scout. Each course is set in a wooded area, and includes a crossing of the river which runs behind the woods. ■- The scouts had to cross the river on a highly unstable three-rope bridge, and return by a raft. In yesterday's heat, many seemed quite glad to fall from the raft on the return trip. k Harder Task The Venturer scouts, however, had to cross the river and return on a high-mounted single rope, which required considerably more skill and a measure of fortitude. Apart from these activities, the most popular pastimes seemed to be shopping, drinking vast quantities of soft drinks and eating mountains of ice-cream. The shops reported selling remarkable quantities of soft drink and ice-cream, and yesterday delivery trucks were calling with supplies almost every hour. Scouts augmented their issued rations with goods from the large grocery shop, which has several hundred feet of counter space to cater for the crowds. At the trading post nearby they could buy a wide range of souvenirs and such items as billies, blankets, tents, boots, cutlery and scout knives. A dry-cleaning firm’s reception' tent nearby reported good business, as good as could be expected in a reason-able-sized town.

Off-site activities yesterday also included swimming, suiting, jet-boating on the Waimakariri River, rollerskating, rowing, and climbing. All activities are closely supervised by men trained in the field concerned. Activities in the next few days will include a pony trek in the Hanmer Springs area, with an overnight camp, and alpine activities under the supervision of national park rangers. Running Of Camp The works and services depot at “Blue Skies” has been kept busy, mainly with repairs to some of the temporary buildings, but also with a small amount of new buildings. There have been no real problems with power or water supplies, but there has been some difficulty with drainage, and latrine pits are now having to be pumped out regularly. Wet weather could cause more drainage problems, but yesterday the weather was giving no such trouble: three water trucks were working full time to keep the dust down. Only minor injuries have been dealt with so far by the first-aid centre staffed by members of the New Zealand Red Cross Society. Although several boys have been sent to the camp hospital two miles from the jamboree site, there have been no serious injuries. Little demand has been made on the police stationed at the jamboree. SeniorSergeant A. Adcock said that most of the boys attending the camp had proved very orderly and there had been little skylarking. Rounds of the camp by the police started at 7 a.m. and might go on until midnight, although this had not yet been necessary, Senior-Sergeant Adcock said. Surprisingly few articles have been lost in the first days of the jamboree. Only berets and caps have reached double-figures, and sheath-knives and pocketknives are also high on the list.