Site cleared as scouts leave ‘relaxed’ jamboree

Press, 10 January 1987, Page 14

Site cleared as scouts leave ‘relaxed’ jamboree

Tent city at the Rangiora Showgrounds packed up as scouts and leaders stowed their woggles and badges and headed for home after the jamboree. Almost 2000 tents which have housed 7600 scouts during the eight days of the jamboree came down and worked on dismantling 16 temporary buildings.

The buildings, ranging from toilet blocks to storage sheds, were dismantled by a team of volunteers. After almost three years of planning, three months of building on the site and eight days of often frenzied activity, the jamboree was closed by the Governor-General. Sir Paul Reeves.

Scouts and leaders, jaded by hours of slithering through the mud and obstacles of Challenge Valley, sliding down the abseiling face and by many of the 50 other activities, began travelling home to all parts of New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific and Japan. In spite of some vigorous activities, ho serious injuries were reported, although there were several broken bones and more than 4000 cases ranging from sunburn to homesickness were treated at on and off-site medical posts. The police reported a quiet time with the most serious incidents being the theft of a tent from Marie Andrews Park and

the harassment of some scouts by older youths beside on Ashley River. The camp chief, Mr Dougall Love, said that although there were some early problems with organisation and the site, it was a happy and relaxed jamboree. Most leaders and organisers who gave up their holidays to go to the jamboree, did so out of their love for the scouting movement, he said. “They work like billyo and pay to do it — there must be something about it to bring them here.” The spirit of unity had been captured in a good will message to the crew of KZ7 signed by all the scouts and leaders in the

camp, including thoseiaf the United States and Australian contingents; said Mr Ldve. > ‘ : Equipment and building materials from the site which have not been presold will be auctioned at the showgrounds on January 31. Billies, chain saws, gas cookers, bicycles, canoes, wheel barrows and tents are among hundreds of items that will be auctioned, i | • ' 5 Planning for the next jamboree, to be held in early 1990, has already begun. Bids to stage the jamboree have closed and a decision on the next site will be made in March. It will be held in a North Island centre. t