Memories from a Successful Jamboree

A group of KFUM guides and scouts from Egebjergspejderne near Horsens have settled down in a corner of Lejrtorvet (the jamboree main square). For them, the jamboree has brought both plenty of laughs and brand new experiences. When I ask what has been the most fun at the jamboree, one of the boys answers without hesitation: 

“DJ Torben.” 

The travelling DJ has provided the soundtrack to the jamboree for many of the young guides and scouts. He has driven between the subcamps, playing music and creating a party atmosphere around the square. 

“He just creates a really great atmosphere. When things get a bit dull down by the campfire, he shows up and turns it into a party,” he explains. 

But the week has not only been one long party for the group. They are also heading home with new badges sewn onto their uniforms, including the activity badge and the Friendship Award. And the jamboree has also sparked several international friendships. 

Right at the beginning of the jamboree, they struck up a conversation with a couple of American girl scouts who were on the lookout for camp boyfriends. And as recently as yesterday, the group sold a stack of pancakes to a British scout group. Payment was not in pounds but in scout badges.  

“We were making pancakes last night and waved a spatula at some scouts, and they waved back, also with a spatula. Before we knew it, we were selling pancakes for badges. So now I have loads of badges I need to take home and sew onto my uniform,” says one of the girls with a huge smile.  

However, it is not only memories and badges they are bringing home from the jamboree. One of the boys is bringing home a bump on his head. It stems from an unfortunate encounter with a hammer when the group decided, just for fun, to start smashing rocks. 

“He bent down, and I was just about to give it another hit with the hammer. And then it went straight into his head,” says his friend, who is responsible for the bump.  

But luckily it is already starting to go down. And now the incident has become a funny jamboree story the group can laugh about when they think back on the trip. 

Memories to Take Home to the Faroe Islands 

Two girls are sitting on a pallet at Lejrtorvet (the jamboree main square), eating a meat-free durum. Their names are Mary and Serina, and they have travelled all the way from the Faroe Islands. For one of the girls, this is actually her first jamboree ever. So she is also taking a whole range of new guiding and scouting skills home with her in her backpack.  

“I have learned how to lash things together, light a fire, make toast over an open flame and pitch a tent,” she says proudly. 

Among other things, the girls tried their hand at an escape room, where they had to solve different tasks. One of them involved combining a bell with letters on something that was hanging above their heads. A different kind of challenge, which the girls still remember as one of the fun experiences from the jamboree.  

Mary and Serina have also been busy swapping both badges and scarves. One of them proudly shows off her arm, where she has fastened several different scarves to a button on her uniform.. 

The highlight of the jamboree, however, was definitely a joint Faroese campfire held on Thursday evening, where several hundred Faroese guides and scouts took part. 

“It was amazing that we were all together. We live out in the countryside. So we had not really seen them, because they live by the sea, so it was really nice to share that experience,” they say.  

Fantastic to Be a Volunteer 

I meet Caroline Schack-Nielsen in front of the café at Lejrtorvet (the jamboree main square), where she is on her way in for a well-deserved cup of coffee with friends. Caroline has been a volunteer at the jamboree, and when I ask her the same question about what has been the most fun during the week, the answer comes quickly: 

“The most fun has been running the biggest night activity we have ever held at Jamboree Denmark,” she says firmly. 

Caroline has been involved in planning the large SL activity quest, GoNatløbet, which this year was held for the third time. For her, it has been a fantastic experience to be on the organising side of the jamboree and help create great memories for the thousands of guides and scouts who took part. 

“It has been really great to be a volunteer at Jamboree Denmark. I never imagined there would be such a strong sense of community among us volunteers. And it has been lovely to be allowed to take on some different tasks than the usual guiding and scouting,” she says.  

Volunteering has also brought plenty of fun moments for Caroline. Laughing, she tells the story of one of her teammates who ran around after a group of scouts dressed as elves while playing a harmonica. It is a sight she will not forget any time soon.  

“I was honestly crying with laughter. It was by far the funniest thing. He just kept playing the harmonica while he chased them. And they were just screaming,” she says with a huge smile.  

Before I end my conversation with Caroline, I ask her the same question that I have asked several of the other guides and scouts: What are you taking home with you in your backpack?  

And her answer probably goes for most of us at the jamboree:  

“Smelly laundry. Really, really smelly laundry.”