European Scout Jamboree

The European Scout Jamboree (or EuroJam) is an international Scouting jamboree, which is organized at irregular times by the European Scout Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).

Flag bearers at the opening of EuroJam 2005
Closing ceremony of EuroJam 2005

So far, two European Scout Jamborees have been held as a dress rehearsal for the World Scout Jamborees to be held one or two years later at the same site, each with about 10,000 participants:

European Scout Jamboree 1994

edit
1st European Scout Jamboree (EuroJam)
OwnerEuropean Scout Region (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
LocationBiddinghuizen
CountryNetherlands
Date1994
  Scouting portal

The first European Scout Jamboree was an initiative of the Dutch World Jamboree Organizing Committee. When Scouting Nederland won the bid of the 18th World Scout Jamboree, it was decided to organize a big event a year earlier, as a test run for such a big event. It was located in Biddinghuizen, on the same site as the 1995 World Jamboree. Its theme was Join the Stars.[1]

European Scout Jamboree 2005

edit
2nd European Scout Jamboree (EuroJam)
 
Official Logo
OwnerEuropean Scout Region (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
LocationHylands Park
CountryUnited Kingdom
Date29 July to 10 August 2005
Attendance10,000 Scouts of 67 Countries
  Scouting portal

The European Scout Jamboree 2005 (EuroJam 2005) was held in summer 2005 and lasted for 12 days between July 29 and August 10, in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex, near Gilwell Park, an important campsite and training center for Scout Leaders. About 10,000 Scouts from 67 countries were involved; it was considered the biggest Scout gathering in Europe for over 10 years and 50 years in the United Kingdom. It was also a dry run allowing the organization team of the 21st World Scout Jamboree to test a number of aspects of the upcoming event. traffic issues, necessary infrastructures and logistics.

The event was made for Scouts and Guides aged 15–18 in summer 2005 from Europe and beyond.

There were five main groups of people at EuroJam. The different border colors of their official EuroJam scarves identified them.

  • Participants used yellow border.
  • Troop/Unit used green border.
  • International Service Team (IST) used medium-blue border.
  • Contingent, National and Regional Staff used navy-blue border.
  • Jamboree Organizing Team (JOT) used purple border.

Sub-camps were "Home" areas for the duration of EuroJam. There were 8 sub-camps for participants, named after rivers and mountains in Europe. They were separated by "Hubs", Mountain Hub and River Hub.

Mountain Hub sub-camps: Alp, Carpathian, Pyrenees, Snowdonia. River Hub sub-camps: Danube, Oder, Rhine, Tagus. There was also an adult sub-camp, Lake Geneva.

The Plaza was the central area of the campsite, located in front of Hylands House. The Plaza was the location for all services that the participants needed during EuroJam. The Plaza included shops, cafés, an internet café, payphone, the EuroJam radio station and areas for the "Evening Programme"

The program was a wide range of activities on the main site and three off-site locations.

EuroVille was packed full of activities ranging from sports to music, from culture to technology, and from creativity to global development. There were five EuroVilles around the site, named after seas in Europe, Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea, Irish Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea. EuroVille activities were specially created by Scouts and Guides from across Europe for EuroJam.

Global Development Village gave the participants the chance to learn how to change the world for good – through hands-on activities run by some of the organisations already doing so.

Choice Time provided participants with areas around the EuroJam campsite to meet new friends, and try out a range of walk-in activities. Participants could also explore other Programme areas as:

  • Energise: Challenges and activities, covering topics such as survival, teamwork, relaxation and a full-size circus.
  • Global Development Boulevard: A special exhibition area with display and drop-in activities for anyone to visit. Some of the tents had displays by organisations such as Oxfam to give the participants information of global issues, and other tent
  • Village UK: An exhibition about the UK
  • Faith and Beliefs Zone: A place set aside for participants to explore aspects of faith and beliefs. Represented religions were Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Anglicanism.

Touring the SubCamps were five specially-modified double-decker London Buses. Each GloBus had a different theme to introduce participants to topics affecting the world today.

European Jamboree 2020

edit

After delegates to the World Scout Conference in Baku 2017 decided that the 25th World Scout Jamboree would take place in Korea in 2023, Scouts from almost 30 European countries requested the Polish Scouting Association to consider organizing Eurojam. European Scout organizations therefore set into motion that "European Jamboree 2020" will take place on Sobieszewo Island, in Gdańsk, Poland, with a target of 25,000 participants.[2][3][4] The event was a collaboration between WOSM and WAGGGS' European Regions.[5] The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association had earlier envisaged a Eurojam event in 2021 in preparation for hosting the World Jamboree in 2023.[6]

In summer 2018 ZHP organized the Polish National Scout Jamboree, which was considered as a preparational event for the European Jamboree.[citation needed] By August 2019, the estimated attendance level was raised to 30,000 participants (youth and adult).[7]

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was initially postponed in April 2020 to summer of 2021,[8] before being cancelled in November 2020.[9]

Other EuroJams

edit

Other international Scout associations have also organized events under the name Eurojam, but generally have fewer participants. These agencies include the Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme (CES) and the Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe (UIGSE).

UIGSE Eurojams

edit

Source:[10]

The Eurojams organized by UIGSE take place every 10 or so years. Past Eurojams are:

CES EuroJams

edit

The EuroJams organized by the CES have been:[11]

Year Location Host country Theme/name Attendance Annotations
1981 Bramhope   United Kingdom - 700
1985 Niederhosenbach   Germany Pierre de Lumière (Stone of Light) > 600
1989 Heeze   Netherlands Environment and Pollution ~ 1,000[12]
1993 Olloy-sur-Viroin   Belgium Tales and Legends 1,372
1997 Bassano Romano   Italy Let us help Europe to develop 1,645
2002 Thoresby Hall   United Kingdom Robin Hood and his merry men 417 planned for 2001 but postponed to 2002 due to the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth crisis[13]
2006[14] Hauenstein   Germany Vier Elemente (Four Elements) 401 originally planned for 2005 in Spain[15]
2010[16] Villers-sur-Lesse   Belgium Belgian comics 382[17]
2013[18] Ommen   Netherlands That monster, that cursed monster! (Saint George and the dragon) 550[19]
2017[20] Covaleda   Spain

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Scoutwiki subarticle on the European Jamboree (Dutch)
  2. ^ Kitson, Martin (11 December 2017). "Gdansk to host 2020 European Scout Jamboree". Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  3. ^ Opole, Radio (18 August 2017). "W Polsce może się odbyć europejskie jamboree skautowe" [A European scout jamboree may be held in Poland]. radio.opole.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  4. ^ Gzyl, Karol (7 September 2017). "List Przewodniczącego i Naczelnika ZHP" [Letter from the Chairman and the Head of the ZHP]. Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  5. ^ "CALL FOR NOMINATIONS of Heads of Contigent: [sic] EJ2020 (Joint Communication 01 2018)". Europak (WOSM European Region, WAGGGS Europe Region). 22 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  6. ^ Moritz, Katarzyna (19 January 2017). "Gdańsk szykuje dla harcerzy trawnik za 850 tys. zł" [Gdańsk is preparing a scout camp for 850,000 zł]. trojmiasto.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  7. ^ "We still have time to panic constructively" (video). Split, Croatia: European Jamboree 2020. 30 August 2019. Event occurs at 7:50. Retrieved 30 August 2019 – via Facebook.com.
  8. ^ "European Jamboree 2020 rescheduled to Summer 2021". European Jamboree 2020. 6 April 2020. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  9. ^ "European Jamboree 2020 - European Jamboree Cancelled". European Jamboree 2020. 23 November 2020. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Eurojam 2014 | UIGSE - FSE". Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Histoire de la Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme" (PDF). CES. 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Geschiedenis van de Ashanti groep". Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  13. ^ "Impulsnachrichten 2001/II". Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  14. ^ "Eurojam 2006". Retrieved 30 November 2009.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "CEFASEUROJAM ' 2005 -SPAIN-" (PDF). Retrieved 30 November 2009.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "CES EUROJAM presentation". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  17. ^ "provisional list of entries for Eurojam 2010". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  18. ^ "Coming Events". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  19. ^ "Invasie van 550 scouts uit acht Europese landen zorgen voor ware invasie | Ommer Nieuws | dé Weekkrant". Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  20. ^ "Welcome to EurojamCES2017 – Jamboree , Camporee, Eurojam". Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
edit