Jamboree or Camporee, it was my first. I must say I am NOT impressed with Council's ability to put on an event. In fact, they should be paying ME to run these things. It was a great event, I have to say--the kids really enjoyed (most of) the activities and learned at least one new thing.
However: the planning was a bit--typical.
Time seems to be an abstract thing in Southern Florida. Like: someone has a clock...somewhere...and we have an idea that to make a schedule, we need to include time, or something, on it? right? But time never moves beyond some sort of abstract necessity around here. Breakfast is at 8? Ok, well, that means I should wake up when I do and then I'll go straight to breakfast. That'll work. Workshops are 45 minutes? Alright, well that's a little longer than a half an hour and a little shorter than an hour. Any other time will be filled with willynilly running around, that's not a problem.
For example: There was a program called "Outdoor Skills Relays" scheduled for 4:40 pm. We showed up at 4:35 and learned that the program was canceled. No one wanted to do it, they said. So my girls were hanging out, looking at other girls who were hanging out. One of mine said "I want to go play with them" I said, "so go ask if they want to play" She's 9 and she's shy...so she wouldn't. I said "fine, do you want to see if we can start a big game?" So we all went over together and asked the other troop if they wanted to start a game. They did. Next thing I know, we've got about 80 kids running around playing tag. Awesome.
An aside to the event planners: How hard was that? How hard is it to have a Plan B? It's not, but it's not something they think about either. They missed the "too much free time = boredom = misbehaving" part of PreCamp, I guess.
On that note: Willynilly running around bothers me because I was very seriously indoctrinated during my youth at resident camps. We do not climb trees, we do not run, we do not even think about stepping over a bench and we most certainly never consider breaking the buddy system. Here in South Florida--some of these kids never even get to go to the beach. Willynilly running around seems to be their right according to their leaders who must feel sorry for them and want to let them have a good time. Well! A broken ankle or a missing eye is never a Good Time!
So, now that I've put Pony Nuzzles behind me, I think it's time to start working on my next Technical Manual: Kat's Camping Theory. And then maybe some day someone will pay me to plan these things.
3 comments:
let me know when you do. ill be on the commitee.
ps you need to attend a world scout jamboree with 30,000+ those things ARE run well and are amazing things to go on. there is never nothing to do on those. the next is in Sweden in 2011 and i think Japan has the next one in 2015.
I'm Wagggs, not wosm. Otherwise i'd be ALL OVER sweden. The Swedish jamboree committee came to the Chalet as part of their publicity tour or whatever in the Fall and they told Jena and me that we were NOT welcome at the world scout jamboree. plus, i think anything that big can't be environmentally sound.
ive been on 3 through wagggs. we're invited guests. depends on how many staff they have apply. usually not enough so they open it up. some scout orgs have combined wosm and wagggs so both are invited as they are one in their country. im hoping to get in
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