In Bulletin 3, Part One of “Building an NSO Contingent to the 24th World Scout Jamboree” was provided to help contingents prepare for the 24th World Scout Jamboree. The information was intended for National Scout Organizations and their Contingent Management Team.
As a reminder, each contingent/National Scout Organization should have completed, or be working to complete, the following tasks:
- Commit as a National Scout Organization to send a jamboree contingent.
- Appoint a Head of Contingent and submit the form to the office of the 24th World Scout Jamboree by March 31, 2017.
- Work on the Contingent Registration Form and prepare to send the form to the office of the 24th World Scout Jamboree by December 31, 2017.
- Recruit a Contingent Management Team.
- Develop a contingent budget and determine the NSO’s jamboree fee, using the 24th World Scout Jamboree fee as your base.
- Prepare to make your initial deposit for each participant to the 24th World Scout Jamboree by December 31, 2017. Those who make the deposit will qualify for a 5 percent discount. Final details on wire transfer procedures will be in future bulletins.
- Start to promote the jamboree locally. Marketing tools will be available this summer on the expanded website at www.2019wsj.org. The Brand Guidelines for the 24th World Scout Jamboree will also be located on our official website.
- An email was sent to International commissioners and Heads of Contingents with details on the optional Study Visit Program. The program will take place 21-24 July 2017 in Charleston, West Virginia, and will include meetings with the 24th WSJ leadership team and visits to the Summit Bechtel Reserve, site of both the Boy Scouts of America’s 2017 National Scout Jamboree and the 24th World Scout Jamboree. Additionally, plan to attend the first Heads of Contingent meeting April 13-15, 2018, at the Glade Springs Resort in Daniels, West Virginia, which will include a tour of the Summit Bechtel Reserve. Our World Scout Jamboree leadership will be there to help answer your questions. Check out the resort website at http://www.gladesprings.com. More details will be provided in future bulletins.
- Prepare your contingent for a rewarding jamboree experience.
The next steps of Building your NSO Contingent include the following:
10 – Decide on your registration procedure
Each contingent should be deciding how it will register the participants from its NSO. It is recommended that each NSO have a jamboree registrar. In July of 2017, the 24th World Scout Jamboree is scheduled to release an online registration system for NSOs and appointed registrars to register youth, adult contingent leaders, and IST. Details, including a registrar manual and training, will be shared in future bulletins.
11 – Recruit and select your unit leaders
Every unit attending the jamboree consists of 36 participant Scouts and 4 unit leaders. (In certain circumstances, such as if there is a need to support Scouts with special needs, additional unit leader(s) can be appointed.) The leaders will be responsible for the well-being of the participant Scouts and for making sure they get the most out of the jamboree experience. This is a demanding task, so recruiting and selecting the best unit leaders who can handle challenges that may arise at the jamboree is important!
12 – Recruit and select your participant Scouts
Each National Scout Organization will recruit and select the participating Scouts who will attend the jamboree. Talk with parents and Scouts to ensure participants have the maturity to meet all the challenges the jamboree has to offer.
NSOs are encouraged to make sure the selection process is fair and the jamboree opportunity is available to all. For reference, here are the ages for participating Scouts:
To be eligible to be a youth participant at the 24th World Scout Jamboree, you must be born between July 22, 2001, and July 21, 2005. If you are older on the given date, you may be able to apply to become a member of the International Service Team or contingent team, or a unit leader. The exact age requirements have been approved by the World Scout Committee.
Don’t forget to share the official website of the 24th World Scout Jamboree, http://www.2019wsj.org [1], with prospective Scouts and their families!
13 – Recruit and select IST members
To hold the 24th World Scout Jamboree, 9,000 International Service Team (IST) members are required. Being a member of the IST at the jamboree will be a life-changing experience for all who take part. It is an excellent opportunity to support and develop young leaders within your NSO and even across the globe. Our team is committed to making the IST experience new and fulfilling!
14 – Raise funds and support the contingent
Attending and traveling to a world Scout jamboree can be quite costly. However, there are many ways to raise funds to help cover the costs, ranging from local Scout groups conducting fundraising activities to contingents applying for support or donations. Make sure your fundraising efforts meet the requirements of your NSO.
15 – Use training weekends to build your team
The experience of the 24th World Scout Jamboree will be very different from being at home. Moreover, many jamboree participants and leaders will not have met before their selection. It would be a good idea to organize at least one, if not more, training weekends for cultivating friendships and team building.
We will also be sharing details on camp life at the Summit Bechtel Reserve on our website. We are planning to produce videos about camp setup, jamboree cooking, and other details to help prepare all to Unlock a New World!