I woke up, to find that the weather was still miserable. Anna's patrol was on duty and we had a traditional camp breakfast again which was very nice.
Alan then went to the sub camp leaders meeting, while the rest of us went down to our first of the main jamboree 'module activities' - Earth.
We were very early for Earth, because we worked out that it was much further away from our campsite than it actually was. That meant that we got to go straight through and we didn't have to queue at all which was good.
We were split up into our patrols (I'm in Rosie's Patrol) and each patrol were assigned to an IST (we had an american and we were his first group). We first went into a tent where we were told about natural disasters. This was the 'Wind' part of Earth. We then wrote down some information about some natural disasters that we remember such as the floods in Australia, the Icelandic volcano and the Japanese earthquake. We then went to a map of the world where we pained dots on the map of the places where the natural disaster we had written about had taken place.
We then walked through a section of woodland (we were the first group at the jamboree to do this) which had been made with pictures of different types of natural disasters, we had to but our information next to the most similar type of disaster.
We then moved on to the 'Soil' part of Earth, an activity where we were making a mini windmill out of provided materials and confusing instructions. While we were doing this, Rosie (our very major patrol leader) started cracking up with laughter, as she was seeing loads of innuendoes in what our IST was saying. As a result of that, we all started laughing and the IST didn't have a clue what we were on about. We were then re-named as 'innuendo patrol'. After we had used the windmill to lift a small weight we then went over to the next activity, and while our IST set it up, we went and had our lunch - for me, jam sandwiches.
The next activity that we did was investigating the way soil filters water. We were given some clear Tabasco which we filtered through the different types of soil to make the intensity less strong with different types of soil. After we had finished this (and put the correct lids on the correct containers re-used ice cream containers we were given - yes we're just that OCD), we went on to the next activity which was the 'Water' part of Earth. In this, we were given a section of trough filled with sand, and had to sculpted the land so that and river would take away water that would be poured down the trough, and wouldn't hit a model factory or town which our IST put in difficult places. Our factory was right by the entrance to the trough and had serious erosion underneath it but luckily it stayed. After successfully, not drowning the town, but drowning some toy animals and putting them in awkward positions, we had completed dream. We said thanks to our IST and told him where our campsite was if he ever wanted to come and visit or eat with us.
We then went to the entrance of Earth (where some units/patrols were still waiting to begin!), where we were given our first bead. For each of the main module activities (Earth, Dream, GDV, Camp in Camp, People and Quest), everyone got a small bead to act as a souvenir for that particular activity. We then went back up to our campsite and joined the other patrols. Alan then told us what he had learnt from the leaders meeting which was that because the IST were so noisy the night before (they had been told to turn it down three times during the night and said they would - but didn't, until 3am when the Jamboree organizers just turned off their electricity. As a result of this, everyone on site, now had to be in their campsite by 11pm or, if they were caught, they would be on litter duty for the whole of the next day.
After than, we went to the main Jamboree shop and visited Simon, I also gave him my phone to charge because he had free electricity there. After that, I visited Nick who was in the winter cafe with 'The Dala Horse' which was a horse you could sign. We chatted for a while and also to her brother George who had done dream the night before and said it wasn't very good. I also found out that Nick had free electricity too which was useful. We then went badge swapping in Autumn again before going back to our campsite in time for dinner. Dinner was a very nice, Fried sausages in a creamy sauce, although we now realized that the portions in the book were all wrong and we each got a very small amount. After dinner, we went around doing more swapping until 10:00pm when we met back up at our campsite and went to the other side of the Jamboree site where the 'Dream' activity was. Just before 11, the IST let us in and we went along a long path lit by lanterns on both side every meter or so (that must have taken a long time to light!!!)
We were then assigned a route and walked on. Along the way there we various activities where we had to create a sort of personality, our favorite was Mike's 'Pierre'. We then painted 'Pierre' which was good. Afterwards we continued on a silent walked through 'being a child' where they had made common children's toys (building blocks etc...) huge because apparently this is how children see them. We then kept walking in silence until we were given our 'Dream bead'.
We went back to the campsite where we found that we were the first to finish and it wasn't even midnight (Georges group had taken until 3am). We then all waited for the other patrols to get back and after hot drinks etc... we went to bed.
Kathryn, our unit leader who sadly was unable to come to the Jamboree, sent an email round every day about what our unit had been doing from what Kev and other leaders/IST had texted her. You can find what she said about this day below:
"Good afternoon again
Firstly 'Hello' to Avonasaurus, I spoke to Kev yesterday and they are also reading my emails in Sweden.... so I hope you are all having a great time, we are all thinking of you lots and lots and we hope the rain stops........
Day Seven - Friday
Last night and just before the opening ceremony Avon was asked if the whole unit would take part in a ceremony involving lowering the flags of forty different countries. Each member of the unit stood behind a flag they were given and had to lower it to mark the start of the WSJ. I hope that Sam Freeman was at hand to name which county each flag represented - Sam has an amazing knowledge of all of the flags of the world. Kev turned up dressed up in the Avonasaurus dinosaur outfit ..... not sure which lucky country had a large purple dinosaur to take their flag down but am guessing they were a litte confused...
The day started with sadly more rain and the unit were up and about and ready to start their first modula activity which was Earth, the unit had to explore ways in which to save the planet, how to predict global disasters, how to extract clean water from soil, how to make a windmill and the best city layout for flooding! Education is all part of the WSJ experience so that the young people can learn about global issues that effect the World and there will be lots of other modula activities throughout the WSJ. Luckily the rain stayed away until all patrols had finished, which was a blessing.
The 40,000 Scouts on site are also unexpectedly having to share the camp site with other visitors, it would appear that about 400,000 ear wigs have arrived on site as well, everywhere and anywhere these visitors can be found, the tents have to be zipped up fully otherwise they are apparently rather keen to pop in side for a little explore - nasty.
Later everyone had the chance to do some more exploring and to visit other areas, as you walk around there are groups of Scouts all chatting together, talking about where they come from, what they do, how they Scout and how they live, friendships being made that could last a whole life time, friendships that circle the globe.
The leaders had kindly invited Lucy to dinner last night and she was very pleased to accept as the IST vegetarian option does not always seem to contain many vegetables and she is getting a little fed up with boiled rice. Lucy enjoyed seeing everyone and was made to feel very welcome - thanks Avon. Nine of the unit were off to dinner with other groups and other nationalities last night - what a lovely thought.
In the evening the Unit went off to The Dream module. I have to be honest and say I have no idea what this is. I think it is meant to be time for the young people to meditate and to take some 'quiet' time to reflect and have some time away from the hussle and bussle of the camp site. Not sure that if you put lots of young people together you will ever get peace and quiet but maybe I am wrong. I will let you know - I suspect that it was just as noisy as the rest of the camp site. If someone did manage to get about 4000 kids quiet then I want to know their secret as I struggle to get about 30 quiet on an Explorer night. This activity finished about mid night last night so anther late night and long day was had by all.
On the site yesterday two Swedish Scout leaders got married - they had met ten years ago on a Swedish Jamboree and decided to tie the knot on the main tower at WSJ. Apparently there is a Swedish saying that says if it rains on your wedding day then you will have a very happy marriage. As it was very very wet when they had their wedding ceremony yesterday then I hope they are very very happy together. Also a Saudi Arabian Prince came along to visit the WSJ site.
Kathryn
WSJ Bristol"
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