General
Halsteren – From August 1 to 12, the Saemangeum in South Korea will be the setting for the 25th World Scout Jamboree. Although the Simongeum is about 9000 kilometers as the crow flies from Halsteren and Bergen op Zoom, there are “our” scouts, Britt van de Watering and Sanne Widken. Can’t wait for them to come to Korea.
The World Scout Jamboree is a quadrennial gathering of Scouts from around the world with the goal of strengthening relationships, building friendships and getting to know each other. The World Jamboree is for Scouts ages 14 to 17, but even those youngsters need guidance. Old scouts from the International Service Group play here: 21-year-old Britt van de Watering, 19-year-old Sanne Widken from the Bergsche Scout Group Scheldesdam and the Holsters Scout Group. They signed up for the World Jamboree in Korea, worked their asses off to finance their trip and are almost eager to leave.
Four years ago, Brit had already participated in the World Jamboree in the US, but this was Sanneh’s first time. Brits can talk for hours about what they experienced in America. About walking among 50,000 scouts, making friends from all over the world, going to dinner with a group of scouts from Korea, getting weird looks because you eat rice with a fork, and lively bartering on “badges”. . She is still very proud of the badge, in the form of a large flower she received from the Scouts in Hong Kong, and is still in touch with many of the Scouts she met in America. Sanne breathlessly listens to Britt’s stories and says: “My parents told me to text every day, but I don’t think there’s time. I already know I’ll be exhausted when I get home at the end of August, but it looks like it’ll be worth it.
During the two weeks of the World Jamboree, Sanneh and Britt hope to work on the “Lost & Found” section, which takes care of lost items, or the “Korean Heritage” section, where the Scouts learn more about the country. The World Jamboree takes place. Britt likes to work in the “swap tent” where Scouts exchange their badges, while Sane is keen on bicycle maintenance: “Bicycles are in great demand because the Jamboree site is as big as Utrecht!”
After their commitment to the World Scout Jamboree, Sanneh and Britt will visit some places with their “travel buddies.” Britt hopes to see the border with North Korea, while Chan confines himself to the city and natural beauty. She says: “Luckily, my travel buddy learned Korean because I’m really bad at languages. Korean, oh my god, it’s so hard. But I can’t wait to see the country, because who goes like that?”
