--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Kirkham, Oscar A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 33 number: 1 published: 1929-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Oscar A. Kirkham, “The World Scout Jamboree,” *Improvement Era* 33, no. 1 (November 1929): 32–36." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3301unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3301unse start_page: 32 end_page: 36 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1929-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3301unse publication_year: 1929 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1929, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The World Scout Jamboree The World Scout Jamboree By OSCAR A. KIRKHAM Executive Secretary of the Y. M. M. 1. A. ROBERT BLATCHFORD, in the London Sunday Graphic, said, "The Boy Scout Jamboree is the most sig- nificant sign of an inward and spiritual grace I can remember. It is a sign of the growing amity of the nations and an omen of a com- ing peace and brotherhood built upon the solid rock of an enlight- ened understanding. It is a mag- nificent symbol of the spirit of the age- — toleration, freedom and goodwill." From all corners of the world the Scouts of forty-two nations, numbering over 50,000, came to Arrowe Park, Birkenhead, near Liverpool, England, to celebrate the twenty-first year of Scouting, July 31 to August 13, 1929. From a small beginning, under the magic leadership of Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the movement has grown until today it numbers over two million. The Jamboree was the greatest gathering of youth in the history of the world. It was one glorious celebration — no con- tests, no rivalry unless it be in at- tempting to give greater service to one another. The spirit of helpful- ness, and a desire to let Scouts know how the program is con- ducted in their home country, was demonstrated everywhere with pride and thoughtful preparation. J. T is hardly necessary to say a word about Oscar A. Kirkham, for his dynamic personality has im- pressed itself upon this entire com- munity. After graduating from the B. Y. U. at Provo, and studying music in Berlin, he later taught in the L. D. S. U. at Salt Lake. Oscar, he is thus designated internationally, besides his other duties, is associate regional executive of Region 12, Boy Scouts of America. This includes Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Cali- fornia. During the Jamboree he was a member of the national staff, was general morale officer and mem- ber of the program committee. He was in charge of the religious exer- cises of the American Scouts and assisted in general supervision of the American contingent. "Scouting is a world-wide movement for the development of char- acter and initiative in boys, who in a few years wilt be called upon to carry on the work and government of the world," Scouts from the frozen north to the tropics came in ships, by train, by aeroplane, and marching over- land. The American delegation numbered about 1,400, with rep- resentatives from Honolulu and Alaska. There was also included within their delegation, a patrol of real red American Indians from Oklahoma. Up from the African coast came the black-skinned boys and from the Orient came the yel- low-skinned lads. In some in- stances it had required a month of sailing in ships. They had taken their time and when threatening storms arose, would drift leisurely into some safe harbor and await a proper time to continue their jour- ney. CEVERAL days prior to the *"^ opening of the Jamboree, del- egations began to pour in to the old Liverpool harbor. It took eleven trains to bring the 2,500 Scouts from France. A troop of German Scouts marched overland from Grimsby, not with hand gre- nades as their fathers might have done 15 years ago, but with friend- ship for England, who took special pride in entertaining them enroute. Many inspirational stories were told of Scouts who made great ef- forts to come to the Jamboree. One boy tramped 90 miles over the Himalayas to join his comrades at Calcutta. Another Scout from a way in the interior, in crossing the desert, was caught in a sand storm and when rescued it was discov- ered he had lost his sight. When he met his friends they granted him the privilege of continuing the journey, hoping that perhaps some specialist in England might be able to assist him. A great Scotch physician, on hearing of the case, traveled 80 miles to proffer his services. The sight of one eye was restored and the Scout continued his journey to the Jamboree. The Scotch specialist refused to accept any pay and expressed his pleasure in being able to help the lad. Many jokes are told about the Scotchmen and their love of money, but my acquaintance with them leads me to believe they are intelligent givers — they save to give. AND so the 50,000 Scouts came with their many group and individual problems, but all bring- ing a wonderful spirit to this great gathering of boy life. All the boys had met the requirements of a defi- nite preparation camping period in their own countries. They had been vaccinated for smallpox and innoculated for typhoid; they had passed physical examinations. They were in good standing and carried the spirit of the movement in their hearts. This was all put to a test, for the majority of the days in camp were rainy days and there was mud everywhere; but the Scout spirit overcame the difficul- ties and their songs and cheers dis- pelled the efforts of the cloudy days to dampen their ardor. The Improvement Era For November, 1929 33 Organization of the Camp A RROWE is a beautiful park ■^^ with sweeping meadows of about 400 acres. The camp was divided into 8 sub-camps with about 6,000 Scouts in each. It was laid off with highways, ave- nues, and lanes. Great Britain, our host, had carefully planned that one of the groups from her own Shires, one from her colonies and a number of foreign countries should make up each sub-camp. The places designated for traffic were given interesting names such as: "The King's Highway," "Wild Boar Avenue," "Rattle- snake Lane." To illustrate the type of per- sonnel which composed these camps: America was located in sub-camp No. 6. Just across the way was Denmark with 1,500 Scouts, and up "King's Highway" was India with 300 and Chili, Malta, Lancaster, Scotland, etc. Delega- tions from the different countries were organized into troops and patrols, and one of the inter- esting features was to note the dif- ferent types of shelters and tents which were used by these Scouts. Each troop provided its own bul- letin boards, where messengers brought the announcement of daily procedure. T N the heart of the mammoth -*■ park, 40 to 50 acres were set aside for a great Arena where grandstands were built to accom- modate the thousands of guests who came daily to see the pro- grams. It took nearly three-quarters of a million dollars to feed these lads while in camp. The most careful preparation had been made. Each ;Scout paid the equivalent of $10.50, for which he was pro- vided each day with the necessary raw materials which he was to pre- pare and cook over his own camp- fire. In the American camp a large commissary tent was provided where the trucks came all through the night, loaded with provisions which by dawn were distributed to the different troops. The Program T\ URING the first week of the Jamboree, the morning pe- riods were devoted to visiting. The Scouts from one camp would visit those of another camp. This be- came intensely interesting to many of the boys and offered many splendid educational opportunities. I remember one night when com- ing into the American camp from the hospital, where I had been visiting one of our boys, I met an American Scout who had been "over to Austria." It was about one o'clock in the morning, and when I spoke to him about his having spent not only the morn- ing, but the afternoon and evening there and also far into the night, he said, "Well, Mr. Kirkham, we had a great time together. I couldn't speak their language, but it has been a wonderful day." When I told him how serious it would be if all our Scouts attempt- ed such a program, he said, "I guess you can do what you want, it was worth it." And so, these lads en- joyed the fellowship of one another. The varied methods of camping in the open were very interesting. New Zealand's unique cooking; the Irish huts; the Eiffel tower built by French Scouts with their staffs; the Arab tent life; the Czecho- slovakia interesting half-cabin, half-tent homes, and the many ac- tivities of these nationalities proved intensely attractive and educational. POURING the afternoon, the main feature was the presenta- An aerial view of the great Jamboree Camp at Arrowe Park, Birkenhead. Near the centre of the photograph is Ar- rowe Hall, and towards the back is the Rallying Ground, where all the more important functions took place. Courtesy "Scouting" 34 The Improvement Era For November, 1929 tion in the great Arena of the big programs by the delegates of the different countries. Owing to the size of the audience, it was neces- sary that thousands of the boys participate at the same time. The day of the visit of the Prince of Wales, it was estimated there were 65,000 in the camp. At the con- clusion of the programs on that day, I happened to be near the grandstand when the British Scouts staged a "great rush" for 'their Crown Prince. He said he had been entertained in all parts of the world, but had never been thrilled as he was that day when he saw these thousands of lads cheering and yelling as they came across the field toward him. "C ACH performance in the Arena *—* was opened with a grand parade of nations. Each day one or more of the national delegations had an opportunity to present its interpretation of Scouting by pageantry, dramatics or some other method. The French Scouts gave a wonderful story of Joan of Arc as part of their program. Hungary, with a large Scout band and a boys' chorus of Vienna, introduced their folk-dancing and folk songs. Denmark gave a great callisthenic drill in which their hundreds of Scouts performed as one. The American delegation told the story of the great American Indian with all his regalia and camp lore. A demonstration of our woodcraft and campcraft program was also given. A Pine Tree Patrol pitched their tents and prepared their camp on a schedule of four minutes. The finale of our pageant proved very effective. At the conclusion of our program, the American Scouts ral- lied in a great half circle near the grandstand. Out from the center came a Scout with a beautiful American flag of silk and then the flags of the different countries, which had been invited to partici- pate with us, came forward and joined with our own colors, and as they did so our American Scouts rallied and cheered them. When all these representatives had arrived, our Scouts shouted these words as with one voice: "World Friendship, World Brotherhood, World Peace," and then far away in the grand- stand a quartette of Scouts behind megaphones (the great Arena was Scouts from Forty-four Nations Assembled at the 1929 Jamboree Courtesy "Scouting" provided with amplifiers) sang: "From a country rich in Scouting, Far across the sea, We are here to bring our greetings And good will to thee. "From these places we have gathered, May there come great good; May God's guidance ever keep us One in brotherhood." Then the bands began to play and amid the cheers of the multitude we marched to our quarters. '"THE evenings were devoted to -*- camp-fires. For the first week, each sub -camp provided its own program. The best events were selected and during the sec- ond week were put on a circuit which went around to the different sub-camps. There were many in- teresting types of entertainment: music, dramatics, pantomime, stunts, big sings, etc. Each camp- fire was opened with a song en- titled, "Jamboree," the melody of which imitated the ringing of the great bells of "Big Ben" in the House of Parliament, and each evening's program was always fin- ished with the singing of "God Save the King." At these camp-fires great friendships were formed. In the joy of the entertainment, Scouts forgot national lines and greatly enjoyed the fellowship of one an- other. T\ URING the second week of ■^ the Jamboree, the outstanding events were the visits of Scouts to English and Welsh cities. Trains and busses were used. It became my duty and pleasure to take great The Improvement Era For November, 1929 35 delegations to Chester, Bolton, Liverpool and other places. To il- lustrate the keen interest manifested by the English people in entertain- ing us at Bolton, one of the largest mill cities of the world : Upon our arrival a band met us at the station and the people of the city crowded the walks as we marched along. We were taken everywhere and shown all the places of interest. At the conclusion of the day's pro- gram, we met in the large city square on the Town Hall steps. The mayor and other city officials greeted us. It was estimated that there were over 10,000 citizens present. The mayor with his great gold chain and with his fine Eng- lish manners, expressed the love of his people for America and the Boy Scout movement. After his speech and when the time came for pre- sentations to be made, I was happy that I had been thoughtful enough to keep an American flag of silk in my coat which we had been using in one of our demonstrations at Arrowe Park. It was truly thrill- ing to note the great enthusiasm and joy of these people when I pre- sented their lead- er with this flag. Another interest- ing incident happened immediately after our program when we were retiring and falling into formation to march to the trains. One of our American boys, who was en- thusiastic in collecting souvenirs, asked one of the policemen if the emblem on his uniform was the coat of arms of Bolton and when the officer nodded yes, he said, in characteristic language, "Gosh, I wish I had one of those." This remark was overheard by the mayor, and he told the boy to leave that to him. The next day I re- ceived by special post a package of these emblems with a letter from the mayor, saying he was pleased to send one for each of the Scouts of the delegation although they had been obliged to take all of their reserve and to strip most of the uniforms of the police force, but that our visit had been worth it. England did everything in her power to show these boys a good time. I am sure her citizens were anxious to impress the visiting del- egations with the love which the English people truly felt for their guests and the nations throughout the world which they represented. The Religious Life 'T'HE spiritual life of the Scout ■*■ played a big part in the pro- gram. Each Sunday was carefully programmed as well as other days of the week, when the various re- ligious organizations were holding their exercises. Great non-sectarian programs were provided for those who did not attend other religious gatherings. The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and other dignitaries spoke to the Scouts. The prayers of these prominent men in behalf of Scouting were very impressive. One of them was as follows: "Help us by thy grace, at home or abroad, at work or at play, to walk worthily in thy high calling. En- able us with cheerfulness to fulfil our daily tasks, with courage to face our daily difficulties, to be on our guard against the suggestions and assaults of sin, to rely on thee for thy unfailing strength, and by thy mercy to win the crown which thou hast promised to all who love thee and do thy will." On one of the Sundays 10,000 Catholic Scouts tBszssrc^-^XTSsy^ysrcs^ ; 2. L. D. S. German Scouts en- camped at Jamboree 1. American Contingent on parade. 3. Giant Cake made by ship chef on S. S. Samaria for Scouts en route. 4. Main Entrance to Boy Scouts of America Camp. 36 The Improvement Era For November, 1929 had the honor of listening to a cardinal of the Roman Catholic church. Provisions were also made for the Jewish boys to have their religious devotions, and this was true of all other creeds. T was a great event in my own life to kneel with representa- tives of these 42 nations in the great Liverpool cathedral and si- lently pay our devotions to our God. At the conclusion of the program, the Arch-Bishop gave this blessing: "May the Almighty bless you with the courage of the spirit of youth. May he give you firm faith, eager hope and unconquer- able charity, that being fortified with such devotions of his grace, you may be partners with the pio- neer of universal peace, even the young Prince of Glory, Jesus Christ. Go forth into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Hold fast to that which is good. Render to no man evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak. Help the afflicted, honor all men, love and serve the Lord." A MID all these great religious devotions, in one of the tents of the American camps, provision was made for our own Latter-day Saint religious exercises. President John A. Widtsoe and his wife were with us. We were about 70 in number. Latter-day Saint |B°y Scouts from 1 1 different countries were present. President Widtsoe Prince when Top — Cheering for the Duke of Connaught, brother of King of Eng- land, President of Brit- ish Boy Scout Organiza- tion. Bottom — Oscar lead- ing cheer for Crown visiting American Camp. conducted the exercises. The serv- ices were interpreted for the benefit of those who did not understand English. HPHE part which the Latter-day •*- Saint Church is playing in this important world movement is a very sacred one. Thousands of friendships are being made and we are having an opportunity to let people of the world know and un- derstand what our religion is doing. The International Office is friendly to us and has been the means of assisting us in having proper affili- ation with the different countries of the world. There is a real chal- lenge tc every Latter-day Saint man and boy who has the priv- ilege of wearing the Boy Scout insignia and uniform. It is not long before he is known as a "Mor- mon" no matter where he may be, and with this knowledge comes great responsibilities. A HP HERE were many m- timate, inspirational happenings among the boys, and perhaps, at some future time, I shall have the opportunity of telling you about them. The clos- ing hours of the camp were very impressive. The new friendships made during these two weeks seemed to have been life-long, as these lads lingered with each other in saying good- bye. It did not seem to matter whether their skin was black, yellow, brown or white. They felt that they were all brothers to- gether. nd so, the Jamboree ended. "It stands for service and not for self; for duty nobly done, For acts of kindness gladly wrought from dawn till the set of sun; For links that are strong and hearts that are clean; stout mus- cles and active brains; For a smiling face when the sun is bright, and a brave face when it rains." Oscar showing western scenes to Scouts of five nations visiting American Camp. i i i Captions in this article were written by the editors. Edwin H. Calder, H. Piath, Irving Beesley, "Mormon" missionaries, at Guildwell Training Course. From the Ends of the Earth A .S an indication of the wide- spread interest in Scouting and par- ticularly among Latter-day Saint boys, the following is taken from "Cumorah's Southern Cross," or- gan of the South Africa Mission: Brother Harry Spear (the Mor- mon Boy Scout representative from South Africa) called at "Cumorah" on 2nd July on his way to attend the Boy Scout Jam- boree in England. Brother Spear is from the Bloemfontein Branch. On 5 th July he left for England on the R. M. S. "Edinburgh Castle."