Special Features

The Camp Chief

John Kennedy first became involved with the Blair Atholl Jamborette in 1976 and has attended all 18 camps since.

This is John's 7th Jamborette as Camp Chief, a role he thoroughly enjoys.

This year there are Scouts from 18 countries and a support staff of 415.

John said "I have a great support staff which makes this camp run smoothly from start to finish."

So what does the Camp Chief do?
John's response was "I co-ordinate all the teams through the planning stages and throughout the camp itself. We start some 12 months before the event and of course have a wind up meeting afterwards to review everything and identify any improvements. I have a great team supporting the camp including all the International Leaders who bring their Scouts from all parts of the World. They come together and work together every two years as if they did this on a daily basis."

And what does John do with his time when not planning the next Blair Atholl Jamborette? Professionally, John is a Chartered Accountant and his scouting role is the Regional Chairman for South East Scotland Region Scout Council.

At the Scout's Own on Sunday Morning, Eleanor Lyall MBE, the Chief Commissioner of Scotland, announced to the gathering that the Chief Scout, Bear Gryllis, had awarded John the Silver Wolf.

This Award is the unrestricted gift of the Chief Scout, awarded for service of the most exceptional nature.

On behalf of the Chief Scout, Eleanor presented John with the Silver Wolf during the Service and also presented John's wife with a 'Thank You' Badge.

Eleanor Lyall, John Kennedy and his family as Eleanor hands over the Silver Wolf Certificate.

The Core Team

Whilst John chairs the core team, we should not forget this small group of people, because without them, the Jamborette would not happen.

For months they hold regular meetings planning the next Blair Atholl, estimating the costs of food and materials often a year in advance, no easy task in these times.

The amount of administration involved in running such an event is enormous, keeping track of every one that has applied, devising activities, programming the activities, coordinating transport, the main site tentage, catering etc. They all have their own skills and use them jointly to pull the camp together.

And of course they do not do all the work themselves - they have teams of people working with them, we should not forget these people as well, and the staff at our Scottish Headquarters that also put a lot of effort into the event.

The Core of Blair Atholl 2010
Thanks guys, and to your families for freeing you up to do the job over such a long period.

Site Services

Below is a rare site - you don't see these gents dressed like this very often. They were caught preparing for a well earned night off.

Many of them were here from the Wednesday or Thursday before Blair Atholl, preparing the site, erecting tents, laying water pipes, arranging the portaloos etc - all essential work. And they will be here for a day or two after the Scouts leave, along with other members of the Staff.

And during the time of the camp, they work away tirelessly, collect rubbish, tidying, and cleaning the portaloos, unblocking them etc - not a pleasant job-but it has to be done, building camp fires and many many other tasks.

Who built your showers, built the gateway and many many other jobs around the site - now you know - I hope you thanked them for their efforts.

Staff Catering

To feed over 400 people a day with 3 meals a day and with a choice at each meal is no mean feat, especially in a grass field.

To achieve this a mobile kitchen is brought in and there are team of men and women, working in shifts, to cook and serve the meals to the staff members. They do get some free time, but then again do they - who cooked and served the BBQ on Sunday night?

  
A few of the front line catering team

Reception

Another small team of leaders, again working in shifts, always dressed in full uniform whilst on duty, as they are the focal point for all visitors to the camp site. The man the phones, act as a communication control center for the core team on the radio system, book people off site when the leave, and back in again on their return, so that the camp staff know where everyone is, Lost and Found, all controlled from this area. And the lost and Found roll goes on after the camp as people discover they have lost things and send in enquires as to whether it has been found.

The Admin Team

A small team of individuals that work into the wee small hours on many occasions during the camp.

Everyone on site has met at least one of the team during the duration of the camp.

They are involved from the moment the first person applies to attend Blair Atholl until after everyone is home again. Building a database of all the campers, preparing the security badges, who is in which sub-camp and then the absolute nightmare task of arranging home hospitality for all the International Scouts AND the travel arrangements to bring the contingents together again after the Home Hospitality to make sure they make their flights etc.

And the rest, who must not be forgotten

There is the Medical Team, who are always kept busy with minor injuries, the Quartermaster looking after all the provisions, the Activities Team, by far the largest on camp who provided and manned all the bases, the staff in the Bank, Post Office, Cafe, the Staff Club who keep the rest of the staff going on coffee, and if I have forgotten anyone, and I am bound to have, my apologises.