The Camp Chief
John Kennedy first became involved with the Blair Atholl Jamborette in 1976
and has attended all 16 camps since.
This is John's 6th Jamborette as Camp Chief, a role he thoroughly enjoys.
This year there are 774 Scouts from 17 countries and a support staff of 368.
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? He is the Area Commissioner for the City of Edinburgh which comprises of 8 Districts and that keeps him fully occupied.
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Reception
A small team of leaders are located in the main reception area and this manned every day of the Jamborette to welcome visitors where they are signed in and out for security reasons. Anyone leaving the site also reports in and out at reception for the same reason. They also handle all the incoming calls to the camp site and it is main base for the Camp radio which enables the core team to communicate with each other.
On display in the reception marquee are various leaflets on Scotland and details of Scouting, as well as details about the camp and the location of the subcamps
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Site Services
Where would we be without this team - often hidden from sight, they are amongst
the first on site before the camp and last to leave. Making provision for the various facilities
- water, electricity etc. Who looks after the loo's when they get blocked - Site
services.
On the go from early in the morning, ensure everything is in tiptop shape -
the toilets and showers clean and working, rubbish collected and disposed of,
building the main gateway and the camp fires on the Saturday and last night
- they are hard people to find - yet they are everywhere - and work on until
late at night, and occasional all night when things go wrong.
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The Quartermaster's Store
Now here is a team of people that the Scouts visit regularly - to pick
up their rations for the day. Working away behind the scenes in the Quartermaster's
Store to ensure that all the food stuffs are available for each patrol
on time, in the right quantities and occasional to meet any special dietary
needs that there may be in a patrol. No mean feat.
Can you imagine how many litres of milk are delivered to the site every
day to satisfy the needs of nearly 1200 people?
A few statistics to frighten the mums-part of the camp shopping list
- over 3000 litres of milk
- 105 dozen eggs
- 228 Kg of liquid egg
- over 800 white loaves of bread, AND 288 brown loaves.
- over 10,000 rolls
- 150 apple pies
Meat, fruit, yogurts, soft drinks, water (and we have had
need of plenty of that this year and had to bring in extra supplies) all mysterious appears on site that's
to this team who continually after to monitor the usage to ensure they
do not run short. |
The Administration Team
OK, so they stopped for afternoon tea one day! That was the eye of the storm passing over.
This team have a massive task right from day one of the camp, checking people in onto the camp, making sure all the contact details are still current in case of an emergency.
But it does not stop there -
After their tea party (well actually before it) the team then starts in about making arrangements for the home hospitality for the visiting Scouts and leaders. They need to find out who is going home with a Scottish Scout and where they are meeting up again with their contingent for the return trip home. One German group is going to Edinburgh for a few days and needed to find out how to get to Glasgow Airport for their flight home - a mini-bus has been arranged to transport them, saving a lot of changing of buses for them.
That is the role of the admin team - well done folk - a lot of work in a short time.
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The Camp Hospital
As with every camp, it is essential that there is a sound support in the way of First Aid for the Scouts. Blair Atholl is no exception and in fact has a number of resident doctors on site and available 24 hours a day. They are supported by a number of nurses and Paramedics and a host of qualified First Aiders.
The hospital comprises of a marquee, with a wooden floor and comprises of a reception
area, treatment room and a rest room, should it be needed. There is also an ambulance
on site should there be an emergency.
The doctors hold a surgery twice a day during the camp to attended to any ailments or injuries that may have occurred. But they are always available at the end of a radio.
The usual cuts and bruises, sore throats, headaches strains and sprains are the main causes of visits to the doctors.
The doctors do urge that everyone, but everyone should wash their hands immediately before handling food or eating AND be careful of what you do - think before you do something because you could seriously injuring someone.
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Staff Catering
The catering team - without whom the Staff would not survive. The team serve meals three times a day for the duration of the camp. That is roughly 1000 meals per day, all prepared in a small portable kitchen unit. Inside the Dining Area there is a chill unit from which the staff can help themselves for cold starters and sweets. The Dining hall is equipped with units to keep the food hot and the meals prepared are not just take what you are given, there is a a full breakfast available and a selection for lunch and dinner.
They do have some time off - Camp Dinner on Wednesday night gives the team
a break as does the Sunday evening barbeque, but them there is the Staff Burns
Supper to contend with!
Well done to the cater staff for keeping the leaders well fed.
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The Staff Club
The quiet quarter - well somewhere for the staff to drop in for a tea or coffee,
have a read at the daily papers and general relax.
Evening entertainment is also provided most nights - a quiz, a replay of the International Show Case which many staff don't have the opportunity to see in the Kross - and of course supper is served here for the staff.
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The Activity Team
Last but not least - the largest team of the camp - without them there would
be no Blair Atholl. Apart from the leaders on the activities, there is a team
of leaders working away in the background who working the number of young people
that each base can handle and then allocate some many places to the sub-camps
on a daily basis. There are some long nights in the Activity cabin whilst
they untangle the problems.
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