AJ2019 – 25th Australian Jamboree
The Australian Jamboree is a massive event that is on every 3 years.
The next Jamboree, AJ2019 is hosted by South Australia at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia from 4 to 13 January 2019.
AJ2019 will be your chance to experience the best of Scouting in one place over 10 action-packed days.
Camping as a community of Scouts from across Australia and the World, you will experience everything from participation in stadium shows to adventurous activities.
Why go to a Jamboree?
Think of the biggest Scout Camp you have ever been on. Got it? Now imagine over 100 of those camps all rolled into one and that’s a Jamboree!
The Jamboree site is a small city, housing & feeding over 13,000 people. It includes stages, entertainment, activities, campsites, meeting places and food. It’s like taking a small town and filling it with Scouts – imagine the friends
you’ll make!
But if that’s getting too scary, relax – you’ll be camping as part of a Troop with about 6 patrols (so 36 Scouts) and 4 leaders including you friends from your home Troop as well. The Jamboree site is only part of the story, there’s also a range of activities
which are run offsite. Each day approximately 4,000 Scouts will enjoy activities off-site in places that include Adelaide city and the River Torrens, Port Adelaide and the Murraylands and Coorong.
The activities list for AJ2019 is yet to be released, but to give you a taste here’s some from previous Jamborees:
- Beach Party
- Circus training
- Junkyard
- City tour
- Nerf wars
- Laser tag
- Waterslides
- Swimming
- Flying fox
- Discos
- Wood and metal working
- Zorbing
- High ropes
- Market day
- Concerts
- Tattoos
- Obstacle courses
- Bike riding
- Water activities
- And plenty of mud!
But there is more...
Jamborees are a lot of fun, but also an immersion experience, building self confidence and developing independence, responsibility, and self-reliance in the Scouts who attend.
A Jamboree provides a safe, structured environment for Scouts to challenge themselves to try new adventures, develop social skills outside their normal peer groups and gain new skills working together over 10 days. Scouts have even been known to clean their rooms without being asked, cook the family dinner and do their own clothes washing following return from a Jamboree.
Where is Tailem Bend?
Almost at the end of the mighty Murray River, not far from where it flows into Lake Alexandrina.
The Jamboree site is about 90mins from Adelaide Airport and an hour from the Woodhouse Scout Activities Centre.
Fundraising
Fundraising is a major part of the Jamboree experience and is not just about raising funds to get to the event.
Think about these aspects:
- How much more valuable is something that you’ve worked hard for?
- The fun that will be had working with the other Scouts
- For parents, the social interaction in spending time with other parents.
- The strong friendships that will be built prior to travelling together to the
Jamboree.
Maybe you can afford to attend without any fundraising? That’s great, but it would be even better to lend a hand to your mates and help them get to the Jamboree. Many hands really do make light work of fundraising – if everyone gets involved this will be a much easier task.
How can I get More Information?
One of the best sources of information is talking to someone who’s been to a Jamboree before – like the older Scouts and Venturers in your Group who have gone to the last one.
Make sure to watch the official jamboree website as it develops.
Costs
Fees for AJ2019 are released later this year so keep watching this space for more information!
How do I Apply?
Applications will be received online through the Jamboree website. The applications system is expected to open and start accepting applications in the second half of 2017.