Below are news articles found on the Internet. Sources provided.
*Please note, dates displayed along the right hand side are dates that we have posted the articles on this site, not dates that the articles appeared online. We have dated each article as we have posted it when you click to read you will see 'Dated' on the top line, these are the article dates. We have tried to keep them in order as best we can, with newer at the top and oldest at the bottom*
| Back to News List |
Scout army marches on it's stomach |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jan 12 2007 at 4:50 PM |
Dated 12th Jan 2007 - Source
When an army of 12,000 scouts and guides descended on the tiny central Victorian town of Elmore, near Bendigo, last week, locals adopted their guests’ motto – “Be Prepared.”
Well aware that any army marches on its stomach, and of the demands of teenage tastebuds, a total of 19 community organisations have combined forces to provide munchies for the youngsters.
Organisers of the 21st Australian Scout Jamboree took care of the three-meals-a-day needs of the scouts, but left between-meals snacks to the locals.
Elmore Field Days Committee President Derek Shotton said “We’ve been rushed off our feet selling hundreds of do-nuts, chips, ice cream, milk shakes and soft drinks. They were all big winners with the kids.”
“We had 560 local volunteers, more than half the town’s population, working flat out. Some of them put in a 12-hour shift, and then had to sit down and start counting the takings.”
The Elmore Events Centre has been transformed by the Jamboree into Scout City with everything from a 12-bed hospital staffed by 30 doctors and nurses, to the stage used by rock megastars U2 on their recent Vertigo tour.
Locals farmers, butchers and shopkeepers are among the volunteers giving up their time to work three-hour sandwich-making shifts, or up to six-hours on milk-shake duty.
City of Greater Bendigo Mayor, Cr Julie Rivendell paid tribute to the community spirit and organisation that has gone into the $10million Jamboree.
“Elmore and surroundings towns are deriving major benefits from the influx of 12,000 people. Up to 1000 scouts are being bussed into Bendigo daily, and it’s great to see the city full of young people and local attractions bursting at the seams,” Cr Rivendell said.
The 11-day Jamboree opened on Tuesday (Jan 2) and has attracted 300 youngsters from around the world. The remainder are Australian scouts and guides and their organisers.
Most of the international visitors are from the UK, Canada, Ireland, Japan Korea, New Zealand and the USA. Tiny nations like the Maldives and East Timor are also represented.
The Bendigo South Rotary Club sponsored the six-strong Muslim contingent from the Maldives, along with their leader. The first thing the young Maldivians wanted to do was go shopping. So Rotarian Ken Briggs and his wife took them into Bendigo, and they emerged two hours later enchanted by their first encounter with Australian fashion.
“They were fascinated by our fashions, having seen nothing like them before,” said Ken Briggs.