Parents' hopes for Scouts at Australian Jamboree

As the 26th Australian Jamboree ended on Wednesday, parents were eagerly preparing to welcome home their weary Scouts. 

While most will likely be tired from 10 days of exciting activities, and there will be more than a few bags full of muddy clothes, they will also be full of stories about the fun they had, the friends they made and the things they did. 

But how did the parents left behind feel about the incredible experience their children had? We asked some of them! 

State Commissioner (Scouts) Craig Kokay’s daughter Grace registered herself for AJ2025. 

“Grace is one of those Scouts who has been planning to attend as many camps as possible; this was one in her and my plan anyway,” he said. 

“She has demonstrated on many occasions that she is a competent Scout and can handle events like AJ2025, especially as she has already attended many Jamborettes, New Zealand Jamboree 2024, and the Governor-General’s Camp. Beside that she registered herself, Grace was also a Jambassador and part of the AJ Youth Patrol, so she was very involved on many levels.” 

Craig said it had been interesting seeing AJ2025 as both a parent and the State Commissioner. 

“I’ve been enjoying seeing all the activities and the smiles from the Scouts,” he said. “The weather hasn’t made it easy, as it would be either hot, humid, and sweaty or wet and muddy. Either way, iIt’s been a challenge that has extended the youth (and the Leaders) in overcoming that which you cannot change. A good quote is ‘A Scout accepts all challenges with a smile’. As I was heading back to Brisbane after Visitors’ Day, I passed so many buses coming from Australia Zoo, thinking ‘well, they’re going to be late for dinner, but wow they would have had a great time’. 

“The Jamboree is a total experience and it doesn’t matter if it’s your first time away from home for an extended time, through to those who have done many extended camps, there is always something new and challenging. From my perspective as State Commissioner, I hope that all Scouts take back to their home Units a sense of achievement and that I’ve done it, nothing can stop me. 

For those thinking about what’s next, that’s simple! Venturers! For those not quite there yet, how about putting your experience into achieving the Australian Scout Award? 

“Additionally, I’d like to recognise all the efforts by the Leaders who made the experience happen, giving their time and holidays to support the Scouts to have a fantastic AJ2025. Finally, thanks to the parents and family for their time in fundraising and being happy to send their Scout away to have a great time.” 

Alison Hawkins-Bond’s daughter Darcey was lucky enough to attend AJ2019 as a Scout and wanted the opportunity to go again as a Venturer Service Leader. 

“She just made the cut-off date as she turns 18 on 26 January!” Alison said. 

“She was really excited to meet Scouts from other countries, have fun and develop her leadership skills. She has loved chatting to Scouts from Sri Lanka about where they live – we have friends from Sri Lanka and she was interested in knowing if they were from the same places. finding out where they lived and checking if any of the locations were where our Sri Lankan friends came from.  

“Running activities and the ongoing storms were a challenge, but something that her positive approach enabled her to manage. 

“This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make new friends, have new experiences and learn what you are truly capable of! ‘Your Quest, Your Way’ – you really get out of it what you put in!” 

Danielle Cobley registered her daughter Natalie because she thought it would be a great experience. 

“We wanted to increase her feelings of independence and develop her resilience, all whilst in a safe and nurturing environment,” she said. 

“We’re hoping she is able to develop a sense of confidence and the ability to face her fears and minor insecurities. To start to see herself as someone independent from our family unit. 

“We have been extremely impressed by the organisation of the Jamboree and how efficient and thorough the whole process has been. We are grateful for all the hard work behind the scenes and appreciate every minute spent by volunteers to ensure our children have a fun and safe experience. 

“The event is huge and far away from home, so nerve-wracking for us parents too, but we have been reassured by regular communications via AJ2025 social media and contact from our Group and child!” 

As soon as Murphy Byford heard about the Jamboree, he wanted to go. But his parents were a bit unsure about sending their “only child, a 12-year-old boy, off to Queensland for 10 days, alone”. 

“We did our research, watched videos on YouTube of previous Jamborees, spoke with his Leaders and other parents. We held our breath and said… yes!” mum Cara said. 

“Ultimately though, he was not alone. His best friend Dylan is also at Jamboree, and over the past year we’ve got to know his Leaders, other Scouts and their families. Any initial trepidations were replaced by excitement for him.” 

Cara was optimistic about the benefits for Murphy of attending AJ2025. She said she hoped he would make new friends, build confidence and have life experiences. 

“Jamboree, like everything in life, is what you make of it. Before Murphy left, our advice to him was, this is an amazing opportunity, be nice to everyone, and everyone will be nice to you. Try everything, then you won’t regret anything,” she said. 

“Badge-swapping – what better way to learn confidence (and negotiating skills) than going up to a stranger to ask if they’ll swap a badge with you? But it’s not all about badges, it’s about being independent, thinking for himself, taking risks and accepting the outcomes, being responsible for his actions and belongings.” 

Jessica Chong said it would be a given that her daughter Amelia Moran, who is the Scouts NSW youth ambassador, would want to go to AJ2025. 

“Amelia loves any activities with Scouts, and she has made many friends from all over Australia after going to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea,” she said. 

“We knew she would want to go and see her friends again. Also, this is probably her only chance to attend an Australian Jamboree as a participant, so we knew she would want to go as soon as it was announced.” 

ShirleyAnn Summers wanted to give her daughter Sally the opportunity to have a variety of experiences. 

“I figured she would do and see a lot of things we could never do for her,” she said. “Hopefully she made friends, had fun, new experiences, adventure and food choices!” 

Marcus Kershaw, whose three children Preston, Archie and Maggie all attended AJ2025, said they wanted to attend after seeing a presentation on previous Jamborees. 

“We managed to visit them on Future Scout Day to see how they were going,” he said. “We have also spoken to them daily to see how their day went. They have been very positive about the camp, sending photos and FaceTiming regularly. 

“Seeing the kids make the best of being wet through all the rain, with nothing affecting the vibe, is fantastic. 

“My youngest has also requested to go to Poland in 2027 for the World Scout Jamboree. I think this speaks volumes on how much she is enjoying herself!” 

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