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Geldermalsen/South Korea • Iris Owehand (20 years old) and Reince van Solen (15 years old) went to camp. The major international Scout event that takes place somewhere in the world every four years. Scout Graf van Gellere from Geldermalsen relives a special adventure. “Cool but warm,” is how Rinse describes his trip to South Korea.
Iris went as the leader and Reigns as the junior member. In fact, each youth member only has the chance to go to camp once, due to the age range being between fourteen and eighteen. They did not meet at the camp in South Korea. “There are fifty thousand Scouts, in a huge camp divided into eighteen sub-camps, all mixed groups.”
Stories from the media are only partially known.
Raines had a so-called introductory trip, introduced to the country beforehand, and Iris had a family trip, where she stayed longer. They are completely unaware of the stories that have appeared in the media about the camp this year. “It was clear that the organization had some challenges, there were extreme weather conditions, but overall it was OK,” Iris recalls. “You have to see the camp as a big international village, with 50,000 Scouts from all over the world, but with all the facilities on site. I worked in food management, but there was also a hospital that operated independently, for example. So, if there is a message She says a scout was taken to the hospital, she was just at the same location.” When Iris read the letters, she sometimes wondered if she was there herself. “Most of the articles that came out were a bit exaggerated.”
Communication with the entire Scout world
And it was precisely the conditions, according to Raines, that reinforced the camp’s message. “I enjoyed contact with people from all over the world. Australians and peers from the UK. As it rained, I suddenly found myself digging trenches at night with Scouts from Hong Kong with headlamps on. Iris worked mainly behind the scenes, but also in a colorful group with her fellow Scouts From Nepal and New Zealand: “You really make connections through work, and you learn from each other and each other’s culture. It is unique and it will remain so.” Reins enjoyed all the cultures around him: “Everyone is different, but Scouting is the binding factor.” They saw many Dutch people pop up when practical matters had to be arranged, when water was distributed. “We’re good with water, so we also took the lead in digging trenches and things like that,” says Iris.
Jacket full of international badges
Due to the heat and warnings of impending typhoons, it was not possible to continue all activities. Reins didn’t notice much of this and spent his days on site, for more than a week, in a pleasant way. “You could paraglide, there was a water slide and in the meantime many encounters where badges and bonds were exchanged. My jacket is all over the world with badges from all over the world on it. Each country had its own ‘Culture Day’ where typical snacks from That state during the activities. As a young member, everything was arranged for Rence, accommodation and travel. Iris had to arrange her trip herself, but that wasn’t a problem: “I stayed after that and actually made a trip out of it. The camp is a great opportunity to discover a country like South Korea again.
“An experience of a lifetime”
Next week the program will start again at Scouting Graaf van Gelre. Iris and Rens also enthusiastically join the Living Society again. They are hoping that scouts from Geldermalsen and the surrounding area will join the next camp. Iris: “It really is a unique experience, for the rest of your life. Four years ago I went to America as a young member of the camp and a tradition was born of me. She and Rinse also hope to return to Poland in four years.
