Katrina - An example of Jamboree practice at work

[EagleInKY]

Sitting her in my confortable living room, watching the tragic circumstances in New Orleans on the TV. We're seeing the military getting mobilized for rescue and relief efforts. My wife comments on how impressive it is for them to mobilize and begin making significant efforts in under 48 hours. It's truly an impressive site.

 

It reminds me of the debate we've had about the Jamboree this summer. Those of us who support the government's partnership with the BSA believe that it gives our military practice on how to mobilize a city to support 40,000. Providing shelter, feeding, moving people, providing water,... these tasks don't come without real practice.

 

I never thought I'd see the day where refugee camps would be set up on our sacred soil. Perhaps the learnings from Jamboree are at work in New Orleans as we speak.

[seabear]

Yes, EIKY it is impressive, and that why the military support the Jamboree and the knowledge gain ; yet the next Jamboree there will be the same debates.

 

While watching,I'm looking for Scouts coming to the aide, we know how to set up tents, we have tents, pots and pans, there knowledge of first aide, search and rescue,can unload trucks, etc...

When I was a youth there was the Emergency Service, Scouts where involved , we set up tents, cooked meals, help in search and rescues, Forest fire where fought, clean up, you name it Scouts where there floods ,huricanes. In uniform,lantens in hands. It seen back then Scouting was prepared and involved more, maybe its the times , insurance,not sure, yet I'm still looking to see some scouts involved in the relief efforts.

 

[NJCubScouter]

With all due respect I do not see how you can relate the two. This is nothing like what the military does at a Jamboree. This is like trying to clean up after Hiroshima.

[EagleInKY]

NJ - I'm not referring to the clean-up, I agree with you on that. What I was referring to was a scene were a group of soldiers were putting up a "refugee center" for lack of a better term. I'm not even sure where it was, and don't think I've seen it since. They were putting together first aid tents, food lines, temporary shelter, etc. Looked very much like a jambo-like setup, imho.

 

No doubt there have been plenty of balls dropped in this process this week, and I don't want the thread to move that direction. But I do think that the care-and-feeding part of the recovery is similar to the training they got with the jamboree.

[Greying Beaver]

I live in Houston. I do not need to detail what is happening over at the Astrodome. Immediate needs are well in hand. If your unit would like to help with the evacuees housed in the 'dome, I have made a call to the local homeless shelter about donations being sent in from other parts of the country. More than half of the evacuees are children, little chldren who are in a strange place with nothing, no even a teddybear. Please consider a donation program to collect baby toys, rattles,etc, teddybears, toy cars - not the little ones but not large, either, and small dolls. Also decks of cards. Keep the items small; those folks have very little privacy and no storage space. The address to send boxes of donations is Star of Hope MIssion, 1811 Ruiz, Houston TX 77002. The receptionist aske that such boxes be labeled "For Katrina Evacuees".

If you have been watching the news, you have figured out that those people are going to be here for awhile.

Our council sent out an email advising that the Houston Police Department has asked that scout units stop trying to volunteer their time at the 'dome. We have been asked to have donation drives for food, sheets, blankets (It gest cold in the 'dome; the air conditioning works real(!) good. Been there, brought a jacket for baseball games in August.), hygene kits, etc., etc.

All you OA-ers, its time to put the ol'"WWW" into gear. And everybody whose been to Gilwell Field, c'mon. You may live in the farthest points away from all this, but you can help. We have a duty to others; 13,000 others are camped out for a good long time here in Houston, and they ain't gettin' a t-shirt.

If you live in any of the cities where evacuees are being sheltered, do as I did; call an organization that is experienced in handling large donations and has the facilities to store and distribute them, get the address where to send donations, and get moving.

We know who we are and what we are about. Time to prove it.

 

Yours in Scouting,

Greying Beaver

 

[jens3sons]

Greying Bear....thank you, thank you, thank you for giving the address of where to send donations. My first thought in this was the children have nothing to occupy their time. I wanted my boys to do something for them...as our pack is well known for their service projects on a local level, and yet all the news stations were saying "cash is best". Yet, I wanted something a bit more physical for them to do, and I wanted it to relate to the children, as the boys can relate better. What I needed most was an address as to where to send stuff, and now I have one thanks to your post. I have a committee meeting tomorrow, and I will start putting the plan into action.

Yours in Scouts,

Jens3sons