THE JUBILEE JAMBOREE

A MID-ISLAND HERALD ARTICLE “Air Mail From England: Leo Member of Queen’s Guard; Scouts start on Tour of Europe” These two airmail letters were received this week by the HERALD from Explorer Scout Leo Kanawada of Troop 64, Hicksville, while attending the World Jubilee Jamboree in England. On Tuesday of this week the entire US contingent was divided into eleven tours and during the next two weeks they will visit Switzerland, Italy and France, sailing for the United States from LeHarve on the SS Fairsea on August 26. – Editor. SUTTON COLDFIELD, Warwickshire, England – Via Air Mail – August 2. This past week has been a week which I will long remember. This week has opened the door to friendship with fellows from other countries. Meeting Scouts from other countries could come only as the result of the people of Hicksville who have actually sent me to the World Jubilee Jamboree of the Boy Scouts, here. The last couple of days on the boat were spent in packing up. On July 30th at 6 A.M., we docked at Plymouth. We got off the boat on to a tender which took us to the shore. When we reached shore, we boarded a train which took us to Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. While on the train, we saw the very beautiful countryside which was made up of green pastures and wheat fields. The towns are very small compared with Hempstead or any big city of ours. There are no skyscrapers in the poor towns and cities, and the homes of the cities are built closely together. The towns make a beautiful view against the rolling countryside. You have never met better gentlemen than these Boy Scouts from England. They are terrific. The day we came here, we had no tents or any shelter. The English boys let us sleep and eat with them and made us part of them. These fellows really take scouting to heart and love every minute of it. If you could meet these boys from other countries, you couldn’t figure out why peace couldn’t be restored to the world. SET UP CAMP We set up our camp on August 1st and the boundaries of our site were lined with people and scouts watching us. We set up fairly smooth, and we are living comfortably again. The fellows from America are very popular with the boys from other countries. I have been invited to tea, Sunday afternoon, by some Scouts from Switzerland. These boys are very friendly and love to make friends. The Queen of England, Elizabeth II, is going to visit the camp. My scoutmaster picked me to go along with him and other Scoutmasters to greet the Queen. The funny thing is that I’ve been kidding by saying, “I’m going to shake the hand of the Queen”, and now I just might do that. So when I get home, I’ll let you shake the hand of the hand that shook the hand of the Queen of England. Well, we have gotten to the Jubilee safe and sound. It’s been a terrific trip so far, and I know it will get better. QUEEN’S HONOR GUARD August 9 – Time has been very scarce around here and I’m trying to write every Friday. I hope the things I write about are satisfactory to you and the people of Hicksville. I wouldn’t want to let you or the people of Hicksville down. I last wrote about the day before the Queen came. Well, I was pretty lucky and was chosen by the scoutmaster to be on the honor guard for the Queen. I didn’t shake hands with her, though. We assembled to greet the Queen with all the Scouts from the other 83 countries. We marched in front of the Queen, and she winked only at me. We had a good time. I’ve made friends for life with some fellows from England, Scotland, and fellows all over the U.S. When I talk about Hicksville – and I usually brag too much about our town – the guys come back at me with their little remarks and this is one of the ways I’ve made friends with the other fellows. A lot of fellows come from other towns which have never been heard of and the guys from the big cities usually have fun kidding them. LOCAL VISIT On the 6th of August, we visited the town of Leicester. We thought the trip would be a waste of time, but we found out that the people of Leicester had arranged for us to live in the city with a family and that family fed us and gave us the use of their home. These people took American Boy Scouts, complete strangers, into their home and gave them what they had. You have never met people who are so friendly and happy even though they live different and in some cases poorer. The people I went with, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Parker, were fairly rich people who owned their own home. People who work for somebody don’t always own their own homes. Houses are built so that they are attached to each other for blocks. But living conditions do not down the English people. I’ve found them to be the most terrific people I have ever met. You would have loved to meet them to find out about them. 56 CENT MEAL On August 8, we visited Stratford-on-Avon, the hometown of William Shakespeare. It’s a small town with small roads, but fairly good-sized houses. We first went to an antique shop where our boy Mel Rich from Plainview had to get a cutlass. He’s in his glory. He’s doing a good job here and is one of the most likeable guys in the troop. We had lunch then. We had steak and French fried potatoes and cake for 56 cents. We then went to see Shakespeare’s house and his wife’s home. After that we went to see the Shakespeare Memorial Theater and took a boat ride on the Avon. We then went to Warwick Castle which is one of the best castles in England. We had supper and had a riotous time ordering things to eat. After supper, we left to go back to the Jubilee campgrounds. Every three days, our patrol cooks for the whole troop – 32 boys. We have to get up at 6:30 A.M., and make eight fires in the stoves. We cook just about all day. We have a lot of fun with our patrol. They’re a great bunch of guys each working together. When I write next, I’ll be in Belgium.