Simply Scouting

What is IST?

The International Service Team is the backbone of the Jamboree.  30,000 participants on an open field need to have food made available, toilets and bathing kept up, parking, medical care, activities, internet, scout shop and literally hundreds of other tasks must be performed to make things work.

The Jamboree organizers will have a group of key professionals and volunteers, each of whom need help making things happen.  For example, someone will be in charge of transportation.  That person will need bus drivers, parking attendants, parking lot maintenance, arrange bus leases, maintenance, etc.  Each aspect of the jamboree will have similar needs.

Each country, along with its jamboree participants, will be expected to contribute IST to help make it all work.  The United States, with 1,500 participants, expects to have about 600 IST.  Western Region, with 400 youth and 50 adult unit leaders will need 250 IST to help.

Report date: July 25, 2011.  Departure date: August 8, 2011.

As IST, you will be responsible for getting yourself to Copenhagen airport on Monday, July 25.  You will need to let the BSA WSJ folks know what time you will be there (of course, you don't have to arrive that day, you can go there after some touring) so you can be picked up and taken to the jamboree site.  You will not be taking the train to Kristianstad, as I previously had understood.

Don't expect very much official communication before about May or June.  There may be some notifications to get your passport and physical, but things like gear lists and transportation arrangements probably won't be communicated until then.

What's New

1. Donald Roberts has put together a join-in travel itinerary for pre- and post-jamboree touring under Travel.
2. The red bordered patches for IST are sold out as of January 18, 2011.
3. BSA announced a BSA Scouter's Tour for Jamboree on January 18, 2011.  Information can be found at ISTour.
4. European Chip and Pin technology debit card available from Travelex, see money for more information.
5. Some baggage tag examples have been added for folks joining the ISTour.
6. Sample business cards are provided linked near the bottom of the Arrival page.
7. 28 Jan 2011:  Revised ISTour itinerary available.
8. On January 31, 2011, BSA sent emails to all IST asking for them to confirm their Nationality.  If you did not get this email, check your status with BSA as an IST, you may have a problem.
9. Terminology web page.
10. Now confirmed with BSA, we will be using the current BSA medical form.  Be sure to use the 11/2010 revision if your council still links to the 2008 version.  See link at the bottom of the Travel page.
11. 6 Feb 2011:  Revised ISTour itinerary available here.
12. 18 Feb 2011:  WSJ catalogs from BSA arriving, see Gear page!
13. 18 Feb 2011:  Information on Jamboree layout is on the Arrival page.
14. 20 Feb 2011:  See the Money page for news on use of magnetic strip credit cards in Denmark.
15. Preparation web page.
16. Gear web page updated.
17. 24 Feb 2011:  IST will be receiving a duffel and daypack from BSA, see Gear.
18. 25 Feb 2011:  Images of the duffel and day pack on the Gear page
19. 25 Feb 2011:  Due to a trip (of which I am intensely jealous) by my web page guy, no changes will be made to the web page for the month of March.
20. 1 March 2011:  IST will not be receiving nameplates and the initial procedure on the order form is wrong.  Details on Gear page.
21. 8 March 2011:  My speculation on transport between Jamboree and Copenhagen airport on the Arrival page.
22. 12 March 2011:  New list of what gear is supplied on the Gear page.
23. 4 April 2011:  BSA Scouter's Tour Revised and Downsized.  ISTour remains your best choice see ISTour page.
24. 13 April 2011:  BSA IST Receive Notification to confirm time at Airport!  See Arrival page.
25. 29 April 2011:  My thoughts on Swapping badges and things at WSJ as an IST.  See bottom of Logo page.
26. 6 May 2011:  Both the Schedule and Travel pages have been updated.
27. 18 June 2011 - During the week of June 13, 2011 BSA rolled out a new scoutstuff.org website and the WSJ catalog disappeared, you can now make phone orders only.
28. 19 June 2011 - Sweden has stocked up their WSJ shop, but placed a 5000sek minimum on it and it can be picked up at WSJ only.
29. 20 June 2011 - Contrary to prior news, it has now been confirmed that IST *will* receive one name tag upon arrival. The name tag ordering form has disappeared from the scoutstuff.org website.
30. 21 June 2011 - On June 17, 2011, National Supply began shipping the WSJ duffel and daypack. Order of shipping is units first, IST second and National Contingent third. IST can expect to start seeing their bags arrive around June 27 or so.
31. 22 June 2011 - A comprehensive new ISTour itinerary has been made available. Hopefully it will not change after this.
32. 23 June 2011 - Check out the new website for IST, http://istexperience.simplyscouting.se/ for a description of the activities available just for IST.
33. 8 July 2011 - BSA sends out "IST Final Letter" - see Arrival page for details.
34. 12 July 2011 - Contrary to what BSA sent in their "IST FINAL Letter", IST DO NOT NEED TO BRING A MESS KIT.  IST will be eating in the canteen and dishes are supplied.  Verified with Swedes.
35. 13 July 2011 - The IST handbook to be handed out at check in is available at www.yousendit.com/download/cnJpQ3Q3TERxRTAwTVE9PQ until July 20, 2011.
36. 14 July 2011 - New, improved ISTeam Luggage tags available on the ISTour page.