1971 World Jamboree

Mike Walton posted some information on Scouts-L concerning BSA Explorers
attending the 1971 World Jamboree as part of the BSA contingent that I
believe to be incorrect. My comments are provided below:

Original question:
>>2. When was the first World Jamboree that female Explorers
>>from BSA were allowed to attend?

Mike's answer:
>1971. Japan. 31 female Explorers and four female Advisors,
>representing all 12 Regions of the BSA as well as the Far East and
>Transatlantic Councils (one each from each overseas Council)
>attended the World Jamboree that year, the first time that the BSA
>sent a co-ed Exploring contingent. Since then, they've been
>really hard-pressed to do the same again....(something about that
>first time thing).

My comment:
I attended the 1971 World Jamboree (held in Japan) as an Explorer from
the Los Angeles Area Council. I don=92t remember seeing or hearing about
any female BSA Explorers as part of the BSA contingent from any of the
old 12 regions (in separate units or otherwise). As a matter of fact, I
don=92t recall seeing any female Scout participants from any country
(visitors, yes . . . but not participants). Back then, BSA Explorers
attending Jamborees were mixed with Boy Scout participants from their
councils when forming Jamboree troops. I was a member of BSA World
Jamboree Troop 1234. About 1/3 of the members of WJ Troop 1234 were
Explorers. We wore our Explorer spruce green shirts with Boy Scout
position and patrol emblems. I was the assistant patrol leader of the
Eagle Patrol, and wore the Eagle Patrol patch and the assistant patrol
leader emblem on my Explorer shirt. This was standard across the BSA
contingent to the =9271 World Jamboree, and not a special case with the
Los Angeles Area Council participants. Believe me, if there were any
female BSA Explorers as =9271 WJ BSA contingent members back then (whethe=
r
in separate units or not), we guys (being guys) would have known about
it!

Original uestion:
>>Would they have worn "Smokey" hats.

Mike's answer:
>No. For the record, they wore the red berets in both 1971 and
>again in 1973 (just about everyone did for the National Jamboree).
>The Blue berets for Cub Scouters came out in the fall of 1973.

My comment:
The official hat for ALL members of the BSA contingent to the 1971 World
Jamboree was a red baseball-style cap that had the BSA contingent patch
sewn on to the front. There were no red berets worn by BSA members
attending the '71 WJ. The last time =93Smokey=94 hats were worn as the
standard hat by a BSA world jamboree contingent was in 1967. (One of my
boyhood SPL's attended that jamboree, and I remember seeing his jamboree
troop depart and return. They all wore the "Smokey" hats, including the
adult leaders.)

- BOB GALLO

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