French Leave

French Leave
Jambville offers a classic Gallic blend of history, adventure and the great outdoors. Gustavo Hinojos, a Mexican Scout working there, explains the special appeal of the place
Jambville is an International Scout Centre run by the Scouts and Guides of France. Nestled in the ancient woodlands of Vexin, it is situated about 25 miles from Versailles. Somewhat romantically, Jambville is a 13th-century chateau surrounded by rolling countryside and woodlands. Les Scouts et Guides de France bought the estate in 1952 and has continued the age-old tradition of planting plenty of weird and wonderful trees.The Jambville estate is also home to a number of smaller buildings, which have been converted to provide staff accommodation, beds for around 200 guests, 30 meeting rooms and three large dining halls. In total, Jambville can welcome 20,000 guests at any one time, with the vast majority of these camping out in the grounds. When those sorts of numbers are on the site, the centre mobilises all of its resources, including the big top!

Promoting young people’s voices

This year, one of the major events held at Jambville was Recontres Nationales. This biennial event brought together over 6,000 adults and children from all over France to help decide how best to communicate with young people and to encourage them to get involved in Scouting. Trying to raise the profile of Scouting and increase participation is something which Jambville itself focuses on by hosting a lunch each week for a local school.

Join the Jambville team

Jambville is operated by a core team of about 30 people. The benefits of being ‘on staff’ are obvious, including living in fabulous surroundings, discovering some of Europe’s most colourful history and architecture, and meeting Scouts and Guides from all over the world. Working life is generally relaxed, with good relations between the team no matter what they do or how long they have been at the centre. If you are interested in joining the team there’s no need to worry about not speaking French. Non-French speakers are given the opportunity to attend a course when they arrive, and around half of the team speak English as well.

What to expect

Jambville is Scouting on a grand scale, and offers a unique mixture of tradition and fun. The programme offered largely reflects the natural environment of the place, with a major focus on discovering nature and the history of the chateau. Activities available at Jambville and in the surrounding local area include hiking, cycling, water-based pursuits during the summer, easy access to a national park, lots of pioneering and some great opportunities to discover nature and wildlife. Close to Jambville are some beautiful medieval towns and villages, a large sports complex, the French capital Paris, and the enormous EuroDisney theme park. The trains are good value, and connections to Paris are made via a town called Meulan-Hardricourt, and the International Scout Centre can arrange to drop you off and collect you. International trips are an integral part of a Scout’s development, and places such as Jambville are perfect for playing a larger part in the worldwide family of Scouting.

Joining in at Jambville
If you would like information about Jambville, or are interested in joining the Jambville staff team, log on to http://jambville.sgdf.fr to find out more. CONTACT: Scouts et Guides de France, Centre National de Formation et d’Activités, Château de Jambville, 78440 Jambville, FRANCE Tel: +33 1 3475 4084 Fax: +33 1 3475 3663Thanks to Kandersteg International Scout Centre, Switzerland, for help co-ordinating this article. Visit www.kisc.ch or call +41 33 675 8282

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