A communication centre for two Scout Jamborees

When scouts want to meet young people from another country they usually think of attending a World Jamboree or another international gathering. But few people realise that each year about half a million Scouts and Guides "get together" over the airwaves and the Internet for the annual Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) and Jamboree-on-the-Internet (JOTA), both organised by the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM).

Scout Groups often combine these Jamborees. Modern communication technology offers Scouts the exciting opportunity to make friends in other countries without even leaving home...

Not only is it fun to talk to Scouts from other parts of the world but both these Jamborees also provide a chance to find out about other countries and about Scouting elsewhere. Many contacts made during these events have resulted in penpals and links between Scout Troops that have lasted for many years.

JOTA is an event in which Scouts and Guides all over the world speak to each other by means of amateur radio contacts. Scouting experiences are exchanged and ideas are shared, via the radio waves.

Since 1958 when the first Jamboree-on-the-Air was held, thousands of Scouts and Guides have "met" each other through this event.

With no restrictions on age, on the number that can participate and at little or no expense, JOTA provides an opportunity for Scouts and Guides to contact each other by amateur radio. Licensed amateur radio operators help by setting up radio stations for local Scout Groups and supervising the running of the respective Station. Today some operators even use television or computer linked communications.

JOTI is an international Scout Meeting on the Internet, held every year on the same weekend as JOTA. It has been organised since 1996 and during this weekend, thousands of Scouts from all over the world meet and communicate with each other over the Internet, using any technologies locally available, from Web browsers to e-mail, chat programs, microphones, scanners and digital cameras.

Most of the communication takes place over e-mail and in a chat network called IRC, the Internet Relay Chat.

These Jamborees are organised to coincide with the third full weekend of October each year and this year the dates are this weekend. The event started at one minute at midnight on Friday and ends 48 hours later at midnight tonight. Each station can choose its own operating hours within this period.

The Scout Association of Malta is taking part in this Jamboree through the setting up of various stations by Scout Groups.

Ex-Scouts are being encouraged to make contact with any station in operation either by Radio or by Internet. All participants may wear a special badge designed specially for this event. These are some of the Groups who will be participating this year.

Cospicua (call sign: 9H3JAM), Mosta (9HISGM), Naxxar (9H3NSG; e-mail: naxxar_scouts@yahoo.com), Rabat (9H3RSG, rsg@global.net.mt), St Augustine (augustine_scouts@yahoo.co.uk), St Venera (9HISVS, scouts@mail.global.net.mt) and Zurrieq (zurrieqscoutgroup@hotmail.com).