International Scouting offers a world of opportunity. Whether you’re looking for an international adventure or want to find out more about how to hold an international event in your council, contact Armando Aguirre.
JOTI is held the third weekend in October, and is an event that provides the opportunity for Scouts to talk or email other Scouts all over the world. JOTI a lot of fun, and participation is one of the requirements to earn the International Spirit Award. Imagine emailing a Scout in Australia, or saying Hola! to a Cub Scout in Spain!
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Jamboree On The Air (JOTA)
Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) is an annual Scouting event that uses amateur radio to link Scouts around the world, around the nation, and in your own community. Held on the third full weekend of October each year, this worldwide jamboree requires no travel, other than to a nearby radio amateur’s ham shack. Many times the hams will agree to set up at a Scout event. There are many ways to get your Scouts involved in JOTA.
JOTA
The Peace Light is a flame that is lit in Austria and is transferred and shared in communities during a pilgrimage across the world via volunteers, many of whom are Scouts and Scouters, and is meant to promote peace, harmony, and unity among all people of the world regardless of race, ethnicity or creed. Many churches, Scouting, and associated community organizations use the Peace Light in worship services, tree lighting events, and other special ceremonies.
Each year in late November, a child from Austria lights a lantern from the continuously burning candle in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the site of Jesus birth. The light, known as the Peace Light, stored in special explosion-proof lanterns, is then flown with a safety adviser back to Vienna, Austria, where it is shared with delegations from across Europe who distribute it with a message of Peace to their own countries for use at ecumenical services. Scouting organizations then take the light to houses of worship, hospitals, homeless shelters, nursing homes, and places of public, cultural and political importance - to anyone who appreciates the significance of the gift.
In early December, representatives transport the Peace Light from Austria to New York City. A distribution ceremony of about 150 adults and children gather at the airport to welcome the light of peace and kindle their own flames. Many other dedicated volunteers meet, share, and move the Light across North America, person-to-person, coast-to-coast. The Peace Light is a sign of hope. It has expanded from a small flame to a sea of lights in a few years and shines with its message to millions of people worldwide. See where the Peace Light has gone across North America. The flame typically reaches Houston in mid-December.