Scouts’ National Jamboree 

Swiss Post supports a camp like no other

30,000 scouts and a whole lot of fun: “BuLa”, the Scouts’ National Jamboree held in Goms in Valais, was a huge success. True to the spirit of the camp slogan “mova”, Swiss Post was also constantly on the move – and offered experiences that won’t soon be forgotten.

A gigantic tent city the size of 170 football pitches: from 23 July to 6 August, around 30,000 children and young people in the scout movement set up camp in the Goms district of the Canton of Valais.  They travelled from all over Switzerland to the biggest ever National Jamboree, loaded with their sleeping bags, Wellington boots and backpacks. Daytimes were spent playing games and sports outdoors, while the evenings were given over to socializing and the strumming of guitars.

Swiss Post supported the Jamboree as a main partner. The interactive Swiss Post stand, designed to look like a giant pile of parcels and offering a photo wall, postcard studio and lounge, gave the scouts some of their most memorable moments. The Postbus-style bike rickshaws provided for exploring the “BuLavard”, the campsite’s central mile, were also particularly popular. Swiss Post set up a special branch with its own postcode on the campsite, and up to 2,000 food parcels were received there every day. Special cases, such as birthday surprises, were handled by Benno B-Post, a very special mail carrier who delivered the parcels on an electric scooter adorned with flags and garlands.

Historic transport order for PostBus

PostBus began preparing for the big event 36 months in advance. Over the course of two weeks, PostBus carried some 50,000 people around the Jamboree campsite.  The PostBus drivers and operating staff worked under high pressure, and retirees also acted as customer drivers or reserve drivers. 29 July, which was visitors’ day and the day on which the young cub scouts went home, presented a logistical challenge, with 2,000 passengers travelling on Postbuses in one direction and 9,000 in the other 43 Postbuses where in operation on this peak day.

The stamp with the scent of a campfire

To mark this unique major national event, Swiss Post issued the “National Jamboree” special stamp. It depicts five young people sitting around a campfire, singing songs and telling each other stories. When you rub the stamp, it smells of smoke. A competition was held to find the design for the special stamp.