TRẠI HỌP BẠN THẲNG TIẾN
INTERNATIONAL VIETNAMESE JAMBOREES
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THẲNG TIẾN I
1985
Jambville | France
Camp Chief
Tr Nghiêm Văn Thặch
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THẲNG TIẾN IV
1993
Le Breuil | France
Camp Chief
Tr Vĩnh Đào
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THẲNG TIẾN VII
2002
Houston | USA
Camp Chief
Tr Lương Hoàng Nam
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THẲNG TIẾN X
2014
Houston | Texas
Camp Chief
Tr Ngô Vinh Khoa
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THẲNG TIẾN II
1988
Guelph | Canada
Camp Chief
Tr Nguyễn Tấn Hồng
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THẲNG TIẾN V
1995
Sydney | Australia
Camp Chief
Tr Nguyễn Văn Thuất
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THẲNG TIẾN VIII
2006
Riverside | USA
Camp Chief
Tr Dương Tiến Đạt
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THẲNG TIẾN III
1990
San Jose | USA
Camp Chief
Tr Lý Khánh Hồng
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THẲNG TIẾN VI
1998
Reston | USA
Camp Chief
Tr Võ Thành Nhân
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THẲNG TIẾN IX
2009
King City | USA
Camp Chief
Tr Trần Anh Kiệt
WHAT IS THẲNG TIẾN?
During the 1930s, the Vietnamese Scouting badge did not initially include the Scout Motto Be Prepared under the fleur-de-lis emblem; it was instead Thẳng Tiến (Moving Forward). After the Fall of Sài Gòn on April 30, 1975, the Vietnamese Scout Association was banned by the Communist regime and the scouting ceased to exist. Due to poor conditions and other factors after the war, great number of scouts and leaders have fled their homeland.
Braving perilous seas and dangers, they set out in search for freedom. During their temporary resettlement in refugee camps, Vietnamese scouts engaged in various activities to help newly arrived refugees settle and become accustomed to the new reality. Such valuable humanitarian engagement prompted the scouts in exile to revitalize Vietnamese Scouting Movement in the refugee camps. The very first oversea Vietnamese Scouting unit was formed in May 1975 in the refugee camp in Guam under the leadership of Scoutmaster Trương Trọng Trác. Subsequently, scouting units began to grow and rapidly expand in many refugee camps around the world. Western countries such as the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Belgium, England, Norway, and the Netherlands also welcomed a large population of Vietnamese scouts.
In 1983, the Costa Mesa Conference was held in California to reunite all operating members of the defunct Vietnamese Scout Association and as a result, the International Central Committee of Vietnamese Scouting (ICCVS) was established to respond to the World Scout Bureau’s request. In the summer of 1985, the very first International Vietnamese Jamboree was hosted in Jambville, France and was named Thẳng Tiến I under the leadership of Scoutmaster and camp chief Nghiêm Văn Thạch. The success of this event had set off a tradition for subsequent Jamborees, which legacy has reached thousands of scouts across the world.
In accordance with ICCVS statistical reports, there have been over 12 thousands participants registered to the Jamborees and over 3 thousands leaders, parents, and volunteers who helped in the planning and organization of the Thẳng Tiến Jamborees. While organized by ICCVS but open to any scout units around the world, Thẳng Tiến Jamborees are much more culturally diverse and colorful than other world jamborees including the pre-1975 jamborees in Vietnam. Campers are have the chance to display their unique uniforms in accordance with the scouting attire of their country of residence. It is also common to hear other languages being spoken within the camp beside Vietnamese and English, such as French and German! Most importantly, it is a beautiful gathering of the older and younger generations where they get to meet and exchange valuable patches and knowledge. While the Jamboree's program primarily focuses on scouts and leaders, it also welcomes and run complementary activities for parents, friends, patrons, supporters, local community members, and dignitaries. The Jamboree also serves as a reunion platform for various former Scout Districts (Đạo) of the pre-1975 Vietnamese Scouting Movement.
Thẳng Tiến Jamboree is a wonderful place to explore the Vietnamese culture and the one of the host country. This is the reason why that the organizing committees have been highlighting our Vietnamese heritage and culture as the main characteristics of these camps through various forms. The most popular one being the Heritage Day, where campers get the chance to discover the Vietnamese treasures of our 4000 years of history, traditions and legacy. One of the most anticipated activities of the camp is indeed the nightly camp fire. In this very unique activity, the audience will enjoy a compendium of artistic and cultural performances from our young scouts. These performances often tell the stories of patriotism, friendship, love, pride and nostalgia of the Vietnamese people living in diaspora.