Katanning’s Mark and Kaylee Sander to take on South Korean World Scout Jamboree

A Katanning father and daughter duo will embark on the 2023 World Scout Jamboree in South Korea this week. Saemangeum, on the west coast of South Korea, will host the 25th edition where more than 900 Australians will join 45,000 eager scouts from across the globe. The Jamboree occurs every four years, with the last one being held in West Virginia, USA, in 2019 in which 41,000 scouts from 124 countries took part. Mark and Kaylee Sander have been scouting for five years in Katanning and will show their talents on the international stage when they participate in the Jamboree which runs from August 1 to 12. Mr Sander said scouting was an activity his family enjoyed together as a hobby before introducing his daughter. “I started five years ago as a parent volunteer with my son when he started at joey scouts,” he said. “I was just going along every week having fun as a parent helper and then when I got a bit more confidence behind myself, I wanted my daughter to be able to do scouts as well.” Kaylee said although she was in a different group from her father, she was excited about the event. “It’s pretty cool that I get to go with him even if we are on opposite sides of the campsite,” she said. “It will be nice to spend time with him on the plane to share that experience with him.” Mr Sander said he was ready to lead a team of nine scouts in activities such as horse riding, zip-lining, rafting, bike riding and cultural activities. “I’m really looking forward to experiencing the food and the culture of South Korea, but also meeting people from around the world who all have a shared interest and passion,” he said. There will be an international food day in the middle of the event for people to promote their country’s famous foods. “We will be supplying meat pies, ginger beer and vegemite on toast,” Kaylee said. Kaylee turned 14 last week and will be the third-youngest participant from Australia. The Katanning Rotary Club helped fund Kaylee’s involvement by granting her $1500 to aid trip expenses. Of the 923 travelling Australians, 13 are from WA, including four from Esperance. This year’s theme is “Draw your Dream!” which aims to encourage members to grow their dreams throughout the event.