A Day at the Jamboree

Every 4 years the Boy Scouts of America holds a National Jamboree, although it has gone off schedule to celebrate anniversaries.

As a family we visited the 2010 Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Virginia.  It was the 100th anniversary of Scouting in the US and was the last Jamboree to be held at the Hill.  As a youth I had attended the first Jamboree held there.

2013 marked the first time for the Jamboree to be held at its new permanent home, Summit Bechtel Reserve.  As a visitor I was impressed.  The leaders and scouts we spoke with were also impressed, even though all the finishing touches weren't ready.  Although weary from the heat, humidity, and occasional rains, everyone we spoke with was in high spirits and having a blast.  Staying hydrated is key and the water intake guide served as a good benchmark for drinking water.

We visited on perhaps one of the busier days for visitors...the day of the big show.  Weather forecasts changed the schedule for the day, but we got in just about everything we hoped.  Rather than starting in the early evening, the pre-show started at 3pm.

Scouts went wild for the King of Sweden when he led a cheer for the 40,000+ in attendance.  Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs delivered a superb message to those in attendance, as well as those watching it stream live.







During out visit we made some new friends from Utah, Massachusetts, and West Virginia.  We talked to one Scout from Malaysia and saw others from Canada, Mexico, Sweden, and Ethiopia.

The Summit will take week-long campers in 2014 and improvements will continue for the next National Jamboree in 2017.  The world will get to see it in 2019 for the World Jamboree.