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After I posted this heartfelt letter from a mom about her son's jamboree experience, even more positive jamboree anecdotes poured in. I heard from Scoutmasters, Venturing advisors, visitors and even members of local West Virginia communities. Every last one was a glowing review of the BSA's first jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve.
Everyday Americans care about the Boy Scouts of America. You know it, I know it, and, as it turns out, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos knows it. Bezos made headlines yesterday when he bought The Washington Post for $250 million. But what you might not have seen was this letter from Bezos to employees of The…
Being an Eagle Scout pays off, in some cases literally. The National Eagle Scout Association offers scholarships for Eagles entering college, a big help for families as tuitions continue to rise at universities nationwide. Graduating high schoolers can apply for 2014 NESA scholarships beginning Oct.
Connecticut Scouter Gary had just finished a "wonderful week serving on the national jamboree staff" when he returned to the mall parking lot where his car had lived for the past two weeks. But when he spotted his car, his heart sank.
If you know a kid who dunks like Blake Griffin, runs like Adrian Peterson or hits like Miguel Cabrera, don't bother trying to recruit him to join Scouts. Because, as the Scouting recruiting video below explains, parents of these super-athletes have won the genetic lottery, and their kids are set for life.
You'd have to be crazy to get behind the wheel of a race car built by bunch of Scouts, right? Then I guess NASCAR driver and BSA Racing partner Scott Lagasse Jr. is a little crazy. At the 2013 jamboree, I reported on Team SLR's wildly popular exhibit up at Technology Quest where Scouts and…
The photos have been shared with Mom, Dad, and everyone on Facebook; the patches found a safe place in a binder or box; and the muddy clothes have been washed (and rewashed). All that's left to do is look back on a game-changing, awesome 2013 National Jamboree .
Who would've thought bug spray could repel people, too? That's what's happening with DEET, that much-maligned ingredient found in insect repellents with tough-sounding names like "Deep Woods" and "Sportsmen." While some Scouts and Scouters swear by the stuff, others have sworn it off completely.
Mike Rowe has some C.R.A.P. to sell you. That's "Collectibles Rare And Precious," of course. The Eagle Scout, Dirty Jobs star, skilled labor advocate and memorable speaker at this month's jamboree is auctioning and selling some signed jamboree gear to benefit his foundation.
Nothing beats a day on the water - in my opinion, at least. Especially when you're aboard a sailboat exploring new-to-you waters. The secret location in the May-June 2013 "Where Am I?" contest is a popular boating destination that I'm itching to visit.
After 10 phenomenal days at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree earlier this month, I have just one regret: I couldn't see it all. I never rolled by the skate park or BMX track, didn't take a dip in the Pools, and bailed on whitewater rafting.
Consider it the ultimate leap of faith. Over the past three years, the Boy Scouts of America asked tens of thousands of Scouts, Venturers, Scouters and parents to trust the organization's vision to reshape the national jamboree. Not only was the Summit Bechtel Reserve the first new location for a jamboree since 1981, but also…
Rousing music performances, impassioned speeches, bright young Scouts, the King of Sweden and the guy from Dirty Jobs - Saturday's "Celebration of Scouting" show had everything you crave from a jamboree show and more. If you weren't one of the 40,000-plus watching in person at the AT&T Summit Stadium, now's your chance to watch the archived…
At breakfast one morning early in the jamboree, staffer John Norkus was feeling a little left out as Scouters went around the table describing their jamboree jobs. "We were feeling kind of puny around extreme BMX, extreme mountain biking, extreme skateboarding," he said.
While waiting in line for action archery this afternoon at the Bows, I met Matt, a Scout from Troop A210 in Georgia. He challenged me to a friendly competition to see who could hit the higher number of targets at this difficult but exciting activity at the 2013 National Jamboree.
K. Stevens's Venturing crew out of Denver has a very narrow aim. In her crew, it's all shooting, all the time. "That's all they want to do," she said. "We have boys who are older and able to do so many things [outside of Scouting].
Zambelli Fireworks launched more than two tons of explosives during Sunday's show , but a truly amazing fireworks display takes more than just sheer volume. Today I met Damian Dicola, production manager with Zambelli and the man who has the dream job of every Scout who loves big explosions (aka every Scout, period).
After rain caused Saturday night's fireworks display to be canceled, Scouts and Scouters had been intentionally kept in the dark about when - or whether - the show would be rescheduled. And then: boom! Zambelli Fireworks and jamboree leaders lit up the sky Sunday night, surprising Scouts, Scouters and Venturers who enjoyed the visual and auditory show…
It's not a party until someone brings out a beach ball. Thousands of Scouts, Scouters and Venturers assembled in a light drizzle Sunday to attempt to set the Guinness World Record for "most people keeping beach balls in the air."
Eagle Scout Mike Rowe once got the worst advice he's ever heard. A teacher, Mr. Dunbar, told him to "work smart, not hard." Ever heard that advice from a boss or teacher? At Saturday afternoon's stadium show, Rowe rewrote Mr.
Faith is a powerful thing. Heavy rain soaked each of the three largest worship services this morning at the 2013 National Jamboree, but that didn't stop Scouts and Scouters from gathering to pray together. The LDS, Protestant and Catholic services were held back to back to back at the AT&T Summit Stadium this morning and…
At the jamboree, no power outlet remains empty for long. Everywhere you look - using official AT&T charging stations, orange Summit Bechtel Reserve power arrays ( not to be used when raining ), outlets inside and outside of shower houses, and solar chargers hanging from backpacks - Scouts and Scouters grab every drop of power for their devices.
Missed Tuesday morning's "Welcome to West Virginia" opening show because you were, oh, I don't know, busy at your day job? Relive the nearly two-hour show from your computer, tablet or smartphone right now at jambolive.org . Rock out with the West Virginia Army National Guard band; hear from Wayne Brock, Wayne Perry, Stephen Bechtel, West…
It's not every day you see a stranger holding a sign with your name on it. In fact, I can say it's never happened to me - until today. Strolling near the AT&T Summit Stadium this afternoon, I happened across Hunter, a Scout from C346 out of Georgia.
With severe weather forecasted for tonight, the jamboree's closing stadium show will take place several hours earlier. As first reported in this Jamboree Today story , the show will begin with a preshow at 3 p.m. Eastern and continue with the main show from 4 to 6 p.m.
When people think of Scouts doing service, they usually picture Scouts holding hammers and shovels, not trombones and trumpets. George Pinchock wants to change that. The band director for the 2013 National Jamboree Jazz Band brought his 57-member group off the Summit property to perform two shows in nearby West Virginia cities on Friday.
No, dude, I swear," a Scout said. "There were only 500 of these patches ever made." I heard similar claims all throughout the patch trading bazaar that has cropped up under the overhangs at the still-to-be-completed Scott Visitor Center at the Summit.
Like the dinner menu, a Scout's favorite patch changes daily at the jamboree. But this afternoon, I walked around asking Scouts to show off what they consider their coolest patch - for today, at least. These were mainly national jamboree patches, though one Scout chose a Cub Scout day camp patch "because it has a smiling…
Stand-up paddleboarding is so new that when most of the instructors arrived during staff week, none had set foot on a paddleboard. Not that you could tell this morning when I visited the area staffed by a knowledgeable, passionate, hilarious group of Scouters from Alaska, Baltimore, Minnesota, Michigan and Arizona.
Now this is what I call hands-on fun. Right this second up in the Cloud area at the 2013 National Jamboree, Scouts are building a real race car, rivet by rivet, for Team SLR (Scott Lagasse Racing), the folks behind the BSA No.
Here's one for the "unexpected jamboree moments" file. Yesterday, I happened upon the scene shown in these photos. As the attached sign informed me, it's ga-ga , an Israeli version of dodgeball played in a octagonal pen. Participants try to hit other competitors below the knee with a large rubber ball.
Creating and maintaining the Summit Bechtel Reserve brought jobs and money to West Virginia, a state ranked 47th in per-capita personal income last year. But now that the Summit is built, that positive impact on the community will only continue to grow thanks to initiatives like the Messengers of Peace Day of Service, which launched…
Eagle Scout projects make a visible difference in the community , but they aren't cheap to complete. So that's why Lowe's, the home-improvement giant with more than 1,700 stores, has teamed up with the BSA and local Scout councils to give selected Eagle Scout candidates $100 grants for their projects.
The beeping on Bram's handheld radio intensified, and then: "I'm getting something!" Like a trio of bloodhounds, three Scouts from Troop A120 out of Durham, N.C., were off to follow the digital scent. Eight minutes later, they found their prize: a hidden radio transmitter.
If the packed tent is any early indication, Mining in Society merit badge will be a hit when it debuts in February 2014. Scouts attending the 2013 National Jamboree got a sneak peek at the new elective merit badge, set to be released at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration's Annual Meeting in Salt Lake…
Think of the Summit as a puzzle," said BSA Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock. "But the final piece was not in place until yesterday. That piece was the Scouts and Venturers of the Boy Scouts of America." The Summit has been a complicated puzzle indeed, one that volunteers and professionals have poured their time, talent…
Jim Thweatt has been at the helm of some big productions, including the 125th Anniversary celebration of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, presidential inaugural balls, and the tours of Elton John, James Taylor and Journey. He's even done large, elaborate outdoor productions.
Early this morning, I watched history be made. For the first time ever, Venturers joined the jamboree fun. As buses streamed in, green-shirted young men and women hauled off their gear and made the uphill hike toward Basecamp Foxtrot. Identifying jamboree shoulder patches as the Venturers rushed past me proved a daunting task, but I…
OK, Spartan patrol and Unicorn patrol: You guys start setting up tents," says Chris Schwartz, senior patrol leader of jamboree Troop D424 out of the West Tennessee Area Council. "Phoenix patrol and Cougars: cots and kitchen stuff," he continues. "And leadership corps, you fill in where needed."
Forty-one years after he was a high school band director, Wayne Brock hasn't lost his touch. Late this morning, the Boy Scouts of America's Chief Scout Executive took over and led the band in a couple of tunes, including the classic "Stars and Stripes Forever."
Do your Scouts prefer their bike tires fat instead of thin? Then I've got good news. Beginning today, Cycling merit badge now includes a mountain biking option. That means Scouts can choose between road cycling or mountain biking when earning the Eagle-required badge.
Much of Baden-Powell's vision for Scouting still holds true today. But put this one in the category of something B-P never could have predicted. Today the Boy Scouts of America releases Programming merit badge , an elective badge that challenges Scouts to, among other requirements, "write, debug, and demonstrate a functioning program."
Ready … set … go green! The long-awaited requirements for the Boy Scouts of America's Sustainability merit badge have been released. The badge joins the Eagle-required list as an option to Environmental Science merit badge . Scouts must earn either Sustainability or Environmental Science on their journey to Eagle.
I've never had a jamboree experience without my dad, and I couldn't be happier about that. My dad, Don, and I attended or served on staff together at the 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2010 jamborees. And as you can see in the photo above taken backstage at the stadium a few moments ago, we're both…
The 2013 National Jamboree is a sprinter on the starting blocks, muscles flexed, brimming with the potential energy of things to come. Can you feel it? Tomorrow morning, the first buses arrive onsite, and that potential energy becomes kinetic. You'll see it manifesting itself on zip-lines, BMX tracks, skate parks and climbing walls.
Here's one for your browser's bookmarks bar: The newest edition of the Boy Scouts of America Guide to Advancement released today. The PDF version contains answers to pretty much any advancement question that might come up, and it's essential reading for your unit's advancement chair and others who like to be kept in the loop…
If BSA founder James E. West were around today, how would your Scouts address him? Mr. West? James? Mr. James? Jimmy E.? The way Scouts and Venturers address leaders was on the mind of Scouter Terry (or is it Mr.
Even if you're not among the fortunate few attending, staffing, or visiting the jamboree next week, you can still play along at home. Scouting magazine will cover the jamboree from a Scouter's perspective, sharing news about programs; requirements for new merit badges released at the jamboree; interviews with Scouts, Venturers, and leaders; and compelling anecdotes.
Everything's bigger and better at the 2013 jamboree, even the Wi-Fi and cellular networks. Early reports from staff members on the ground indicate impressive data speeds, legitimizing all that talk about this being the most-connected jamboree ever. But how fast is fast?
In a life-threatening situation outdoors, a Scout's skills are only as good as his memory. That's why mnemonic devices - popular for schoolchildren memorizing the order of the planets, the metric system, or the colors of the rainbow - are also useful when the pressure's on you to react to a health or safety emergency.
