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What's a national jamboree without some challenge thrown in? Here at the Summit, you know we're up for it! That's why we're building some of the best challenge (aka COPE) courses you've ever maneuvered your way through. But don't take our word for it.
Want an incredible summer experience? Look no further - the 2013 National Jamboree is looking for youth staff to get all our brand new, world-class programs and activities going next summer. We want YOU to be there. "Why me?" you ask?
Think BMX is just for the pros? No way! Heck, even the pros had to get their start somewhere - they weren't born on a bike, ya know. The Summit is gearing up for all levels of BMX enthusiasts, whether you're an actual pro or just testing the rounds for the first time.
Are you ready to roll? Because we are. To build the best skatepark, we've teamed up with one of the most recognized names in skatepark design: Spohn Ranch. You know, the people who helped design the courses for all the parks for the X Games?
Always wanted to get into skateboarding but never had the chance? Well, grab a deck at the Summit because the 2013 National Jamboree will be the time to get those wheels in motion alongside world-class instructors. From "just a taste" to full-out lessons, the Summit features skateboarding tailored to newbs and shredders alike.
Patrol Z is a group of new-media journalists made up of Scouts and Venturers from all across America. High adventure, service, and achievement are what we're all about. Want to get in touch with us? Tweet to us @PatrolZ , and follow our photos on Instagram @PatrolZ.
Can rock climbing on those artificial walls really help you if you want to climb outdoors on a real route? "Absolutely," says Elaina Arenz-Smith of New River Mountain Guides. Check out how Elaina, who shows off some sweet moves in the New River Gorge, successfully took her climbing skills from plastic to the cliff.
When you're a Scout in Florida, you've got adventure all over the place. There's great wildlife to learn about, amazing beach islands to explore, tons of cycling opportunities, and plenty of places to enjoy water sports. But mountain sports? Not so much.
For those of you that have been waiting patiently for the announcement on the Summit's 2014 high-adventure program offerings, you won't have much longer to wait. Within the next week we will post information on unit programs and prices on our website at summit.scouting.org .
Wondering how you're going to pack all the gear you're going to need for the 2013 National Jamboree? Wonder no more. We're providing all those big, hard-to-pack items so you won't be stuffing everything (plus the kitchen sink) into your bag.
Patrol Z is a group of new-media journalists made up of Scouts and Venturers from all across America. High adventure, service, and achievement are what we're all about. Want to get in touch with us? Tweet to us @PatrolZ , and follow our photos on Instagram @PatrolZ.
We couldn't resist posting more reactions from recent visits to the Summit. As we rolled through the grounds of the future home of the 2013 National Jamboree with council members from all over the United States, we heard lots of excited talk and saw many fingers pointing out various sights.
What makes a great skatepark? The folks at Spohn Ranch can tell you. They should know—they designed the skatepark at the X Games. And the skatepark at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. Sweet, right? Tim Burk, a staff member at Shakedown, thought so.
When we said we'd get this massive high-adventure project done in time for the 2013 National Jamboree, we meant it! From bike trails to zip lines and everything in between, we're serving up a schedule that's on target with next year's jamboree.
Action Point will be a hot spot for high adventure during the 2013 National Jamboree . It will feature a little bit of everything that the Summit offers. But! It's just a taste of the action. Most of the activities found in Action Point will have their own adventure areas - where only Scouts and Venturers can…
Patrol Z is a group of new-media journalists made up of Scouts and Venturers from all across America. High adventure, service, and achievement are what we're all about. Want to get in touch with us? Tweet to us @PatrolZ , and follow our photos on Instagram @PatrolZ.
It occurred to me as I was considering what to address in this week's blog that I haven't updated you on the progress on the Summit in some time. Much like a parent who doesn't realize how much their child has matured until someone else mentions it, it hadn't occurred to me that a lot…
Patrol Z is a group of new-media journalists made up of Scouts and Venturers from all across America. High adventure, service, and achievement are what we're all about. Want to get in touch with us? Tweet to us @PatrolZ , and follow our photos on Instagram @PatrolZ.
The Jamboree Fireside Stories project is recording the experiences that have made the national Scout jamboree a lifetime memory for more than a million Scouts and Scouters. You can share your jamboree story by calling the Jamboree Fireside Story Line at 786-7-JAMBO-7.
Patrol Z is a group of new-media journalists made up of Scouts and Venturers from all across America. High adventure, service, and achievement are what we're all about. Want to get in touch with us? Tweet to us @PatrolZ , and follow our photos on Instagram @PatrolZ.
We love new badges in Scouting. We love ‘em even more here at the Summit if they are based on the great outdoors - and that's exactly where one of the newest Scouting merit badges, Kayaking, will take you. The skills you'll learn can take you anywhere from a lake to the wild whitewater or over…
Unless you've camped in West Virginia previously, you may not be aware of the wildlife challenges common at the Summit. Some you'll probably expect, others you might not. The potentially dangerous ones can be summarized in five groups. Here's the lowdown on each: Reptiles Both dangerous reptiles in the area are snakes: copperheads and eastern…
Are you into rock climbing? There's going to be plenty of it at the 2013 National Jamboree . What's it going to be like? Watch this video to get a first-hand report on the climbing Scouts and Venturers got to sample at the Summit Shakedown .
While I've only been a resident for six months, I often get asked what it's like to live in West Virginia. Simply stated, "It's awesome!" I didn't know much about West Virginia when I moved here to become the Summit director, but I'm learning quickly.
Go to the Summit's Desert Island Survival page! You're flying to Australia to camp in the outback for a couple of weeks. Because you're a Scout, you are, of course, completely prepared for this trip. In your bag, you've packed: A knife: great for whittling and preparing food Matches: (okay, we know you can't actually…
It's less than a year until the gates of the Summit Bechtel Reserve fly wide open and we begin the 2013 National Jamboree . You're already registered , right? Good. Because if you are, a day in the life of a jamboree participant might look something like this photo gallery.
What's camping at the Summit Bechtel Reserve going to be like? Wait, what? We don't have to bring a tent? We don't have to bring a chuck box? There is a lot that's different about the 2013 Nationald Jamboree now that it's going down at the Summit - it's new, permanent home.
I mentioned in a previous blog on the 2013 National Jamboree programming about curriculum and elective events. Since I keep running into people who are not quite clear on the difference between the two, I thought I'd return to that topic in this week's blog.
From not burning your dinner to becoming a person of high character, Scouting prepares you for life. Need a boost in those skills? Attend a jamboree – it's where Scouts and Venturers get to experience everything Scouting is along with 40,000 peers from all points across America.
Patrol Z is a group of new-media journalists made up of Scouts and Venturers from all across America. High adventure, service, and achievement are what we're all about. Want to get in touch with us? Tweet to us @PatrolZ , and follow our photos on Instagram @PatrolZ.
We often refer to the Summit as a high-adventure base. It is that, but to truly understand what the Summit is all about, you have to look beyond the high-adventure moniker and consider the long-range vision of the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve.
Just think about it: If 50,000 people come to the 2013 National Jamboree , how many mountain bikes will it take to keep Scouting's pedals pumping non-stop? With over 20 miles of mountain biking track, including crosscountry and downhill trails of all ability levels, MTB-action is going to be popular.
We are now less than one year away from the 2013 National Jamboree and are really starting to feel the excitement building. At the Summit, we have top-notch programming; our BMX riding and skateboarding activity areas are no different. In this post, I'll share what went into building Mayhem Mountain and why the Summit has…
I promised to tell you more about the 2013 National Jamboree programming in my last blog, so here goes: In previous jamborees, activities were largely centered within regional hubs. Each hub had identical activities delivered in action centers and each action center only had one degree of difficulty within each event.
Do you know who can claim the densest "city" in the U.S. in 2013? If you don't, you've got some brushing up to do on your Summit facts, my friend! Let us help you. We've arranged the fascinating facts and figures in a handy, dandy infographic to get those mind wheels of yours spinning.
Patrol Z is a group of new-media journalists made up of Scouts and Venturers from all across America. High adventure, service, and achievement are what we're all about. Want to get in touch with us? Tweet to us @PatrolZ , and follow our photos on Instagram @PatrolZ.
In the last blog post we answered some questions that were asked by participants and leaders at the Summit shakedown. This edition answers a few more. Garden Ground Mountain Trek The model for 2013 has some activities that are new for a national jamboree.
Over 2,000 Scouts and Scouters participated in our recent Summit Shakedown experience. Clearly, it created a buzz as we hoped. It also accomplished our other primary objective to test certain aspects of the Summit and learn more about running program there.
You probably heard that the Scouts built a lot of hiking and biking trails at the SummitCorps back in July 2010, but did you know they also established friendships that will last a lifetime? In addition, the youth weren't the only ones making friends.
The days are quickly counting down now as we are just under one year away from the fun and excitement of the 2013 National Jamboree at the Summit. This latest blog post about programming at the Summit contains information about target sports.
One of the questions I received from prior jamboree leaders attending Shakedown was, "Why can't we go back to kiosk lunches like we had at Fort A.P. Hill?" (For those of you unfamiliar with the kiosk lunch, it was typically a packaged sandwich with condiments, a piece of fruit, and a drink.)
This will be historic. Why? Check out the video above! Just imagine all the thousands of people, who love Scouting and Venturing just as much as you do, gathered together in one place to go big and get wild. The Summit is a one-of-a-kind facility that is specifically designed to handle this massive of a…
The Summit Shakedown is history. It was awesome to see more than a thousand Boy Scouts and Venturers enjoying a sample of the high-adventure activities in Action Point and Adventure Valley that will be available at the 2013 National Jamboree in less than a year.
Patrol Z is a group of new-media journalists made up of Scouts and Venturers from all across America. High adventure, service, and achievement are what we're all about. Want to get in touch with us? Tweet to us @PatrolZ , and follow our photos on Instagram @PatrolZ.
Be sure to give this post a little extra time to load; we've got some exciting images to show you. The Summit Bechtel Reserve is now officially listed on Google's map and satellite imagery! Below is how the Summit looks in Google Maps.
A week ago the last shakedown Scout left the Summit. Over 2,000 Scouts, Venturers, and Scouters participated. While we got off to a wet start, the weather cooperated sufficiently to enable us to complete the entire program, including mountain biking, BMX, skateboarding, canopy tours, challenge courses, whitewater rafting, and a challenging hike up to Garden…
Want to try SUP (stand-up paddleboarding)? What about a water obstacle course? Into kayaking? How about breathing underwater as a scuba diver? Yes, yes, yes, and yes? Perfect! We've got all this and more coming your way at the 2013 National Jamboree.
What is the highest recognition that Scouting offers? That's right-the Eagle Scout Award. The Eagle Scout Award is earned through the advancement program, and only about 5 percent of the boys who begin in Scouting achieve this honor. History Of The Eagle Scout Award The appeal of the eagle has been felt by every people…
Patrol Z reporters tried to photograph the Summit Shakedown from every angle, and many of those photos were broadcast via the Patrol Z Instagram feed . Here are just a few of the sights from Scouts' and Venturers' first experience at the Summit.
Wednesday is normally the day Summit Director Dan McCarthy posts his update. This week, we've got him on video. Patrol Z reporters Kevin M. and Patrick B. interviewed Dan during the Summit Shakedown, to find out more about Dan's background and the responsibilities he has in bringing the Summit to life.
