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Did you know that when you're 40 feet above the ground, going 40 miles an hour, you get a pretty insane adrenaline rush? It's really exciting riding on a zip line . So, after a full day of adventure at the Summit Shakedown , my impression of zip lines is that they're life changing, and I was…
Over the course of the Summit Shakedown , we have scientifically catalogued the exact number and variety of possible faces made by Scouts and Venturers. There's a face associated with adrenaline. There's one that you find as fellowship forms. Laughter casts a certain shape to a face.
What do you get when 1,300 Scouts, Scouters, and Venturers converge upon the Summit for the Summit Shakedown? A great event. What happens when that number becomes 50,000 next year? An epic, once-in-a-lifetime event. One of the best things that the Shakedown has shown is that there is always an activity to do that matches…
Are you following Patrol Z on Instagram ? Home for the Scouts and Venturers at the Summit Shakedown comes with an orange dome. Instagram is a smartphone app that allows you to apply funky filters to your photos and share them - with your friends on Instagram, or via most other social networks.
Traveling to The Summit Bechtel Reserve can be a great adventure in and of itself but there are also a lot of great places you can explore. Here are three totally rad side trips to check out on your way to the 2013 National Scout Jamboree .
The rain did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm that members of the Boy Scouts of America brought to the Summit as they arrived to begin the Summit Shakedown , a trial run for the first jamboree to be held at the new property.
How far would you go to join a contingent to see the Summit. We found 2 Scouts who went more than a few extra miles. Across the country, Scouts assembled for the 2012 Summit Shakedown , which began Friday. The Shakedown is being put on in preparation for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree.
About 2,000 Scouts, Venturers and staff volunteers are now among the first to actually experience the Summit Bechtel Reserve! This group is part of a 4-day Summit Shakedown that starts today. The special event will be important for jamboree organizers to test out facilities, processes and systems.
Fueled by action and high-adventure activities, in 2013, the national Scout jamboree is extending its invitation to include another program within the Boy Scouts of America, Venturing. With some of the best whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and hiking in the world all in one location at the BSA's new site, the Summit Bechtel Reserve , an…
You'd have to be living under a mushroom to not know about the Summit's opening event, the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. With this being our first jamboree at the Summit, even experienced jamboree staffers have many questions. I thought I'd use this week's blog to answer some of the most frequently asked questions: What duffel…
With the opening of the Summit for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree, you'll see plenty of sustainable design in operation - and some of it won't be so obvious. The list of deep green innovations is long; how will you know them when you see them?
What do 50 acres, 200-plus shooting stations, and 3D courses have in common? They'll all be ready and waiting for you at the 2013 National Jamboree's adventure area for shooting sports! From the expertly designed course to trying your hand at shooting skeet with arrows, your quiver will be full of activities and excitement.
As I suspect you all know by now, most of the northeast section of the U.S. got hit by a severe wind storm on June 29th. The Summit was no exception, so I'll interrupt my normal blog topics to give you an update on our situation here at the Summit.
Editor's Note: This post is part of an ongoing collaboration between Patrol Z and the BSA Supply Group. For a full list of available products, visit www.scoutstuff.org . All content is produced by Scouts and Venturers from Patrol Z. The Osprey Ace 48 is an ideal pack for overnight camping and backpacking adventures.
There is so much to Scouting, it's hard to do it all - even in a lifetime! The 2013 National Jamboree offers a great way to see a slice of everything that Scouting has to offer. The focal point of this event is the collection of exhibits and displays that give Scouts and Venturers a wide-ranging…
I mentioned in my first blog post that I would tell you more about our sustainability initiatives here at the Summit, so let's begin with an overview. Baden-Powell once said: "While you are living your life on earth, try to do something good which may remain after you."
At the Summit Bechtel Reserve , your camping experience is designed for maximum fun and minimum effect on the environment! Details, Please! 1. To start with, the 2013 National Jamboree is working to embrace conservation practices and Leave No Trace guidelines, the Summit's style of camping will preserve the local ecosystem and be an example for…
Venturers from New Orleans, Louisiana, recently went through the intense BSA climbing instructor training. The course certifies both Scouts/Venturers and leaders as official BSA climbing instructors. Climbing is a fun, yet somewhat risky, activity with much to learn in order to keep everyone safe, and these Venturers completed the training in just under 18 long…
This question keeps popping up, mostly from past jamboree participants and staff. The short answer is "Yes." Jamborees at the Summit will be physically demanding experiences. West Virginia is called the "Mountain State" for a reason. While there are level areas, there are also regular changes in grade as you hike from point to point…
If you like challenge courses, get ready for one like no other. Challenge courses featuring tree-to-tree platforms, zip lines , balance beams, rope bridges and more are nearing completion at the Summit Center. At the heart of the national jamboree , the Summit Center will feature a little bit of every adventure you can experience on site.
There's a green movement afoot - and it's going to help ensure the Summit is around for as long as there are Scouts excited to go there. Sustainability is a big part of the Summit experience, and Scouts who attend the 2013 jamboree will get to take part in it.
- Tell me about The Summit's canopy tours and zip lines? Maybe I'm the only one in this category, but I didn't know much about canopy tours when I first got involved in developing the program for the Summit. I know a lot more now!
Have you ever considered how service projects are related to being a good citizen? There are even a few parts of our Scout Law involved-like being kind and helpful, to name two! As Scouts, we get involved with all kinds of service projects in our communities through our units.
Every Scout village and campsite will need a contingent of staff to keep things running-after all, the Summit will become the second-largest "city" in the state of West Virginia during the 2013 jamboree! If you're considering registering to be on staff at the jamboree, consider these 14 opportunities to help give Scouts the experience of…
To call the 2013 National Jamboree a "transformative experience" is (A) putting it lightly and (B) sounds way too hokey to describe the biggest, coolest gathering you could attend in all of Scouting. But, the national jamboree IS definitely a "rite of passage" that all Scouts should experience as they go from Tenderfoot to the…
This is a question I've heard from several folks. The answer is "yes," but let me give you some background. It's really a matter of fairness. The commercial cost of a whitewater raft trip on the New River runs in the range of $70 to $110.
You might need a calculator to estimate the fun factor adding up at the national jamboree. The adventure areas are multiplying Summit fun exponentially. But, don't worry, the only formula you need is to add yourself to the jamboree registration list.
Many people are familiar with the icons representing difficulty levels at a ski resort. You know, those little colored shapes that indicate how hard a particular slope is to descend? All the activities in the Adventure Areas at the 2013 National Jamboree will be much the same; each will be rated with the equivalents of…
I didn't know much about mountain biking when I first arrived at the Summit. I soon realized I'd better study up when it became clear this would be one of the defining challenge events on the site. It turns out, 21 of 36 miles of mountain bike trails are already in place on the Summit…
At the Summit, a lot of thinking has gone into how we use water - or rather, how we can use less of it to start, then reuse more of it. That's sustainability thinking in design. Check out this infographic that tells the story of the lifecycle of every drop of water you'll see at the…
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.
Here at the Summit, we've been cooking up a little something for you. No, we haven't mentioned it on the blog yet. Why not? Well, we love surprises and feel this is a mighty good one. We know a lot of you are itching to know how the jamboree will be laid out.
Let me start this week by acknowledging all the comments on last week's blog. It's apparent our readership is expanding and I welcome that. I can assure you I do read all the comments. Please continue to share your thoughts in the comment section as I am interested in what you have to say.
The best way to get an insider's view of the 2013 Jamboree at the Summit is to get on staff! The staff of this first-ever national jamboree at its new, permanent home in West Virginia will be history makers - they'll be setting the stage for the next hundred years of Scouting.
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.
I keep hearing the question, "Why don't we have hot showers at the Summit?" I can answer that with one word: sustainability. Sustainability has been a key component of the Summit's development plan since its inception. Sustainability is all about preserving our environment for future generations.
It's hard enough to plan ahead for next month's camping trip. So, how do you plan for the next 100 years of Scouting adventure? That's the challenge for all the bright minds that are designing and building the Summit Bechtel Reserve, permanent home of Scouting's biggest event, the national jamboree .
There's front-page news everywhere you look at a national jamboree! It takes Scouts and Venturers to tell the stories, and we need staff to help them spread the word. And there are a lot of different ways to make headlines at the jamboree.
Introductory blog? What's that? Well, it's my way of introducing myself and a new weekly blog feature through which I'll tell you about the Summit , answer questions I hear from the field, and perhaps dispel a few rumors along the way.
Spring fever is setting in here in the New River Gorge, and that means it's time to get the chain oiled up on the bikes. Up and down the gorge in the neighborhood of the Summit, cyclists of all stripes come to exercise their pedal power.
A Scout is reverent. It's how we end the Scout Law, and let's face it: After the adventure, fellowship, and connection with a beautiful place like the Summit, we're all going to want to spend some time in reflection. Worship services are an important part of the national jamboree, and it takes volunteers just like…
The 2013 National Jamboree is all about action, right? Well, right, as long as "action" includes patch-trading action. Just like in past jamborees, and in addition to all the high-adventure activities that will be available to you, 2013 will include classic jamboree activities that you have grown to love, including the ever-popular, vastly competitive patch-trading…
If you've been to a national Scout jamboree, then you know what a big deal it is. It probably figures into your memories of Scouting in a major way. You might have done an activity for the first time and been hooked for life.
You might say they're the unsung heroes of the jamboree. Except we're singing their praises right here. If you want to be on the inside at the first-ever jamboree at the Summit in 2013, here are 10 of the most important Logistics Group jobs that will contribute to making it the best national jamboree yet…
There will be gallons of different ways to get wet at the jamboree. Will you be able to jump into them all in 10 days? Scuba! Sign up for scuba and snorkeling. Located in a sunny area near Mayhem Mountain , the aquatics Adventure Area will have four above-ground pools, just like you might have seen…
The BSA is on the move to deep green. For the past century, the Boy Scouts of America has been instilling a conservation mindset in young people. At the Summit, this practice of stewardship is going to reach a whole new level.
Editor's Note: This post is part of an ongoing collaboration between Patrol Z and the BSA Supply Group. For a full list of available products, visit www.scoutstuff.org . All content is produced by Scouts and Venturers from Patrol Z. For a pack under $150 that can last your entire backpacking career in Scouting, the Osprey Kestrel…
Whitewater rafting is the most fun you can possibly have while sopping wet. We all know that. But have you wondered: What age do you have to be to go rafting? No Whitewater Rafting Age Restrictions for Jambo Participants Guess what?
In just over one year, we will begin the fun and excitement of the 2013 National Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. And believe me, that's sooner than you can imagine. My name is Russell Smart, and I am the volunteer team leader for all program activities for the Summit.
Sustainability is going to be a big part of the experience at the 2013 jamboree. It's even going to have its own exhibit and activity center. How can you learn about what sustainability means and take those lessons home to your Scouting unit and your community?
