Topic
Tens of thousands of Scouts camping together for ten days. Bloggers covered every National Jamboree of the era, from Fort A.P. Hill in 2010 to The Summit Bechtel Reserve.
622 posts · 2007–2020
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The 2001 National Jamboree may be ancient history to today's Boy Scouts but it is not to me. Not yet anyway. That is the Jamboree I attended as a scoutmaster of one of two troops sent from the Central Minnesota Council.
The Summit is a big place. No doubt about it. And the adventure, well, it has a way of bringing out the best in Scouts and Venturers, of taking them to the next level. To capture the scale of the Summit and give an idea of the experiences that await, the Summit team has put…
Do you or your Scout have a BSA patch collection you'd like to add to and enhance? Perhaps it's one that's been a might neglected of late and could use some nurturing. Or maybe it's the collection you've always wanted to start… Well there's never been a better time to get inspired, because it's pretty…
Well it's a safe bet to say that if participants from the 2013 National Scout Jamboree had to write a "What I did this summer…" essay, they'd blow it out of the water. Their time at The Summit's just a memory now, but it's a memory of the chock-full-of-thrills variety that will remain crystal clear…
As any sports fan will tell you, numbers don't always tell the whole story. Earlier this month, I shared the final attendance figures from the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. The count was 30,037 youth and adult participants, a number that doesn't include staff or visitors.
I was the scoutmaster for one of two troops the Central Minnesota Council sent to the 2001 National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. I had three wonderful assistant scoutmasters, a fantastic group of youth leaders, and a great group of Boy Scouts in Troop 1417.
Yes, the 2013 National Jamboree may now be nothing but a memory, but I just received my set of patches from the Central Minnesota Council's Jamboree troop. Now I am ready to attend! Well, if I would have gone that is.
When Troops 1417 and 1418 from the Central Minnesota Council attended the Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree in 2001 we traveled to Virginia and back by chartered bus. Each troop had it own bus, but the busses stayed together.
Positioning the Battering Ram to Knock Open the Gate Builders Proudly Display Big Green Fist Along with the AT&T Spoof “Signal” Tower , another exceedingly creative pioneering project provided a fun challenge for groups of Scouts and Venturers. The structure was designed and built completely out of wood—axles, wheels, the works—all lashed together.
Learning the Ropes on the Swing Boat Getting the Hang of Swinging Situated adjacent to the catapults , like a giant, rope-propelled see-saw, the swing boat up on Garden Ground Mountain repeatedly attracted Scouts and Venturers. The pull rope on each side allowed the riders to raise themselves up and back as high as they wanted…
After their hike up to Garden Ground Mountain, members of a Venture Crew take a ride. The carousel has been a mainstay for the past several jamborees. It was located at the entrance to Peschke Field just beyond the Indian Village, and was one of the most popular attractions in the pioneering area.
Yellow wins! Two Scouts strike a pose after their game of tic-tac-toe. Playing Tic-Tac-Toe Just like the game where X’s and O’s are drawn on a piece of paper, this game is played by tossing large, weighted monkey fists through 2′ x 2′ areas formed in a vertical Tic-Tac-Toe board built by lashing together four…
Those Scouts and Venturers visiting Garden Ground Mountain could make a mallet, perfectly-sized for driving in large tent and dining fly stakes and strong enough to even handle small pioneering stakes. Making Their Very Own Customized Wooden Mallet The process consisted of: selecting a mallet head and handle boring a hole in the head shaving…
Getting Ready For the Toss Tying that Sheep Shank Those visiting the Pioneering Area on Garden Ground Mountain had an opportunity to find out how well and how fast they could lift a log off the ground by coiling a rope and tossing it over a crossbar, tying a Timber Hitch around a log on…
Helping Control the Swing Derrick When building their log cabins, how did the old pioneers lift and position those very heavy logs? Derricks. Those visiting Garden Ground Mountain had a chance to check them out. A Gin Pole could be placed at a fixed point at each corner, a Boom Derrick could be positioned on…
The Rope Climbing Area in Peschke Field Climbing with Prusik Knots Climbing with the Aid of Wooden Discs The Rope Climbing Area in Peschke Field featured three varied rope-climbing challenges for Garden Ground Mountain visitors. Scouts and Venturers could: 1) Climb a rope by learning to adjust the position of prusik knots , using them as…
Atomic Pile Team Building Challenge From left to right: Corner Rope Handler, 2 Observers, Signal Caller This activity is so named because it’s supposed to simulate the manipulation of radioactive graphite discs in an atomic pile. Like all good team building challenges, it requires concentration, cooperation, and strict attention to the Scout who’s calling the…
This Area Saw Plenty of Action During the building process , an area adjacent to the Hourglass Tower saw a lot of action for whipping rope and sharpening pioneering stakes. During the jamboree, it was set up for rope making, for hitching and lashing instruction, and as a display of camp gadgets.
Soldiers play with the “giant” Catapult Before the Pioneering Area catapults were all completed and positioned in readiness for the thousands of jamboree participants who would be hiking up to Garden Ground Mountain, a little change of pace occurred which translated into a memorable moment.
The 2013 National Scout Jamboree was pretty amazing. Judging from some of the pics, people had a hard time saying goodbye. Well, cheer up, because we've put together a souvenir book from the first-ever jamboree at the Summit. The best part?
3 Display Towers Small Towers, Large FUN! Three signal towers (14′ Double Ladder, Hourglass, and Stilt Tower) were presented in what was referred to as “Tower Town” in the pioneering area up on Garden Ground Mountain during the 2013 national jamboree.
From left to right: 14′ Double Ladder Signal Tower, Hourglass Tower, Stilt Tower, AT&T “Signal” Tower, 4′ x 4′ x 5-1/2′ Climbing Tower, 5-1/2′ x 5-1/2′ x 4-1/2′ Climbing Tower Six towers were featured in Peschke Field . Four were for display and two were for climbing.
After a supply of bamboo was used for the gateway to Peschke Field up on Garden Ground Mountain, a team of Pioneering staff received the inspiration to use most of what was left over to comically copy one of AT&T’s nearby cell towers.
Stilt Tower Display in the Pioneering Area on Garden Ground Mountain Pioneering Staff Member Surveys the Progress around Peschke Field Of the four display towers featured in Peschke Field at the 2013 National Jamboree, the Stilt Tower was the second to be constructed, hoisted, and anchored.
Hourglass a.k.a. Pyramid Tower, erected next to the Camp Gadget / Skills Instruction area. Hourglass Tower Display: Rope Ladder Side The Hourglass Tower in the 2013 National Jamboree Pioneering Area was set up as one of four tower displays. “The Hourglass Tower is something of a classic for Scout pioneering.
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.
Bear Grylls visited thousands of Scouts and volunteers at four of the UK's biggest jamborees last weekend. He was joined by his friend, actor and comedian David Walliams.
Left to Right: Crossing Single A-Frame Bridge / Building Single A-Frame Bridge / Crossing Prestressed Triple Walkway Bridge / Crossing Double A-Frame Monkey Bridge The bridges featured in the pioneering area of the 2013 National Jamboree were a modified Double A-Frame Monkey Bridge , a specially designed pre-stressed triple walkway bridge, and two Single A-Frame Bridge s that Scouts…
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.
Wow. Is it really possible to pack this many awesome activities into 10 days? Well, I guess it is. We all just spent it doing those activities. The recap of events? ATV, BMX, canopy tours, climbing, the Cloud, day of service, mountain biking and boarding, rappelling, scuba, shooting, shows, whitewater rafting, and zip-lining, not to…
The Crew on their Pre-stressed Triple Walkway Bridge After the spars were skinned and the initial supply of ropes were cut and whipped, there were about three days to build the pioneering area and batten down the hatches in readiness for the first troops to take the hike up to Garden Ground.
Modified Double A-Frame Monkey Bridge For those familiar with the traditional Double A-Frame Monkey Bridge design , a couple of noticeable modifications will be apparent from the outset. (Click on the photos for larger views.) Scout engineering is a fluid undertaking, and frequently variations are necessary.
Recently, ClassB staff ventured up to Mount Hope, West Virginia for the Boy Scouts of America's highly anticipated 2013 National Jamboree . This was the first ever Jamboree at its new permanent location, the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve . It was also the first time ClassB attended a Jamboree as exhibitors.
With this year's Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree now a part of history, it has made me think about the 2001 Jamboree which I attended as the scoutmaster of Central Minnesota Council Troop 1417, one of two troops we sent to Fort A.P.
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 .
Lord Robert Baden-Powell's granddaughter Gill Clay wowed the crowds at Boy Scouts of America's recent National Jamboree in West Virginia
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.
I have noticed that when Scouts and adult leaders have written about what they collected at this year's National Jamboree it always seems to be about the patches. I will admit that patches are cool, and that I collect them myself, but there are plenty of other things to collect at the B.S.A.'s big event.
Our Inimitable Quarter Master: Benny Poedjono waits on RIck Strong. Ropes . For thirty different pioneering projects and structures, plenty of rope had to be measured, cut, and whipped for lashings, anchors, and guy lines. We had plenty of manila and appropriate synthetic fiber rope in a variety of diameters on hand, and thanks to a…
Mike Rowe at the National Jamboree telling scouts to "work smart and hard" encouraging something I have been trying to tell Scouts headed to college for years – find something you love and don't ignore the idea of working with your hands as a career.
The 2013 National Jamboree is officially over. The new Summit high adventure base has completed its first real test at handling large groups of Boy Scouts, leaders, and staff. It will be interesting during the next several weeks to see what the reports will read.
The Pioneering Area was named Peschke Field after Adolph Peschke , who through the years had motivated and inspired so many with his high standards, creativity, and pioneering know-how. The following layout is a depiction of the pioneering projects and activities featured at the 2013 national jamboree up on Garden Ground Mountain at the Summit Bechtel…
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.
A Triumphant Success—posing on their Single A-Frame Bridge In the Pioneering Area of the 2013 national jamboree, we put together a couple of Single A-Frame Bridge kits, so Scouts and Venturers could build this simple crossing bridge during their visit to Garden Ground Mountain.
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…
On Saturday, 40,000 Scouts, Venturers, volunteers, and staff from across the United States and the world gathered for the closing show of the 2013 National Scout Jamboree at the Summit. Best-selling rock band 3 Doors Down, "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe's talk about dirt, and the king of Sweden's rousing dance entertained the crowd.
Food is key to any active lifestyle. With all the high adventure and walking at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree, getting enough to eat was critical to having fun. Here's a glimpse into how Scouts and Venturers managed to stay fueled up at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree.
This final day of 2013 National Jamboree coverage comes to you direct from the summit's CONSOL Energy Wing Tip Bridge. This uniquely designed 786-foot-long, 100-foot-tall structure serves as the main route from two of the campsite villages to the the adventure activities.
A look back at the last two days of a really spectacular gathering of Scouts and Scouters from all across our own great nation and many others. OA members perform a Native American grass dance at the Indian Village on the Garden Ground Mountain.
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…
