Scout Patch Collectors

2013 National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia

This is a narrative written by the Volunteer Program Group Chairman Russell Smart that was shared with the thousands of contingent leaders heading to this summer’s 2013 National Boy Scout Jamboree. It is an excellent preview of what the Scouts will do and see.

THE EXPLOITS OF TROOP C100 FROM BEST COUNCIL, ANYPLACE USA AS THEY EXPERIENCE THE FIRST EVER NATIONAL JAMBOREE AT THE SUMMIT BECHTEL FAMILY NATIONAL SCOUT RESERVE.

SUNDAY 14 JULY After saying goodbye to their family and friends, the 36 Scouts and 4 Adult leaders from Troop C100 load their well-packed Summit Duffel bags under their bus and get onboard with their personal day packs for the overnight journey from Anyplace to Beckley, West Virginia. They are wearing their Scout field uniforms but their duffels are filled with appropriate scout activity shirts which they will wear most of the time while at the jamboree. They each have packed a pair of long pants, a long sleeve shirt and some work gloves to wear during their “day of service,” boots for climbing and hiking and also appropriate swimwear to participate in aquatics activities. Of course, they all have a good flashlight with extra batteries since that will be their principal method of lighting at night. And they have also remembered to bring at least 2 or 3 water bottles and maybe a hydration pack to carry with them, since THE SUMMIT will have plenty of places for them to refill and stay hydrated.

(NOTE: In keeping with the “sustainability” and “going green” emphasis, THE SUMMIT will not be selling bottled water at the retail food outlets. Even visitors will be asked to bring their own water bottles.)

A couple of months back, in keeping with our “technology” emphasis, the scouts and adult leaders downloaded the new SUMMIT APP on their smartphones and have been getting familiar with the campsites, program venues, roads and trails which are on the MAP function. A couple of weeks ago, during one of the regular updates to their APP, their personalized daily schedules were uploaded as well as the contact information for their fellow Troop members and their adult leaders. By the time they leave THE SUMMIT, they will exchange contact information with dozens or maybe hundreds of new Scouting friends they will meet. This trip to THE SUMMIT jamboree will be their introduction to the concept of “Scouting 2.0.”

MONDAY 15 JULY After a quick breakfast on the road, and as specified in their transportation orders from TMS, Troop C100 arrives at the offsite jamboree registration site right on time. The adult leaders have all of their papers in order and although a little tired from the overnight trip, there are no medical issues to hold them back. After finishing up at the registration and medical desks, they are greeted by JOHN ARROWMAN, one of the more than 350 members of THE SUMMIT Jamboree Order of the Arrow staff. John makes sure that they drop off their food donations at the registration site (Note: More on this optional food donation later…) and pick up their boxes of lunch items to take with them to their campsite and he then joins the Troop on their bus. During a short trip up WV Route 16, everyone will hear about how AWESOME THE SUMMIT really is. Their Scoutmaster, BEN THEREBEFORE, being a multi-tasking type of guy, will also be reviewing the roster he received from John for accuracy and making any necessary edits in between his looks out the window. Everybody is now wide awake and ready to start their jamboree experience. As their bus rolls through the main entrance of THE SUMMIT BECHTEL FAMILY NATIONAL SCOUT RESERVE (or SBR for short) and then down tree-lined JACK FURST DRIVE, they are very impressed by the beauty of this area of West Virginia. A couple of the adults and several of the youth who were at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill remark about how very different this looks. (And also about how much cooler and less humid it feels!) By the end of the jamboree, they will remember that comment and laugh about what an understatement it really was on so many different levels.

Suddenly the bus rounds a turn and they get their first view of the ALPHA and BRAVO base camps which make up the CHRISTEN HIGH ADVENTURE BASE. Next summer, this will be the campsite area for Scouts who come to THE SUMMIT for the 2014 HIGH ADVENTURE PROGRAMS. But right now, these base camps and their sub camps are exploding with green and red and white tents as other units from all around the country arrive at THE SUMMIT for the 2013 NATIONAL JAMBOREE. Their bus continues across DAM B and on their left they see the KAYAKING LAKE where some of them will do their Advanced Kayaking CURRICULUM program activity in a few days. Above the lake they see the five zip lines of the BIG ZIP which stretch over 3300 feet from the launch platform at HIGH GEAR down to the landing platform at the entrance to ADVENTURE VALLEY. At least five of them will get the chance to ride those zip lines before the jamboree is history.

On their right they now see ACTION POINT which contains the JARED HARVEY MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS and which is connected to the CHRISTEN HIGH ADVENTURE BASE by the incredible CONSOL ENERGY BRIDGE. Next they pass the LONNIE C. POOLE GATEWAY VILLAGE where they see the partially completed SCOTT VISITOR CENTER which will be dedicated on Tuesday after the Opening Show. Both of these two areas of the SCOTT SUMMIT CENTER are filled to the brim with colorful banners and flags and tents containing exhibits & displays and they will soon have the opportunity to visit the AT&T EXHIBIT, the SUSTAINABILITY TREEHOUSE, work on merit badges, buy all sorts of cool SUMMIT and jamboree souvenirs, participate in the activities at the Disability Awareness area, be a DJ at QBSA, or try out one of the “preview” high adventure activities like BMX, skateboard, mountain bike, or Canopy Tour.

The bus continues on JACK FURST DRIVE and below the road on the right they can see the absolutely incredible main stage and massive big screen video units that have been set up in the AT&T SUMMIT STADIUM with GOODRICH LAKE just behind the main stage in the background. To the left of the STADIUM, they see flags flying at TWELVE POINTS, the ceremonial flag plaza located on the edge of GOODRICH LAKE in LEGACY VILLAGE. More tents and the landing platform for the west fork of the SUMMIT CENTER ZIP LINES are also in view. The NASA and MILITARY exhibits in FREEDOM FIELD are also seen just below the road. A bit further down the road, the tents and climbing wall of BOULDER COVE and the west dam of GOODRICH LAKE separating the east and west sections of the lake appear in view. And just below the dam, an island can be seen in the lake. But not JUST any island, it’s a mini-replica of BROWNSEA ISLAND where in August of 1907 Robert Baden-Powell and 21 young men participated in a camping experience and which later became known as the birthplace of the Scouting Movement.

The bus continues past the CONSERVATION TRAIL area and around the end of GOODRICH LAKE and as it slows down to turn, there they see THE POOLS where the SCUBA and free swim activities will happen. Also in the rear of this area, even more MILITARY exhibits from the various branches of service are ready for action. Turning off JACK FURST DRIVE, the bus rolls through the PIGOT BASE CAMP (D), past one of the many strategically placed AT&T CELLULAR TOWERS and finally comes to a stop at the unloading area for base camp CHARLIE. These two base camps (C and D) are part of the JAMES C. JUSTICE NATIONAL SCOUT CAMP located in the WALTER SCOTT JR. SCOUTING VALLEY. As its number suggests, Troop C100 will be camped in sub camp C1 – BLUE JAY. This was the name of one of the many coal mines in the NEW RIVER GORGE in years past. In fact, all of the 2013 jamboree sub camps are named for mines and mining towns that were once the heartbeat of coal country in Fayette and Raleigh counties of West Virginia. Several of the scouts remember that the 10,600 acres of THE SUMMIT straddles the line between these two counties.

As the Troop quickly unloads their gear from the bus, John Arrowman introduces the Scoutmaster to JOE VOLUNTEER, one of the staff from sub camp BLUE JAY. Now on the opposite side of GOODRICH LAKE, John points out to the scouts the road where they came in and they realize that they can now see some of the backstage and expansive seating areas of the AT&T SUMMIT STADIUM from this side. But time is tight and at Joe Volunteer’s urging, everybody puts on their duffel bags using the padded shoulder straps and grabs their daypacks and personal items. Joe then directs Scoutmaster Ben to the Sub camp HQ to finish checking in the Troop and picking up Troop C100s credentials while he guides the rest of the unit on a short walk to campsite C100 where they find several containers packed with all of the brand new tents and gear that they will need to set up their jamboree campsite. Included are a tent with a blue rainfly for each two Scouts and a tent with a white rainfly for each adult leader. The sub camp staff might need to find the adult leaders quickly one night and these white rainflys will tell them exactly where they are, even in the dark.

The well-trained SPL and quartermaster quickly organize the patrols and before you know it, their campsite is set up and their personal gear is squared away. The three combination showers and toilets that they will share with the other 9-12 Troops in their neighborhood are within a few dozen feet of their campsite. Commissioner Joe had explained to them during their orientation talk that these facilities were designed with a focus on conservation and sustainability. The wood siding is native hemlock – much of which was actually cut on site during construction – and needs no paint or preservatives. Once the ambient water is used in the showers, it becomes “gray water” and is then filtered and collected to use for flushing the toilets. The resulting “black water” is pumped to the onsite treatment facility in another section of THE SUMMIT and the processed water is dispersed in the conservation forest area of the site so that zero effluent leaves the site. Scouting is committed to “going green” as much as possible at SBR and this is just one part of that program. Later, their sub camp RECYCLING RANGER will teach them how to separate their recyclables and compost their food waste. They will learn much more about sustainability and conservation before this jamboree is over.

Setting up camp has made the guys in Troop C100 hungry – well actually, they are ALWAYS hungry – so they open up their boxes of lunch ingredients to find plenty of tuna salad, crackers, fruit bars, fruit cups, cookies and ONE bottle each of spring water. This will be the ONLY bottle of water issued during the jamboree so they will need to keep this bottle to refill with their daily lunch drink mix during the week. This is the same style lunch – with a variety of different ingredients – that they will be issued each morning with their breakfast food. They can take the items they want or swap and trade among themselves. At most meals, Troop C100 will be joined by two guests from the sub camp/base camp/medical staff who share their housing areas. This will give them a chance to get to know the staff better and also to ask questions and share information each day.

Lunch now consumed, the scouts are ready to explore their new jamboree home. Guided by their adult leaders, they have decided who will be buddies with whom today. It will probably be different buddies each day depending on who is doing what program. They have already reviewed the maps on their APP to find out the distance from BLUE JAY to the different program venues. So under a bright blue sky (hopefully), they put on some sunscreen, grab their daypacks which contain their rain gear, water bottles, personal first aid, etc. and head out for the rest of the afternoon. They will not return to camp until dinner time. After dinner, the BLUE JAY sub camp staff will have a special program to help them get acquainted with their Scouting brothers from all over the USA.

Soon, TAPS comes and the first day of the first SUMMIT jamboree has come to an end. But before they turn in for the night, they check the APP and see what the schedule is for tomorrow! And maybe even remember to text Mom and Dad or post a comment on their FACEBOOK page. Staying connected will NOT be a problem at THE SUMMIT because there are AT&T CELLULAR TOWERS and WI-FI connections all over the place. And when it’s time to recharge, a visit to one of the many AT&T SOLAR POWERED RECHARGING STATIONS will take care of that. While there, they can trade a patch and meet some more scouts from all around the country since Troops from many different councils are assigned to all five base camps. And for the first jamboree ever, there are co-ed Venturing Crews participating and camped at the DUNN FAMILY BASE CAMP (F).

TUESDAY 16 JULY Early next morning, two or three or four members of the Troop take their Troop wagons to the base camp CHARLIE food distribution area and get breakfast and lunch supplies which are issued for 42 persons (remember the two guest rations each meal). This first morning at their new campsite, they have a little extra time to get things done since the WELCOME TO WEST VIRGINIA opening show at the AT&T SUMMIT STADIUM does not begin until 9:30 AM. But soon, they can see units from all over the site beginning the walk to the STADIUM, each person carrying his or her daypack containing their lunch and several full water bottles. The walk to the STADIUM for Troop C100 is less than 30 minutes. For some units it’s a little more, for some a little less. But nobody has a walk longer than 1-1/2 miles and everybody can be there in an hour or so. The show is fantastic, with great entertainment, and lasts just long enough to be fun, not tedious. No visitors this day other than special guests by invitation only. By 11:30 AM, the scouts are dismissed and the adults gather down front to enjoy their lunch while hearing the latest information about how to make the jamboree experience the best it can possibly be for their unit. There is even time for a few questions from the audience.

The scouts and venturers are now spread all over the site doing elective high adventure program activities and enjoying the hundreds of exhibits and displays available. Today’s theme in the afternoon STADIUM show on the LAWN at the top of the STADIUM area will be “Shooting and Gears.” And after dinner back at the campsite, the members of Troop C100 can return to the STADIUM and join others from all over the site in a mega-patch trading activity for anyone who wants to participate. In this monitored trading area ONLY, adults and youth will be allowed to trade patches with one another – another first for a national jamboree. Before TAPS, Troop C100 gathers to discuss their plans for the next day which will be the first of their five FULL PROGRAM DAYS. All program areas will open tomorrow at 8:00 AM and they want to be ready to start their active day as soon as possible after breakfast.

NOTE: Wednesday 17 July is the first of the five (5) FULL PROGRAM DAYS. The other four FULL PROGRAM DAYS (FPDs) are Thursday 18 July, Friday 19 July, Monday 22 July and Tuesday 23 July. These days will be a combination of scheduled and unscheduled activities for each Troop or crew. The following description will be for Troop C100. Every Troop and crew will have the same routine for the five FULL PROGRAM DAYS, just on different dates.

WEDNESDAY 17 JULY After the regular breakfast routine, the scouts of Troop C100 buddy up and head out. Some of them have CURRICULUM HIGH ADVENTURE program assignments and optional offsite whitewater rafting today. Others have decided to spend the day in SUMMIT CENTER checking out the merit badges and exhibits and “preview” versions of the many high adventure activities. Another group is headed to ADVENTURE VALLEY to try out the climbing and mountain biking activities. Others head the opposite direction to do some skateboarding and BMX or play some Disc Golf at THE PARK and THE TRAX at MAYHEM MOUNTAIN. Today’s theme in the afternoon STADIUM show is “Wild West Virginia.” The only thing they all have in common is that they will not be back at BLUE JAY until time to get their dinner food issue. Visitors start arriving on coaches at GATEWAY from the offsite visitor parking area about 9:00 AM and soon the SCOTT SUMMIT CENTER is filled with people having the time of their scouting lives. After dinner back at the campsite, a few members of Troop C100 return to the STADIUM for some more patch trading. As usual before TAPS, Troop C100 gathers to discuss their plans for the next day which will be the second of their five FULL PROGRAM DAYS. They have their first scheduled activity on Thursday morning….

THURSDAY 18 JULY After the now routine breakfast process, the whole Troop heads out together. That’s because this morning at 8:00 AM is the scheduled time for their Troop to visit THE CLOUD where the TECHNOLOGY QUEST (TQ) program is located. All of the Troops in BLUE JAY are scheduled to do this activity this morning, along with the scouts from sub camp D1 (THURMOND). At THE CLOUD, the TQ staff and corporate sponsors engage the scouts in fun and interesting demonstrations, experiments and hands-on activities. This new program venue which debuted at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree is just one part of the exciting new STEM initiative of the Boy Scouts of America. It will be a staple of THE SUMMIT and jamborees in the years to come. Time flies and soon their session at TQ is over and they enjoy their lunch before splitting up to go do more activities. Since they are close, a third of them walk 5 minutes to THE BOWS to try out the new Sporting Arrows event. Others walk 20 minutes or so to THE BARRELS to try Powder Ball or Sporting Clays. A few head down the scenic trail to GOODRICH LAKE to put on their swimsuits and have some wet and wild fun in the Water Reality program. A few were really interested in seeing what would happen at the “Airborne” STADIUM show so that’s their next destination. Several want to visit the huge NESA exhibit or the FAITH & BELIEFS area in LEGACY VILLAGE. The interactive map on their SUMMIT APP shows them the best route to get there in the least amount of time. Nobody wants to spend a couple of hours walking all the way back to ADVENTURE VALLEY so that will be the destination for another day. Before you know it, it’s time for dinner, patch trading, just hangin’ out, whatever…..

FRIDAY 19 JULY This morning is a little different. Today is the day for all the Troops in BLUE JAY to do their MESSENGERS OF PEACE DAY OF SERVICE (MOPDOS). After breakfast, dressed in their work clothes (long sleeved shirts and long pants), the scouts and leaders take their daypacks with lunch and plenty of water and head to the back of the STADIUM at their appointed time. They will be met there by a member of the Order of the Arrow Service Corps who will assist them in loading onto one of over 150 school buses. The bus driver will take them on a 30-90 minute journey through the WV countryside to one of over 375 project sites in the nine counties surrounding THE SUMMIT. Who knows what adventure awaits them? It may be painting structures in a town park. It may be brush removal or trail work. It might even be helping a small community restore a mine office that now serves as a local museum. For the scouts and leaders of Troop C100, it really doesn’t matter. They know that whatever it is, this day, working together, they will make a difference in the lives of the good people of West Virginia.

Arriving at their project site, the local residents provide them with tools and materials and instructions on what needs to be done. The SPL and his Patrol Leaders listen carefully and then execute the plan. The adult leaders guide as needed and make sure that everybody works safely and stays hydrated. They stop for lunch and then finish their assigned task. Before you know it, it’s time to say goodbye to their new friends who thank them for what they have done during their visit. Who knows, there might even be a hug or two exchanged. Then it’s back on the bus and a return to the STADIUM where the program this afternoon is “Super Heroes.” How appropriate. It’s a short walk back to BLUE JAY to clean up for dinner. Afterwards, the Troop is visited by a member of the Order of the Arrow who leads them in a “reflection” on their DAY OF SERVICE. They talk about what it means to be a “servant-leader” and perhaps further commit themselves to support the MESSENGERS OF PEACE initiative sponsored by the WORLD ORGANIZATION OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT (WOSM). As they watch another beautiful West Virginia sunset over JUSTICE HEIGHTS, it’s TAPs and time to rest up for the jambo-weekend…..

NOTE: Some faiths – specifically Jewish and Muslim – will celebrate their worship services on Friday or Saturday (Sabbath) in keeping with their customs. There will also be daily opportunities for participants to visit with Chaplains in the FAITH & BELIEFS area of LEGACY VILLAGE in the SUMMIT CENTER. The SUMMIT APP will contain a daily guide for both personal and unit based faith observances.

SATURDAY 20 JULY Three of the FULL PROGRAM DAYS are now history. Today there will be no DAY OF SERVICE, no TREK, no offsite whitewater rafting or technical climbing. But all other program activities are available as usual. Some scouts of Troop C100 may have CURRICULUM HIGH ADVENTURE assignments today. For everybody else, it’s time for ELECTIVE HIGH ADVENTURE activities or another visit to SUMMIT CENTER. Mostly, it’s another JAMBO-TASTIC day! There will not be any visitors until after lunch so the scouts and venturers have the SUMMIT CENTER to themselves all morning. The afternoon STADIUM show theme today is “SCOUT Strong.” All program activities end at 4:00 PM today. That will give everybody time to return to camp, clean up, grab a special “no preparation needed” dinner and get into their field uniform (which takes a few minutes to find since the last time they wore it was Monday morning when they arrived…). But everybody will be looking sharp since tonight is the CELEBRATION OF SCOUTING SHOW in the AT&T SUMMIT STADIUM.

The pre-show activities begin about 6:00 PM and soon over 60,000 scouts and venturers and staff and visitors have filled the STADIUM to capacity supervised by our Order of the Arrow Service Corp staff members. Our EMCEE tonight is the ever-popular Distinguished Eagle Scout MIKE ROWE of “DIRTY JOBS” fame (tentatively agreed) and great musical entertainment (now being negotiated). The grand finale is a 20 minute fireworks spectacular designed and executed by the world famous ZAMBELLI family. As the visitors exit the back of the STADIUM to board the coaches for their trip back to the offsite parking area, the scouts of Troop C100 linger in the STADIUM to talk with new friends and enjoy the after-show music before heading home to BLUE JAY, flashlights in hand.

SUNDAY 21 JULY It’s BIG BREAKFAST day at THE SUMMIT. Afterwards, a nap will be tempting…..but “A Scout is Reverent”. Some faiths (Jewish and Muslim) will have already celebrated their worship services on Friday or Saturday (Sabbath). For Scouts of the LDS, Protestant, or Catholic faiths, there will be three major worship services in the STADIUM this morning in sequence. Several other faith groups will worship at smaller sites around THE SUMMIT. Every Scout is encouraged to attend one or more of these services and the members of Troop C100 put on their field uniforms and make their way to the service of their choice. Once again, no visitors will be permitted onsite until after NOON. Today there will be no DAY OF SERVICE, no TREK, no offsite whitewater rafting or technical climbing. And also no TECHNOLOGY QUEST or HIGH ADVENTURE AREA activities at THE BARRELS, THE BOWS, THE TRAX, THE PARK, THE POOLS, THE ROCKS, THE ROPES, HIGH GEAR, LOW GEAR OR THE CANOPY. Those staff members need a little time off from work to enjoy the jamboree, too!

But everything program related in the SCOTT SUMMIT CENTER including the all of the high adventure “preview” activities will be available from NOON until 8:00 PM. And visitors can stay late today as well. In the AT&T SUMMIT STADIUM from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM, will be the JAMBO-PALOOZA. It will be a sort of “county fair on steroids scouting extravaganza” according to the staff planning this event. There will be music, entertainment, and surprise activities and guests. Come and go as you like….. Some of the parents and siblings of Troop C100 came for a visit today and they were impressed with how well they were treated by the VISITOR EXPERIENCE team. They understood why they could not visit BLUE JAY since visitors are required to stay in SUMMIT CENTER. And they were amazed that they only had to walk a little over two miles to visit all parts of SUMMIT CENTER. By a little past 8:00 PM, the weekend was over and as they returned to their campsite for some much needed rest, the scouts of Troop C100 could hardly believe that they had already been here for a week. There were now only two days left and there was still so much to see and do!

MONDAY 22 JULY FULL PROGRAM DAY 4. Everything is back in operation just like it was on the previous Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. But for Troop C100 and the rest of BLUE JAY, it’s time for the TREK to GARDEN GROUND MOUNTAIN (GGM), which is the peak of THE SUMMIT. While they finish breakfast, JEFF VIGIL – another hard-working member of the Order of the Arrow staff – greets Troop C100. Jeff introduces himself to the Scoutmaster and SPL and tells them that it is his honor to be their TREK GUIDE for the day. Jeff then checks to make sure that everyone is ready and has their daypacks filled before gathering them up to begin their TREK. Jeff offers to the SM and other adults the option to trek or have a day off to visit SUMMIT CENTER and do some activities. However, at least one of the adult leaders, preferably the 3ASM who is between ages 18-21, must make the TREK to maintain Scouting’s two-deep leadership policy. The SM and 1ASM and 2ASM know that their 3ASM, SPL and the other youth leaders are perfectly capable of managing themselves so they thank Jeff for this offer and settle back for another cup of coffee as the Troop heads off. Later that day, they will visit a special information session to learn about future development and programs at THE SUMMIT in 2014 and beyond.

The walk from BLUE JAY to the trailhead to GGM takes about 45 minutes. Jeff knows exactly which route they should take and he guides them past the medical check-point and onto their assigned trail route. The first section of the trail is somewhat challenging but not overly strenuous – certainly not for the scouts of Troop C100. They drink water as needed, munch on their trail snacks and have a good time walking and talking together for the next hour or so. As they approach the top of GGM, the trail gets a bit steeper, but they pace themselves and by 10:30 AM they exit the woods onto the huge expanse of grass that marks the western-most end of GARDEN GROUND MOUNTAIN. Once there, they refill their water bottles and prepare to enjoy the variety of program activities available. Jeff reminds them to meet him at a designated time and place later that afternoon for their departure and then leaves them to buddy-up and enjoy their day. The activities on GGM include the OA Indian Village, Buckskin Games, Pioneering, Highland Games, Field Sports, Midway Games and many other challenging and entertaining activities.

Later that afternoon, the Troop assembles with Jeff and proceeds to the GGM arena for a brief closing show and ceremony. (NOTE: I will provide more details on what each Troop and Crew need to do to prepare for this ceremony in another later update.) Afterwards, Jeff and the scouts head down a different trail about 30 minutes to an assembly area. Because BLUE JAY is one of the camps further away from GGM, they board a bus for a short ride back to the STADIUM where they unload, say goodbye to Jeff and then head back to BLUE JAY to meet their adult leaders for dinner. The units from the sub camps closer to GGM will walk back at the end of their day and not ride buses. It’s all downhill and takes them about an hour to make it back. After dinner, a few of the guys still have some patch trading they want to do. The others stay in camp for an evening of rest and relaxation. There is just one more FULL PROGRAM DAY and they want to “BE PREPARED.”

TUESDAY 23 JULY The last FULL PROGRAM DAY. Everything is back in operation just like the previous Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. All the members of Troop C100 who have not done their assigned CURRICULUM HIGH ADVENTURE activity or their offsite whitewater rafting activity will do so today. For everybody else, it’s a free day to choose whatever they like. Today’s theme in the last of the afternoon STADIUM shows is “Green Day” which is all about sustainability and conservation. All program activities end at 4:00 PM today and visitors must also leave at that time. That gives all units the chance to have dinner and start the packing process prior to the CLOSING PROGRAM later than evening. (NOTE: This will NOT be a STADIUM event but rather sub camp based.) No patch trading in the STADIUM this evening, but the retail outlets in the base camps will be open for those last minute souvenir purchases – assuming that you still have some money left. Eventually, it’s TAPs and unlike the norm at Fort A.P. Hill, NOBODY packs up their tents since the weather is unpredictable and in case of rain, there are no large shelters under which to gather. There will plenty of time in the morning to pack up the tents and everything else. Besides, all the gear provided by THE SUMMIT is staying behind.

WEDNESDAY 24 JULY As the saying goes, “All good things must end” and sadly the 2013 NATIONAL JAMBOREE at THE SUMMIT is no exception. After packing up their tents and any remaining gear that was issued by THE SUMMIT, Troop C100 checks out at their appointed time (per TMS) and boards the bus to begin their journey home…or wherever they may be going before that.

BACK HOME Even though the jamboree is over, the memories remain. There are souvenirs, patches from trades, new FACEBOOK friends and all sorts of digital information still on the SUMMIT APP. Troop C101 did not have time to read all of the constant updates from JAMBOREE TODAY while they were there, but it’s all available online for them to look at now and relive those great moments. And when they return to THE SUMMIT – and they will return – they will have the chance to do again some of the many activities they enjoyed, and many that they missed.

The theme of the 2013 NATIONAL JAMBOREE was “GO BIG GET WILD”…..

…..and the scouts and adult leaders of Troop C100 did just that