2013 Jamboree Recap

October 1st, 2013

Chris Crofoot
TTB Starry Trail

The 2013 National Boy Scout Jamboree took place on July 15th through 25th at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Mt. Hope, West Virginia, with nearly three-dozen Scouts and Scout leaders from the Pony Express Council in attendance. The great thing about a National Scout Jamboree is the opportunity to share Scouting experiences, skills and fun with other Scouts from across the country and even some from other countries.

Scouters from the Pony Express Council who attended the event were quick to note the excessive amount of rainfall that came during the event. However, the rainy weather did not dampen their spirits; they just went with the flow, literally, creating a massive mudslide to keep them entertained between formal activities.

There were a multitude of scheduled activities ranging from scuba diving to the “Big-Zip”, which is a 3,100-foot long zip line that can reach up to 60 miles per hour!  It was a 45-minute hike to the top, and it was a 45-second ride down.  Spencer Rosenak explained that you had to go through an interview process before you could join the Jamboree contingent.  This was the first time this event was held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, and it will be the permanent home for future Jamborees.  “I got to meet a lot of new people from a lot of different countries.  I got an experience that you just can’t get in Missouri,” Spencer Rosenak said. “If I went back, I would like to go back as a staff member.”

“It was a great experience where you could do activities you couldn’t normally do, like whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and BMX,” Jordan Miller, who also attended the Jamboree, said. “If you have the chance to go, you should.”

To sum it up, the 2013 National Scout Jamboree was a success for Scouts across the country, and especially for the ones here in the Pony Express Council.