Sunday, August 8, 2010 — The Boy Scouts of America have occupied Fort A.P Hill, a military base in Virginia, since July 26th for their 100th National Jamboree.

The 45,000 participants are from all over the United States, and there were a number of international Scouts as well.

Boys and leaders from the Central NC Council have gotten to meet people from Korea, Sweden, Hawaii, Alaska, Texas, Montana, and many other places.

The Jamboree has lots of activities for the Scouts to do for fun and to gain knowledge.

They can learn about religion, the military, conservation, careers, fire safety, merit badges, and the future location of the Jamboree (The Summit in West Virginia).

They could also take a CPR and AED training course, and Troop 1905 got to be a part of breaking the world record for the most people to take a CPR class on a single day in one location.

Scouts could also get a glimpse of famous people, including authors James Patterson, Michael Scott, and Christopher Paolini, Medal Of Honor recipient Air Force Col. Leo Thorsness, Olympic Gold Medal Snowboarder Shaun White, NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon, Superbike professional Jake Zenke, and Indy driver Dan Wheldon.

Many boys have been working on “rockers” which are special arch-shaped patches that they can earn by doing a 5K run, participating in eight Action Center events, taking part in four events at the Outback center, going to five exhibits, finishing activities at the Mysterium Compass or the Indian Village, and completing Duty to God requirements, including church service attendance.

This Jamboree is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and many of the things here participants will not be able to do anywhere else.

One of those things is going to an arena show. In order to attend, most of the Scouts had to leave their campsites at least two hours before to hike to the arena (Troop 1905’s hike lasted more than 3 hours!), and then get through the huge crowd of other Scouts and visitors – expected to be more than 70,000 total.

The largest arena show, held on Saturday, July 31, was called the Shining Light Celebration and included celebrities and amazing entertainment because everyone wanted to wish the Boy Scouts of America a happy 100th birthday.

Shining Light was to be broadcast live on the Internet so that everyone in the world could see it (you can still watch the video at http://www.ustream.tv/shininglight).

The Black Daggers, a US Army Special Operations Parachute Team, demonstrated their skills by executing a precision jump with flags, smoke, and a double canopy stunt (2 individual jumpers join together with one parachute above the other), with all members landing on a designated spot in the arena.

The guest of honor was Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, narrator of Deadliest Catch, and spokesman for Ford Motor Company. Rowe, an Eagle Scout, talked about his own Scouting experiences and how, as an adult, he continues to try to live by the Scout Oath and Law.

However, he believes that while a Scout should be clean (Point 11 of the Scout Law), he should not be afraid to get dirty.

Being willing to step up and do “dirty jobs” (the ones that no one else wants to do) can make a huge difference in our world. Scouts were encouraged to do things that may be hard or feel uncomfortable and learn to have fun while doing them.

The bands Switchfoot and Honor Society performed music for the Scouts, and the President sent a videotaped message.

Near the end of the evening, there was a candle-lighting ceremony where everyone in the audience took part and rededicated themselves to the values, patriotism, and honor that are traditions of the Boy Scouts of America.

The show ended with fireworks – the largest pyrotechnics display ever held on a U.S. military installation.

Watch for the last article in this series that will talk about Troop 1905’s last days at Fort A.P. Hill, including a severe storm that required evacuations, the trip back home, local Scouts’ favorite memories, and some special recognition.



Matt Swain, 13, a member of BSA Troop 1905 in Locust, was selected by BSA as one of the Hometown News Reporters for the 100th anniversary Jamboree event at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. Throughout the course of the Jamboree, Swain will report for The Stanly News & Press on events concerning local Scouts. Swain, a rising eighth grader at Ridgecrest Elementary, is the son of Doug and Mary Margaret Swain.