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@MarkBrownsky

Forestalling death is a moral value. Period. And although I am convinced that a restrictive sexual ethic is the first tier in defending the far corners of the earth from the ravages of disease, epidemiology shows that the second tier has spared as many souls.

We've discussed this before. Open access to AIDS prevention devices at medical facilities for youth gatherings have been part WHO recommendations since 1990. That the most effective HIV defense also curbs pregnancy is incidental. If it's any consolation, the beer tent only had non-alcoholic Heinekin.

Congratulations! Nothing like knowing that your son can command the respect of your peers! The workbook should come back to your son. I can't imagine any council HQ wanting to keep it. Just ask them when he'll get it back.

I think if the bear was over 21, completed YPT, and registered with BSA it would have been okay. But, all signs indicated that we had yearlings approaching camps and trails. So, I had to find a scouter -- or a second bear -- to avoid 1-on-1 contact.

@ianwilkins, follow Bryan's blog. He already made one post ... https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2019/05/31/theme-logo-for-2021-national-jamboree-will-invite-scouts-to-face-the-challenge/ Rollout of registration will be very soon. At least that's the scuttlebutt from my connections. Truth: I am not a big convention fan. There were times in the last two weeks were I selected an out-of-the-way trail just for some quiet and to pick some blackberries or sassafras root ... or track a bear. Most of the time I met someone on the trail who was doing the same thing. Two-deep with a stranger of like mind is a good thing.

There is one checklist: the trail to First Class. Scouts should master each item on it. For example, no scout should ever think that they only need to present their gear to their PL once for rank advancement.This should be routine at each camp-out. Who has what gear, who needs what gear, and how to balance loads is an essential discussion for every hike and camp. Why? Because adults aren't going to be there to bail them out. Oh, wait, I confused BSA with the European and South American girls and boys who explained to me how their patrols work. Sorry ... Jamboree residual.

Ya know what? All you all who did not PM me to at least try a meet-up are also on my list of what could be better at Jambo,

I don't think it's a matter of what is classy or not. It's a matter of looking at SAGNO's, determining if it was good for their nation, then extending an appeal (repeatedly, as every opportunity arises) in terms of what's best for our nation. In the coming decades, if these two organizations keep to their declining membership trajectory, and other splinter organizations keep to their ascending trajectory, we may be pressed to form a federation of independent US scouting movements anyway.

Sorry for my naivete. I keep thinking the fourth point of the scout law actually means something. There's no bad blood between my troop and any GS/USA troop. I formed a crew because two troops wanted to go to Seabase together. Every year, including this one, GS/USA troops join my district in decorating veteran's graves. Last week I talked to a steadily advancing Scouts BSA girl who works hard recruit female leaders for activities, yet she detests the GS/USA - BSA administrative boundaries. Yes, I know this is a "big ask" ... to the point of being fanciful. But, almost half of our fellow youth citizens missed out on the opportunity that WSJ's fellowship and foibles provide. And that's a shame.

There were definitely some things that I would have preferred to show the world instead of big zips: Taking a cue from the WSJ in Sweden: Each subcamp and the fields around the main stage stacked with spars and rope for pioneering. (Our campsites were given split 8' 2x4's -- a total of eight pieces of cut lumber.) The orienteering map as the base map for scouts instead of the minimally detailed map that we were given. Main stage recognition of scouts who "aced" activities each day. (E.g., fastest time on course, best scout spirit at activity x, etc ..) There was plenty of time before each show to announce scouts on the screen. Displays from multiple colleges and universities. (WVU was the only school representing.) A lot of folks are interested in studying here. Some asked me about schools in my neck of the woods. Displays from each state in the US, Canada, and Mexico. More wild plant and animal exhibits. I held the attention of Indonesian girls for 20 minutes as I made their leader Sassafras tea. More presentations from Native American tribes. BSA (and Scouts Canada and Scouts Mexico) literature. An Indonesian scouter asked me about it, and I referred her to scoutstuff.org. There was a lot of interest in how our troops operated. (I had to do a lot of explaining of the how's and why's of sex segregation.) Bending over backwards to be sure GS/USA is invited. We had the potential to reach balanced sex ratios. Guide's from other countries commented on their conspicuous absence. I do hope the US, Mexico, or Canada will have a "next time" in less than 50 years. But, even if SBR is only used for National Jamborees, I think some of these tweaks would make them much better events.

A lot of the foreign contingents that I met were flying out of DC, after touring it for a day or two. Also let's be clear: There was no lack of food. There was lack of food choices thanks to SMs who encouraged/required their scouts to max out on points even if they weren't ever going to eat them. There were "keepsakes" for sale Friday. They might not have been the ones scouts wanted. But they were at every trading post that I passed. I myself grabbed a hammock that was marked down to a reasonable price. Moreover, there was that participant patch and necker. I can't imagine a better keepsake. Finally, if a scout packed light, he/she could take a tent home in his luggage. (I sure hope nobody tried to carry on a bag of tent stakes.)

@mashmaster, props to your son for embracing the suck. Our boys saw some other SM's and how they operated, and thanked for giving them a long leash. But it wasn't automatic. Our SM got reamed out by jamboree management staff over scouts who got "lost" on two spear the occasions. Each time the scout knew where he were going, but misplaced his buddy. After trying to explain that we were being tasked with the impossible. They emphasized that they would return a stray scout to camp HQ -- not our campsite ... Not even our subcamp. And we would have to come retrieve the scout. As it became clear that he was only going to get more flack, the SM responded with, "Yes sir. Thank you sir." I wasn't present ... probably a good thing. He simply came back to camp. Waited until dinner, and told our boys what went on: that we were blindsided by this procedure, and that we would like them to respect the fact that our day (or night) could get derailed if they were found alone walking the roads between subcamps. I could imagine some other SM going all command-control on their scouts. @Setonfan, I am no "grumpy couch-sitter." I have the blisters to prove it. We participants were the ones quickly solving the problems. We told members of foreign contingents how to work around HQ mismanagement. I made it quite clear to every duty officer who stopped for a cup of coffee that the real HQ was not in those white tents on the hill above us. It was on the road between our site and the site of the next US contingent. If you had actually visited our section of subcamp C, there is no way you would describe any problem as being "solved quickly." We had some that took two days to clear up. We bailed the staff out at many turns. And, it was our pleasure to do so. Our boys' enthusiasm for taking care of our neighboring troops when HQ was faltering made the experience. On behalf of our scouts, you're welcome.

I talked to scouts from several nations bearing their countries anxt about access to firearms. On the other hand most scouts were happy to learn how to safely use them for the first time. At campsites, our scouts had many fruitful discussions about them.

Many scouts were aware of the Scouts BSA rollout. USA girls at Jamboree were a big deal to them.

I am wiped out from partying 10 days straight with tens of thousands of the most awesome well-fed youth on the planet. My bottom line: all of the negatives listed above amounted to net good.

From the hammock of our Jambo SM (because all the boys left camp, finally): We need a new word. People who work for scouting are professionals; who do things in free time for youth, volunteers; who do it for cheap, staff; but ... What is a word for people who pay to work (e.g., International Service Team or SMs/ASMs)?

We get that a lot! The place is vast. But, the black rasberries are in, and it's worth hiking some distance to the sweeter ones. @Sentinel947's scout who works as an EMT at one of the basecamps said that they are out of crutches. But "jamboree" is no joke! The sounds of songs and games and laughter and swapping tales all night are continuous. For my part I calmly go about my day letting everyone know that the best coffee on SBR is at my site. I also mortifying Brits, one site an evening, by demonstrating how to make sun tea in a clear bottle. I get rave reviews: "Is that water cold?" "No milk?" "God. No! Please make it stop!" "That wouldn't be mint tea. That's tea and mint!"

I met @Sentinel947 at Summit Central yesterday after my nap. (Oh the life of a contingent leader.) We just sat on a shady spot in the lawn and watched the variety of uniforms (mostly activity uniforms) come up the sidewalk. We then hit the trading post. Surprisingly, it was not terribly crowded.

Questions like this are the purview of local councils.

How long does it take to form a patrol? The patrols in our World Jambo troop had two meetings one and one shakedown. Our camp is at a cross roads, and I am seeing and hearing them form and reform daily.

@SnarlyYow, thanks for sharing. In multiple volunteer capacities I have met predators and folks who were wrongly accused of predation. I'd be a fool if I thought that I can now tell the difference.

Your son can leverage his talents. Invisibility goes well with capture the flag. Seriously, if it matters to him, he should commit to sending pictures of the trip back to the troop every couple of days.

I hope you didn't misconstrue my comment as a 'vote' one way or another for a visitor. I abstained because: It would never cross my mind to visit a Jamboree. The experience for a vistor is much different than a participant. The most important thing about welcoming the world is ... be welcoming. The most important thing about spending an August day in WV is ... beat the heat! If you can be welcoming and beat the heat in your uniform all day, go right ahead. If your kids would rather dress like they're spending a day at resident camp, go right ahead. The good news is you have two days ... your family can do it differently each day.