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I know there are a couple of days left in the Jamboree but I figured I would go ahead and start a thread on how things went. The Good: from everything I am hearing, the programming has been great. Both of my kids are having a great time. They are meeting people from around the world, making friends, trying new foods (that participants brought and at the country tents where they can purchase food). They are trading items and getting a few things. Both have been to events at the Summit before, so they were more focused on meeting people than hitting the activities. But the only complaint I have heard was that lighting cut short the activities at Mount Jack, which was out of anyone’s control and understandable, still frustrating when you consider hiking 14 miles for activities. Overall I think I would give it an A, maybe even A+ based on current feedback from my youth and others I know. The Bad: I will start with what frustrates me most. Just short of half way into Jamboree, my son told me he had heard they had already consumed 70% of the food. I thought, surely it was a rumor, and even if it was not, the logistics team had time to recover. Then I saw Facebook post about rationing food. I asked my son about it this morning and he told me they were rationing for last few days. He has been purchasing food, not just for the experience, but out of being hungry. I offered to wire him some additional money since he was spending more on food and cutting back on souvenirs. He declined, he told me a Scout is thrifty and he already feels bad that he wasn’t able to raise enough money to cover the whole trip. There is no excuse for not getting the participants fed properly, particularly considering the Jamboree team should have the experience of past national Jamborees as a guide and this event was almost a $1000 more than the NSJ. However, in hindsight I am not really surprised. There have been poor decisions and bad execution for sometime when it comes to logistics. It has been a mess from day one. There have been a number if issues. The participants patches were supposed to be mailed were not received. The Jamboree store was opened to the public so some items were sold out before many participants were even emailed about the site. We were not told before the store opened that bags were being supplied (they were a separate purchase for NSJ unless Council purchased them), some parents went ahead and purchased them because of concerns they would run out. We had to go to multiple sites to purchase SWAG. Virtually every order was wrong, missing items, even included items not ordered, wrong sizes etc. Orders were canceled without explanation or notice even after card was charged. USA contingent items, including neckers, were available on site for anyone to purchase making the trade value nearly far less (kids had hard time trading neckers because there were for sale). Some USA contingent items were at trading post onsite but never on the internet, so USA kids missed out on getting them. Venturing units were setup regionally, not by council, so one of my kids units was shuffled 3 times, making communication with leaders difficult. At one time we were told the original unit was collapsed into another unit and there would be new leaders. It was weeks before we knew who those leaders were. Both of my kids received emails from leaders from units they were not assigned to, including my son, who is in our councils troop. The SWAG issue is frustrating and disappointing, but the food issue is intolerable. Particularly, since it has had a negative impact on my son enjoying the last few days ( he is SPL and had to spend extra time dealing with getting his troop fed and dealing with unhappy Scouts - something he should not have had to deal with) I would give logistics a D-, maybe an F. I am just sad that such a great program has been lessened because of poor logistical planning and food. I will get more details when they return.

"One 16-year-old Scottish boy has been charged with supplying controlled drugs and a 17-year-old from the United States has been charged with possession of drugs, understood to be cannabis. Police were called to the event in the grounds of the picturesque Blair Castle at Blair Atholl, Perthshire, on Thursday. Last night a spokesman for Police Scotland said: 'After enquiries were conducted, a 17-year-old male was charged and given a Recorded Police Warning for possession of controlled drugs, and a 16-year-old male was charged and is to be reported for supplying controlled drugs.' The teenagers were sent home from the camp along with six other scouts. ... A spokesman for the organisation said: 'Scouts Scotland has a zero tolerance policy on narcotics use and this matter has been reported to Police Scotland.'" More details at sources http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5984559/Thats-scout-order-Boys-sent-home-jamboree-teenager-charged-supplying-cannabis.html http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/trendingacrossscotland/16373695.eight-scouts-sent-home-from-international-gathering-after-drugs-charge/ https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-44936866

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20170721/secretary-of-state-tillerson-stops-in-wv-for-boy-scout-jamboree U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson along with his wife Brenda visited the Jamboree on Friday as part of a ceremony detailing the planned Rex W. Tillerson Leadership Center and unveiling a bronze statue of him at the site ..Tillerson spoke about the leadership center and the importance of instilling values-based leadership in America’s youth. “When we acquired the site for the Jamboree, we realized we had an opportunity to do so much more than that,†said Tillerson, who served as national president of the Boy Scouts of America from 2010 to 2012. “We wanted to create a lasting leadership opportunity, and this was a part I really wanted to attach my name to.†The Rex W. Tillerson Leadership Center will be a part of the Thomas S. Monson Leadership Excellence Complex, which is under development. The center will be “a place for leadership and ethics training for youth,†according to Wayne Perry, another former national president of the BSA. Perry said the center will be approximately 12,000 square feet and feature multipurpose classrooms, an auditorium and a library. The Boy Scouts unveiled a bronze statue of Tillerson and presented him with a flag and smaller replica statue. “I feel so blessed to be led to this place and to be a part of this project,†he said. “My part is very small, but I am proud of my part.†... Tillerson told Scouts to “never stop developing†as people and to be a “principles-based leader.†“You have to practice and work hard at it, and you are going to be challenged,†Tillerson said of improving as a leader and person. “That is what we want to teach you at this center — to practice and apply these values.†More details at above source link. Tillerson is a Distinguished Eagle Scout, Silver Buffalo Award recipient and past national president of the BSA.

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20170627/1000-plus-girl-scouts-descend-on-wv-for-jamboree ... Through a partnership with the National Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council are able to host this year’s Jamboree for Girl Scouts across the nation at a facility Brown refers to as, “the Disney of camp grounds.†For the five days 1100 Girl Scouts spend at the Summit, they will get to explore the Mountain State’s wilderness through activities like kayaking, paddle-boarding, hiking and zip-lining. They’ll also hear from educators, like scientists and researchers from NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency. The trick, according to Kathy Storage, camp and travel manager for the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond, is to offer all the educational experiences “in a fun way!†More info at source link above. P.S. The girl and adult fee is $300 per person if a $30 non-refundable deposit is made by December 16; if you opt to make a deposit; the balance is due in three $90 installments on March 31, April 30, and May 31, 2017. After Dec. 16, the event fee will be $330 a person until the May 31st final event deadline. The price includes admission, tents, cots, basic meals, activity equipment, program supplies, facilitator support and a patch. Note: To register at this price, the troop/group must have at least have the following adult:girl ratios: 2 adults for every 16 Girl Scout Juniors (4th-5th graders) + 1 adult to each 1-8 additional Juniors; 2 adults for 20 Girl Scout Cadettes (6th-8th graders) + 1 adult for each additional 1-10 Cadettes; 2 adults for 24 Girl Scout Seniors (9th-10th graders) + 1 adult for each additional 1-12 Seniors; 2 adults for 24 Girl Scout Ambassadors (11th-12th graders) + 1 adult for each additional 1-12 Ambassadors. Registration link below http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/travel/jamboree-at-the-summit/