Cost of Jamboree attendance

[John-in-KC 311]

I spun this off from the Jamboree thread in Issues and Politics...

 

SSScout wrote in part:

"The Scout Participants are selected by a competitive method. Not everybody who applies can attend."

 

HUH?

 

We had problems filling our last Council contingent of Scouts for Jamboree. $1500 per kid is not an easy number for any Scout or parent to swallow.

 

Scouting competes with a host of other activities for the time and funds of the young man and his family. Expecting a Scout to earn his way to Scout Camp is one thing. Making the Jambo fees is another.

 

I'd be interested in hearing what other Councils charge their contingents.

 

[Eamonn 61]

In 2005 the cost for a Scout was $895.00.

This covered the Jambo cost.

Travel by luxury coach to and from.

Transporting all the gear.

Training Weekend.

Jambo cap.

2 Jambo T-shirts.

Meals on the way to and from (one each way.)

12 CSP's

And a few little extras (Watermelons, extra ice and other stuff I had parents bring in.)

We sent two full troops, from a Council of about 5,000 traditional members -I'd guesstimate approx 1,200 Boy Scouts.

We had no problem filling the Troops.

We had a few fund raising events to help offset the cost.

The biggest gripe I heard from the parents was for having to shell out for extra full uniforms. -Even though the Council sold them at cost.

So far each and every Scout that went tells me it was the best Scouting event that they ever attended!

Sure A.P.Hill is only about a five hour drive.

Having two empty buses and a empty truck go home and then return to pick everyone and everything up adds a lot to the cost.

We used to have a Scout-Friendly bus company who donated their services, but sadly the ownership changed and off course gas wasn't as cheap as it once was.

$90.00 a day is a lot of money!

Still I think it's money well spent.

Eamonn.

[John-in-KC 311]

E,

 

Just to make sure all understand: I agree that every Scout should do Jamboree, NOAC, or Philmont (or a combination) during his Scouting career.

 

I'm just questioning SSSCout's comment, based on what happened in our neck of the woods.

 

I cannot speak to the cost differential other than we are a full days + ride away from VA.

[Eamonn 61]

I was talking with a Lady I met at Philmont before one of the Jamborees (I think it was the 2001) She lived in California.

The amount that her son was paying seemed to be really out of sight.

While they add a week or so to the Jambo. Doing a tour of the East Coast. Which isn't cheap. They also have a lot of "Add ons". Everyone is expected to have the same shoes, bags, jackets. She is /was? deeply involved in Scouting serving as a Council Commissioner, but she was a single parent and was really unsure how she was going to pay for this trip of a life time.

Filling Jambo Troops? Can (not always!) depend a lot on who the leaders are.

We split the Council into a North Troop and a South Troop. Being as we have four Districts each Troop recruits from two. In 2005 three of the Leaders came from the same District as myself. (I served as SM) We only managed to get one Scout from the other District. The two ASM's came from healthy Troops and the Scouts from these two Troops made up more than half of the Jambo Troop.

It was on a "First Come, first served" basis. I would have loved to see more Scouts from the other District. I just couldn't come up with a fair way of dealing with it.

We did have a waiting list and were very fortunate that we were able to place Scouts in Troops from other nearby Councils.

We as a Council have for many years provided a lot of Jamboree Staff members. Mainly because our Area President, who is from our Council is in charge of one of the Action Centers.

OJ went as a youth staffer in 2005 working on the COPE course. He paid only $250.00 but had to provide his own transportation to and from.

Our good pal Hops Scout was busy working on the rappelling wall with a merry band from the same Council as me.

OJ can't wait to go back.

Ea.

[SR540Beaver 116]

In 2005, the cost for any participant who had the cash was $1,900. That covered everything except additional uniform pieces (3 complete uniforms) and spending money. We flew from Oklahoma City to Philedelphia. We toured Philly, Baltimore and Washington DC for 5 days prior to going to the Jambo. The cost covered a shakedown, patches, footlockers, duffel bags, daypacks, airfare, tour buses, hotel, food, etc. and the Jambo itself. We were allowed 4 contingent troops for our Council and ended up having to cut it back to 3 regardless of the very hard recruiting work of we adults selected to act as SM's and ASM's. Our council delivers Scouting opportunities to over 30,000 youth located in cities and towns in twenty-four counties in central, western, and southwestern Oklahoma and I believe it was the cost that kept us from recruiting a 4th troop. While it is nice to have the same facilities available for each Jambo, it is a hardship price-wise the further west you move away from Virginia. Guys like Eamonn have it "easy". Oklahoma was $1900. I can only imagine what it cost the kids from California, Washington or Alaska. One idea that was thrown out was the possibility of having a 4th troop that rides a tour bus instead of flying and does not do the DC touring, but the council didn't like that idea.

[gwd-scouter 11]

Older son attended Jambo in 2001. Council cost for the trip was $1500. In addition to that, he was required to purchase four complete uniforms with all the patches, extra socks, T-shirts, shorts, customized fanny pack, troop hat, etc. I can't remember exactly what the extras added up to but I think we paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000 for the whole thing. Quite a lot of money for us at the time, but older son's experience at Jambo was worth it.

 

Our council buys all new equipment for the contingents: tents, stoves, cooking gear, etc. and passes that expense on to the participants. Council then sells all that new equipment at a reduced rate back to anyone interested in buying it for their Troop or for personal use.

 

Younger son is eager to attend JAMBO in 2010. He did not go in 2005 since he knew there was no way we could afford to send him twice.

[local1400 10]

Going with the $1500 price tag divided by four years is $375.00 per year, or $1.03 per day. Whenever something looks big, break it down- it doesn't look so bad now, does it? Surely there must be someway for the Scout to earn that much money. What one sodapop a day costs for 4 years will give you a week at Jambo. Its all about desire. Now as a young Scout in the Reagan days, I wanted to attend the 86/87 World Jambo Downunder. I think that was over $2000 then- which was insurmountable with only about 12 months notice($166.67/month, or $5.48/day-but minimum wage earners only made $24/day then!)

[scoutldr 732]

Now you know how we in Virginia feel about going to Philmont! So I guess we're even. Not many can afford that price tag, either, not to mention the 3 week time commitment for adults who have to work for a living!

[GernBlansten 10]

Yeah, we live 3 hours north of Philmont. So going there is about a tank of gas. Split that with 4 scouts and its almost reasonable.

[Scouter&mom 10]

Cost for our council was $1250. It included bus transportation to Atlanta, overnight Amtrack into DC, three days touring (including baseball game and $$ allowance for meals), Jambo itself and plane flight home. Our council was allotted for 2 troops, but only had enough for one. What hurt us was the dates more than the cost I think. Council had payment plan beginning 12+ months out. Local schools started early. Some before Jambo ended and almost all by the end of the week. It is hard to get home Wednesday night at nearly midnight and start school the next day. Oh yeah, those days are unexcused absences for the kids too.

 

[scoutldr 732]

Just got a newsletter from our COuncil...cost of 2007 Philmont contingent will be (conservatively) $1300-$1600. Cost in 2006 was $1425. "We will to fly into Albuquerque, visit the Atomic Museum, Sandia Peak, white water the Rio Grande, and bunk at the Marriott for two nights before checking into Philmont for a 10 day 80+ mile trek through the New Mexico high country."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

Seems to me about $300 of that Philmont fee is actually time in Albuquerque...