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Cost for Jamboree - is this reasonable?


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Respectfully disagree. The cost is $975 for the week. That's what the councils are billed. As @@Snow Owl pointed out most of the costs for sightseeing in DC is free, though Lord knows the food is expe

Our troop is in California. I inquired at the Council level about their plans for sending a contingent to Jamboree. They tell me the cost is going to be $3,500. The cost includes an east coast tour of

I've researched further and now I'm thinking that maybe $3,500 is a bargain. Los Angeles charges $4,800 to $6,000 depending on which added tour you want to attend, Oregon is $3,500, which also include

We shared the same mud.   :)

I am ashamed to say, but my patrol is the one that held the "black market boat races" which you could build a boat from various materials and enter a la pinewood derby. My ASPL and I organized it, took the bets and gave out the prizes. I made $50 during that week doing that. We must have had a few hundred scouts enter until we got shut down on the last day by the camp director. He didn't do anything because 3/4 of the guys participating that day were his staff. ;)

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The only way to the Summit is by motorcoach.   Check the arrangements, where you fly into, where the coach picks up, where it takes you, etc.  We are far enough out that adjustments should be do-able.  AMTRAK will take you to far away terminals, altho the closest official AMTRAK terminal is less than 30 miles away, but it is not accessible by Big Bus....

I knew one Michigan contingent that purposely planned the bus trip from the upper penn by coach so the boys slept on the bus, and the tours were done when they alighted.   The coach company liked Scouts(!) and so arranged for the relief drivers to ride along and thus did not require the busses to stop for the DOT required rest periods.  The driver rest periods were scheduled in while the Scouts were touring places for 8 or ten hours , daytime.

The Jamboree itself is worth the money, I feel, but the big expense is always the getting there and the side tours , if done.   But then, how often will a Scout get to some of the places otherwise?  

Recommend Baltimore Inner Harbor:  USS Constellation, USCGC Taney...  Crabs for lunch.... and the B&O Museum , 10 blocks away on Pratt St. 

 

Contingent Troops should ALWAYS work on specific  fund raising early,  do not depend on the Bank of M&D .....

Edited by SSScout
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The coach company liked Scouts(!) and so arranged for the relief drivers to ride along and thus did not require the busses to stop for the DOT required rest periods.  The driver rest periods were scheduled in while the Scouts were touring places for 8 or ten hours , daytime.

Our units does this a lot. There are two ways to do this but the costs are significantly different. You can have the drivers rest (off road) while the scouts do something but the driver literally cannot drive at all. Must stay a mandatory amount of time off the road.

 

You can arrange for what they call "push" drivers. These are the relief drivers stationed at various points along your route.

 

You can have the bus stay with you at your destination or have them come back. Depending on the bus line your costs will vary.

 

Check your bus company's rules about bringing certain items in the luggage hold such as propane. Some allow it, some don't. IRC I think the DOT frowns on it outright, as in not allowed.

 

Also, check about whether or not your bus company allows you stay on board while refueling. If not, make sure you request that the refuel during reasonable hours during your travels. Nothing like waking up 60 Scouts at 2am and trying to keep track of them at a Travel America plaza. ;)

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""Recommend Baltimore Inner Harbor:  USS Constellation, USCGC Taney...  Crabs for lunch.... and the B&O Museum , 10 blocks away on Pratt St. ""

OH!!  And I forgot to mention Fort McHenry!

National Aquarium too.

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Also located in California; our council announced cost is $2000 for everything which I assume includes airfare but doesn't include any extra tours.  Alot of our Scouts tend to go to Washington DC area either with 8th grade or with families so guessing the added tour was not of interest.  If cost of Jamboree is $950ish and airfare around $500, I wonder what the balance goes toward.  Anyway, my son won't be going to Jamboree next year--seems like it's a lot of time and $.  Our troop doesn't have a history of going so don't know what the benefits really are.  Event seems biased in favor of East Coast troops/councils b/c of its location.

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 Event seems biased in favor of East Coast troops/councils b/c of its location.

 

They did have an West Jambo a few times. It used to rotate between west and east. In 1973 they had west AND east at the same time. In fact, that was the largest (combined) attendance they've ever had.

 

I went in 1977. Rained every day. I had fun. Worth the money? I'd have preferred Philmont. Looking back I would not count it as a missed opportunity. At that price there's much more than you can do with the money. Guys from my unit are going to Alaska. Same price, less crowds, more adventure.

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Scouts Canada often has multiple Jamborees for just that reason.   See http://skc.scouts.ca/ca/event/canadian-jamboree    Nova Scotia in 2017.    ""Our other focus is to hold our Jamborees, where possible, on Scouts Canada owned land. This is important as we look to continuing the development of our properties, allowing them to provide a great place for Scouting adventures. ""

 

Nat Jam at Heritage?  

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My son attended four years ago.  Jamboree cost was about $2400.  Add another $400 for misc stuff (uniforms, gear, cash, etc).  

 

Sadly, after that experience, I've written off Jamboree for my other sons.  Between risk of it may or may not be a great experience depending on people and weather, it's just not worth that much.  

 

Seven years of summer camp doesn't even add up to that cost.  

 

We can pay for two high adventures at that cost.  

 

I'm sad they won't experience it, but cost is not at a reasonable relative level to the experience.

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My son attended four years ago.  Jamboree cost was about $2400.  Add another $400 for misc stuff (uniforms, gear, cash, etc).  

 

Sadly, after that experience, I've written off Jamboree for my other sons.  Between risk of it may or may not be a great experience depending on people and weather, it's just not worth that much.  

 

Seven years of summer camp doesn't even add up to that cost.  

 

We can pay for two high adventures at that cost.  

 

I'm sad they won't experience it, but cost is not at a reasonable relative level to the experience.

 

My dad was cleaning out the basement and found his records (files) from 1977 (seriously, he keeps everything). He found the fee for Jamboree 1977 at More Rain State Park. It cost $200 (DC to PA).

 

The NCAC website has the cost of the 2017 Jamboree as being $1250. That a cumulative inflation rate of over 290%.

 

Totally agree on the cost of Jambo. We can outfit a crew to do the AT for the cost of one kid to go to Jambo.

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