2023 National Jamboree

[SiouxRanger 491]

Any number on how many scouts attending the current Jamboree?

[QC_ADC 5]

Just over 11,000 is the last figure we got. under 2,000 staff, and a few thousand visitors.

[InquisitiveScouter 1656]

2 hours ago, QC_ADC said:

Just over 11,000 is the last figure we got. under 2,000 staff, and a few thousand visitors.

Wow... that is... not so good.  They were shooting for 15K, as I understood.

Makes for shorter lines for the participants, though!!!  Enjoy!!

[T2Eagle 902]

11 hours ago, QC_ADC said:

Just over 11,000 is the last figure we got. under 2,000 staff, and a few thousand visitors.

Wow, I attended the first Jambo at the Summit in 2013 and it was 40,000.

Edited July 22, 2023 by T2Eagle

[InquisitiveScouter 1656]

5 minutes ago, T2Eagle said:

Wow, I attended the first Jambo at the Summit in 2013 and it was 40,000.

2013

Summit Bechtel Reserve, West Virginia

"Go Big. Get Wild."

July 15, 2013–July 24, 2013

40,795

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Scout_jamboree_(Boy_Scouts_of_America)

 

[T2Eagle 902]

I'm not there but I suddenly have a cool story to share.  I just got a text from a friend who's leading our contingent this year.  He texted a picture of a hat from our 2013 contingent.  Said a scout just came by whose father had asked him to track down our council contingent and trade for some gear.  The father had done his LDS mission work in our area in the 80s and had traded with someone in 2013.  That someone was me. 

Just made my evening, and brought back some great memories.

[PACAN 220]

Anyone hear of the final number of attendees?

[EaglePanther 3]

No final numbers yet, most activities seem to be half an hour to an hour and a half wait as per the app and scout feedback.  The Big Zip on the other hand has had scouts up at 3am forming a line at the dam gate to get to the reservation tent at 7am.  The staff is doing an amazing job overall and some things are simply limited by bandwidth which includes safety which is a positive.  There is more to do than anyone could possibly and yes the popular things draw larger crowds.  Patch trading, new friendships, some solid leadership training, tons of exhibitors and fun and memories to last a lifetime.  

 

 

[AwakeEnergyScouter 248]

33 minutes ago, EaglePanther said:

as per the app

as per the what???? *clutches pearls*

Call me old school, but scouting should be all about being present in the moment with the sunrise and birdsong and mud inside your boots and your still-wet pants or whatever is going on. No wifi, no LTE, no 5/4/3/2G, no electronic devices whatsoever to distract yourself with.

Scouting is one of the few civic groups in which being present in the moment is actively cultivated, and this gift of experiencing the present moment is invaluable. Phones are an invitation to not have this precious experience during your formative years. Initially, you won't recognize the importance, and you won't see the harm in scattering the mind further with your phone. IMO part of Duty to Dharma/God is to leave the devices at home or at least in adult leaders' pockets for emergencies... If there even happens to be any coverage, which ideally there shouldn't be.

[scoutldr 732]

12 hours ago, AwakeEnergyScouter said:

No wifi, no LTE, no 5/4/3/2G, no electronic devices whatsoever to distract yourself with.

I am "old school" as well, but that's an unwinnable argument.  Today's parents demand 24/7 contact and awareness of where their kids are and what they are doing.  I'm seeing it in my own grandkids, who, at the ripe age of 7 each have their own iPhones.  All their friends have them and Mom insists that it is "necessary" and I "just don't understand".

[RememberSchiff 3688]

"Paul Kramer may be found at the Jamboree Museum, where he preserves and teaches the history of Scouting and the Jamboree itself to visitors...He has only missed two Jamborees in his lifetime."

Rest of story at source:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/long-time-jamboree-attendee-says-scouts-is-about-helping-others/ar-AA1emdiJ

"Kramer said he hopes people will remember that Scouting started as a way of teaching young people to help others and to do the right thing."

[SiouxRanger 491]

At a troop meeting not long ago, I was showing the Scouts how contours worked/meant on a map using 3D models I had made of selected areas on Philmont.

One particularly bright Scout looked up at me from the map and models and said, "That is cool."

I replied, "It IS cool!"

No cellphone. Just knowledge. And wonder, and the Epiphany. (What is this new world I see?)

A highlight of my adult leader years.

[SiouxRanger 491]

1 hour ago, RememberSchiff said:

"Kramer said he hopes people will remember that Scouting started as a way of teaching young people to help others and to do the right thing."

Doing the 'right thing' is what it is all about.

"Kind" is 6th on the Scout Law, but should be second behind Trustworthy.

[AwakeEnergyScouter 248]

2 hours ago, scoutldr said:

I'm seeing it in my own grandkids, who, at the ripe age of 7 each have their own iPhones.  All their friends have them and Mom insists that it is "necessary" and I "just don't understand".

I'm her generation and I disagree. It's not even what I see in my scout's friends that are around that age, so it must vary.

Most elementary-age students I know do not have their own phone. Most I know do have their own tablet, which is locked down and they have screen time limits. (Not all, because there's one kid in particular who FaceTimes my child at so many hours that we're pretty sure they have no screen time limits.) They mostly use them for watching shows and playing Minecraft on private servers, at home of course. The tablets are like a cross between a gaming console and a small TV for them, so both activities fall within old parental nagging categories. 

From talking to their parents at birthday parties, we're all also concerned about the dark corners of the internet that we want to keep our children out of until they're old enough to realize they shouldn't be in them if/when they find them. Hence, private servers. (No FPS game lobbies, either!) I appreciate the Cyber Chip, actually. Like Protect Yourself, it helps with figuring out what's age-appropriate.

Anyway, that was all to say I think you understand perfectly. I'm on this soap box because the existence of hand-held devices creates new parenting struggles and I don't think the scattering of mind harm - which is quite general - has gotten enough attention, even though it controls general quality of life. Its lack of immediate harm means it really needs pointing out.

Luckily, we've only had a scout show up with a personal device once, and it ruffled other scouts' feathers. Perhaps I should prepare something more succinct to say if it happens again, which it sounds like it well might.

[SSScout 1616]

Some of us can remember when the Scout who wanted to "show off" brought a non-allowed Kbar from his Marine dad's kit. 

Now it may be the iphone the Troop says "keep it home for this campout".

One of my favorite stories:    Scoutmaster (not me) is meeting with his newly elected/minted Senior Patrol Leader and his Patrol Leaders.  Toward the next year, SM is suggesting places to go, reminding them of stuff they did previous year, was there anything NEW they might like to try? etc. etc.   Crickets. The kids look at each other, waiting for somebody ELSE to speak first.  Finally, the nascent SPL says, "you mean I can make that decision?"   SM says ''  DUHH ?!?"" 

They had an active, good year.