National Jamboree
Teamwork, Leadership, and Outdoor Skills
The National Jamboree is an annual event put on by the Boy Scouts of America. It is a 10-day camping event that takes place at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. Scouts from all over the country come to attend, and it is one of the largest Scouting events in the world. You can expect to see a lot of different activities, from hiking and camping to sports and games. There will also be a variety of different exhibits to check out, and you can learn about the history of Scouting and the different things that the Scouts BSA do.
The key objectives of the National Jamboree are to promote teamwork, leadership, and outdoor skills among Scouts. In addition, the event provides an opportunity for Scouts to learn about different cultures and lifestyles through interactions with other Scouts from across the country.
Youth members sign up for the Jamboree through an application process through their local councils, who then place each youth into the Jamboree troop. Large councils are granted multiple Jamboree troops.
Each Troop:
Comprises four adults (a Scoutmaster, and three assistant Scoutmasters) and 36 youth in four traditional patrols of eight Scouts BSA members each, plus a leadership corps of four older youth.
Is assigned to a campsite location, and in front of the campsite, troops construct a gateway to display trademarks of their council or state. Gateways can range from very simple to extremely elaborate. Most troops issue a special patch, or series of patches, made especially for the Jamboree. Once at the Jamboree, Scouts trade their council’s patches for patches from across the US and even the world.
Next Jamboree – July 19-28, 2023 – Summit Bechtel Reserve – Glen Jean, West Virginia
UPDATE!! Due to lack of signups for the 2023 National Jamboree, the Ozark Trails Council will not be sending a contingent.
Any youth interested in attending should contact Great Rivers Council in Columbia or Heart of America Council in Kansas City. See information on both councils below.
Great Rivers Council Jamboree Contingent
Cost: The fee covers all costs from the time the Scout boards the charter bus to the time they get home, other than personal spending money, including transportation, lodging, meals, a Jamboree duffel bag, a day backpack, six t-shirts, a ball cap, unit patches for the Scout’s uniform shirts, and pre-Jamboree gatherings. The Council has established payment schedules to help families spread out the cost.
How: Go to BSAJamboree.org to register. Applicants must have a my.Scouting account with their current BSA membership number linked to the account in order to access the online application.
Jamboree questions? Please reach out to John Fabsits at Great Rivers Council, Ph. 573-449-2561 John.fabsits@Scouting.org
Website: grcbsa.org
Heart of America Council National Jamboree Contingent
For information on the HOAC contingent, go to hoac-bsa.org/national-jamboree.
This site will explain the trip, payment schedule, etc. The fee increases on Nov. 1 because National is increasing the jamboree fee on that date. To sign up for the Jamboree, go to jamboree.Scouting.org.