An aerial shot of the jamboree’s opening ceremonies. .
This summer there were camping experiences at local camps such as Camp Adventureland and Haliburton Scout Reserve and the 24th World Jamboree in West Virginia that was hosted by Scouts Canada, Boy Scouts of America and Asociación de Scouts de México. There were 45,000 participants from 152 countries.
Adam and Ryan Beleskey of the 2nd Highland Creek Scouts tell us about the adventures they had this summer:
This summer we participated in a once-in-a-lifetime experience when we attended the 24th World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia along with 45,000 youth from around the globe. Our unit was made up of kids from all over Ontario and BC. First we flew to Washington where we spent several days meeting the other 750 Canadian participants and did some sightseeing. Next we made the long journey by bus to the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. It took the entire day to get there, register and get to our site to set up – all during a monsoon.
Everyone at the jamboree wore Novus electronic bracelets that we used for maps, for checking event wait times and walking distances, and exchanging contact info with new friends. At the jamboree we participated in activities such as rock climbing, ropes courses, shooting ranges (rifles, handguns, crossbows, etc.), scuba diving, mountain biking, hiking and white water rafting. This was only a fraction of the events available.
We made friends with Scouts from other places, visited the food houses of different countries, and participated in a cultural day, preparing and serving bannock with maple syrup to visitors. We did a ton of walking each day as activities were anywhere up to a two-hour walk away.
Each day we woke up around 6 am to temperatures around 10-15C, and by mid-afternoon we roasted in temperatures reaching the mid-40s. We attended the opening and closing ceremonies, saw bands and performers, were welcomed by Bear Grylls, the Chief Ambassador of World Scouting, and watched the best drone shows and fireworks displays we’ve ever seen. We had so much fun and made so many new friends that we didn’t want it to end, but we were really glad to get home again and sleep in our own beds.
For more pictures and videos of the jamboree, search 24th World Scout Jamboree Flickr.
The synchronized drone light show at the opening ceremony is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA9ERfWjZyg