24th World Scout Jamboree
The 24th World Scout Jamboree was recently held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, USA. Our Venturer Leader Ged Hook was lucky enough to be part of the nearly 700 Australian Scouts that made part of the nearly 47,000 scouts from around the world who made the trip for 2 weeks of adventure, community, and friendship in what was certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Members first enjoyed 4 days of Exploration in Washington DC, including a trip to the Baseball, exploring the many landmarks such as the White House, George Washington Memorial, Museum of Natural History and More.
After this, the contingent then moved to West Virginia and the stunning Summit Bechtel Reserve, comprising 10,000Ha of land purchased by the BSA specifically to serve as a Jamboree facility. Most members walked nearly 20km a day! This wasn't too bad however thanks to the well maintained walkways, and the lovely weather (30 degrees Celsius and sunny every day!)
There was no end of fantastic activities to choose from for the participants, everything from High Ropes, Shooting, Fishing, Canoeing, Zip Lines, SCUBA, and Rock Climbing to name just a few. There was also plenty of time to socialize and meet other scouts from all around the world. Additionally, there was a large focus on sustainability and global development, with the participants working on activities tackling a range of issues such as managing waste, renewable energy, climate issues and more.
After 2 weeks on site, the contingent then headed to Los Angeles for a day at Disney Land. After this, a portion of the contingent headed off for an optional adventure trip to Canada, while the rest of the contingent headed to Six Flags for a last day out before heading to the airport.
Unfortunately, Members of the contingent heading back to Melbourne had an extended stay in LA after our flight back was cancelled due to an engineering issue.
The Scouts and Venturers made the most of it however, and we all made it back to Melbourne 2 days later. The scouts showcased all the skills that they have learned in those 2 days, particularly resilience, teamwork, leadership and just putting up with the unexpected. I am sure they will all remember the experience for years to come.
While this adventure may have ended, there is plenty more chances for Scouts and Venturers to experience international travel through Scouting. At the upcoming OzVenture, Venturers will get the option to travel to either NZ or Fiji as part of their expedition. In 2022, New Zealand will host their Venture, which is historically well attended by Australia. And of course, there is the next World Jamboree - WSJ2023 set to be held in Korea. If any of these sound like something you are interested in attending, have a chat to your leaders. If you are not part of scouting yet, there is still time to join - get in touch to arrange a time to come and see what we do!
