[Philmont]: Jambo Notes

Hi:

2005 Jambo Notes

Sorry, this if off topic, but may be of interest to the group.

The 2005 national jamboree is wrapping up today. Lots of Philmonters were serving on staff.

A new high adventure brochure is available and was featured at the jambo; it is titled You know you want it. Freedom, Adventure, Stories of your own. The brochure highlights Philmont, Seabase, Northern Tier, and Double H.

The consensus among Scouts and Scouters who had attended a prior jamboree was that the 2005 jamboree was disappointing. However, most of the Scouts who were attending for the first time said it was awesome.

Misc. comments:

- Staff arena show on Sunday, July 24th started off poorly when the caterers arrived two and a half hours late. This would not have been a big issue but the air temperature was approximately 97 degrees F and after standing in the sun for a couple of hours, even the Army staff were feeling the effects of the heat. After the food arrived, the rest of the event went well (the BBQ was very tasty). No major performances at the staff arena show, unlike prior years.

- July 25th a Scouter suffered a heart attach in the Venture area and passed away.

- July 26th Four Scouters from Alaska were electrocuted. There probably would have been even more deaths but Scouters stopped the Scouts from throwing water on the tent fire. Our prayers go out to the families and especially to the sons who saw their fathers die.

- July 27th Arena show was held in 110 degree F heat. Many of the Scouts walked several miles to the arena on Thomas Road. The road asphalt temperature was approximately 135 degrees F. The newspapers reported 300 people were treated for heat exhaustion. Several sources said the real number of people treated was about 1,200. Some of the Scouts labeled the trek down Thomas Road the death march. Senator Frist from Tennessee gave a short speech and defended the Boy Scouts against the ACLU. Senator Frist recently sponsored a bill in the US Senate to allow the Boy Scouts access to US military bases. After his speech, the arena show was cancelled due to approaching thunderstorms and the Scouts trekked back to their campsites.

After the difficult first few days, the weather temperature cooled a bit and the jamboree seemed to steady out. I talked to many Scouts and they all were having fun and enjoying the activities.

-July 31st arena show featured President Bush. He was very complementary to the entire Scouting movement, honored the Scouters who had died during the week and reminded the Scouts to stay true to the Scout Oath and Law. The rest of the arena show was a bit different than prior years and probably would have been more appropriate for a NOAC show. No major performances by leading singers, unlike prior jamborees. The fireworks and laser light show at the conclusion were great.

Overall, the jamboree was a success and the Scouts had a lot of fun. But the deaths of the five Scouters during the start of the jambo really cast a pall over the event.

Upcoming jamborees:

2007 World Jamboree in England
2010 national Jamboree (hopefully at AP Hill again)

Sorry for the off-topic posting.

Best regards,
Mick Meyer

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Received on Wed Aug 3 11:51:00 2005