The National Scout Jamboree is a gathering of thousands of members of the Boy Scouts of America, usually held every four years and organized by the BSA National Council. Referred to as "National", "Jambo", or "the Jamboree", Scouts from all over the world have the opportunity to attend the National Jamboree, considered to be one of several unique experiences that the BSA offers. The Jamboree is held for ten consecutive days and offers many activities for youth participants and visitors. It is considered to be "Scouting at its Best". Since 1981, the United States Army has allowed the BSA to use Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia as the home of the National Jamboree due to its location close to Washington, D.C., Colonial Williamsburg, the Kings Dominion theme park, and the Civil War monuments throughout the state. The United States military uses the National Jamboree to conduct training and drill of engineer, military police, and medical units; in addition, the military supports the Jamboree through many different public relations and civilian support functions as well.
Organization
Like the BSA's national organization, the Jamboree is divided into Regions - Central, Western, Northeast, and Southern. Each Region has at its disposal a number of subcamps, major campsites with latrines, shower facilities, food commissaries, and a regional activity center. Each subcamp contains a number of troops, identified by a three or four digit number depending on the location of the subcamp. The 2005 Jamboree will have 20 subcamps, identified primarily by number and named after famous explorers.
Troops and Contingents
Going to the National Jamboree is a intensive and expensive process. Considering the logistics of having thousands of youth and their leaders concentrated in one area at one time, the National Office coordinates the entire Jamboree process. A normal Boy Scout troop cannot petition the National Office to attend the Jamboree as participants, instead, the local Council establishes a Jamboree committee who is charged with promoting and facilitating the experience to their members. Local council committees typically have volunteer members responsible for finance, fundraising, training, recruitment, transportation, touring while en route to the Jamboree site, and other functions where appropriate.
Youth members sign up for the Jamboree through an application process to the local council, who then places each boy into the Jamboree troop. Large councils are granted multiple Jamboree troops. Each troop comprises four adults (Scoutmaster, First, Second, and Third Assistant Scoutmasters) and 36 youth in four traditional patrols of eight boys each, plus a leadership corps of four older boys (Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Quartermaster, Scribe). After assigned to a Jamboree troop, members are given their troop numbers, a participant's patch for wear on the Class "A" Scout uniform, and a Jamboree council shoulder patch, or JSP. They also begin the exciting task of preparing for the Jamboree.
Staff
Youth and adult volunteer and professional Scouters, plus members of the business and military communities provide a number of services to the Jamboree by being on staff. Jamboree staff are given a special hat and neckerchief as tokens of their service, plus many of the different staff groups have special patches or pins that are sought after by youth and adult participants. In addition to the regional staff that provide services in subcamps and at the regional activity centers, many other staff members work in areas that serve the entire Jamboree. Staff members arrive a number of days before the Jamboree begins and usually depart on the same day or several days after participants leave, depending on their assignments. Regional staff members often stay within the subcamps, while National staff members stay in barracks locations within the post itself.
List of Jamborees
- 1937: Washington D.C.
- 1950: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
- 1953: Irvine Ranch, California
- 1957: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
- 1960: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- 1964: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
- 1969: Farragut State Park, Idaho
- 1973: Farragut State Park, Idaho and Moraine State Park , Pennsylvania
- 1977: Moraine State Park , Pennsylvania
- 1981: Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
- 1985: Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
- 1989: Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
- 1993: Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
- 1997: Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
- 2001: Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
- 2005: Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
- 2010: Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
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