FAQs

What is the National ? A gathering of thousands of members of the of America every four years and organized by the National Council. Many other countries also send a contingent of scouts.

Where are the National held? From 1981 to 2010 they were held at Fort A P Hill in Virginia. Since 2013 Jamborees are permanently held at The Summit Bechtel Family Scout Reserve in Mount Hope, West Virginia. That is a property that was bought and developed by the BSA. Prior to 1981 Jamborees were held at various locations throughout the country including three times right here in our own backyard. The 1950, 1957, and 1964 National Jamboree were held in Valley Forge. In 1973 and 1977, the National Jamboree was held at Moraine State Park in western Pennsylvania. The 2021 event will be the 20th National Jamboree

When was the first one? The first National Jamboree was scheduled to be held in 1935 in Washington DC but was cancelled because of a polio outbreak and rescheduled for 1937.

How many scouts generally attend a Jamboree? Generally, about 40,000 scouts attend the Jamboree supplemented by a staff of about 10,000 volunteers and professionals that run the event.

What is the cost to attend the Jamboree? There is a base fee that National Charges but then the local Council has to provide transportation and many other items so every Council will have a different cost. Cradle of Liberty Council is charging $1,800 for scouts and adults who will be part of our contingent attending the National Jamboree.

What is included in that fee? The National Jamboree fee, coach transportation to and from the Summit, meals on the way down and back, uniform patches, duffle bag, day pack, mess kit, neckerchief, hat, name tag, t- shirts, use of all equipment needed including tents, cots, cooking equipment, all meals at the summit, unlimited access to all activities, shows, and events.

Is there any financial assistance available for the scouts? There will be at least two sources of Campership money available to our scouts; National and our local Council. You must apply to National first and can do so at the time you register. The Scholarship Site opened on January 21, 2020. You can apply for up to 50% of the National portion of the fee which is $1,175. You must apply by April 30, 2020 and will be notified June 30, 2020. if an applicant wishes to apply for a scholarship and did not include their scholarship information on the application, submit a request to Jamboree.Registration@.org. Once National Funds are exhausted you will be able to apply to Cradle of Liberty if there still is a need.

Are any age or rank limits that a scout must be to attend? Scouts must be 12 years old by the start of the Jamboree July 21 and not yet 18 years old by the end of the Jamboree. They must also be First Class in rank by the start of the Jamboree.

How does a scout sign up to go to the Jamboree? You can sign up by going to the home page of the National Jamboree at jamboree.scouting.org You will need to set up a my.scouting.org account in the scout’s name; use chrome as your search engine. Have your scout membership number available. Once signed up in the National System save your Jamboree registration number and go to the Council site for National Jamboree and fill out the request to attend form and submit with a $300 deposit. After that continue to submit $150 monthly payments to Cradle of Liberty Council for the next fifteen months.

How are the Jamboree troops assembled? Each Council is responsible for determining how many troops they need, selecting the leadership and recruiting the scouts. We will have one troop for our Scouts BSA Girls, one troop for our city of Philadelphia scouts and roughly one troop for each remaining District. Altogether we will have nine troops in 2021. We also had nine troops on 2017 which made us the fifth largest contingent in the United States.

How many scouts are in each troop? There are thirty-six youth and 4 adults. The thirty-six youth are broken down into four patrols of eight scouts, an SPL, an ASPL, A scribe and a QM.

Do the scouts wear their uniform the entire time at the National Jamboree? While a uniform is always appropriate, scouts wear their uniforms on the way down and back from the Summit, and at Church services. The rest of the time they wear class B t-shirts. Five t shirts are included in the cost to attend.

What are some of the things that a scout can do at the National Jamboree? Climbing, zip lines, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, BMX biking, world-class skate park, shooting ranges, kayaking, arena shows, aquatic challenges, state of the art tech stuff, rappelling, merit badge opportunities, STEM Quest, patch trading and a whole lot more.

The Jamboree is in West Virginia, are the camp sites on level ground? The Summit was formerly a strip mine that was reclaimed. There are still plenty of rocks and hills just not in the campsites. The sites are perfectly flat and ideally suited for camping. Every site has the exact same dimensions, with plenty of latrines nearby.

Are visitors allowed to attend the Jamboree? Yes, but they are restricted to the center of the Jamboree and not permitted to visit the camp sites.

What is the weather like at a National Jamboree? It can be expected to be hot with rain at times. The scouts are very active and hydration is taken very seriously. Leaders check every morning to make sure scouts have packed two water bottles and raingear in their daypacks.

How is the food at the National Jamboree? Plentiful. The units dispatch a team top pick up meals twice a day (lunch supplies come with breakfast). Meals are cooked troop style instead of the patrol style the scouts employ back home. Specials meals are available for those with dietary or faith restrictions.

Are there any shows the scouts can attend. There are plenty of evening shows in the subcamps and at least three shows where all units travel to the main arena where 50,000 or so scouts are entertained by name artists and bands. There is an amazing firework display towards the end of the Jamboree.

Are there any medical facilities at the Jamboree to deal with sickness or injury? There are medical facilities available in every subcamp with numerous doctors, EMTs, and other professionals. There is no cost for treatment and serious injuries are taken to a nearby hospital.