MOUNT HOPE, WEST VIRGINIA, USA /EINPresswire.com/ — Thousands of Scouts, Venturers, Explorers, staff, volunteers, and local community members are preparing to move their Scouting adventure forward at the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA’s) 20th National Jamboree, taking place July 19-28, 2023, at the BSA’s Summit Bechtel Reserve, located on more than 14,000 acres of forested mountains in West Virginia.
Typically held every 4 years since 1937, Jamborees are the BSA’s largest national events, where since its inception more than one million Scouts, Scout leaders and staff have participated in a celebration of Scouting’s commitment to fun, friendship, adventure, diversity, service, and leadership. Scouting’s last National Jamboree was held in 2017.
Originally planned for 2021, the 20th National Jamboree was delayed two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, there’s pent-up excitement around the event, with more than 15,000 youth and volunteer staff expected to attend the 2023 Jamboree, and thousands more likely to attend as day visitors.
“This is Scouting’s largest event. The 2023 National Jamboree will showcase Scouting’s mission by combining adventure and leadership development to give youth life-changing experiences they can’t get anywhere else,” said Tom Pendleton, National Jamboree Director for the BSA. “Over the 10 action-packed days, youth will make new and lasting friendships, and take part in adventures in the West Virginia wilderness.”
First National Jamboree Attended by All Female Scouts BSA Troops
The 2023 National Jamboree will be BSA’s first National Jamboree where female Scouts are able to attend as members of Scouts BSA troops. Young women have attended previous Jamborees as part of Scouting’s Venturing and Exploring programs, or they may have attended the 2019 World Scout Jamboree; but this is a landmark event for Scouting, with women representing nearly 20% of the total 2023 Jamboree attendance.
“There are now more than 119,610 young women in Scouting, and 4,613 have attained the rank of Eagle Scout. This is a historic opportunity for BSA’s young women, regardless of their rank, to experience the fun, and adventure of a National Jamboree,” said Pendleton.
Mountain Top Experience Moves Scouts Forward
For more than one-million enrolled youth, Scouting is all about moving Forward, the theme of the 2023 National Jamboree. Each person in Scouting is on their own personal journey, and the National Jamboree strengthens their momentum by adding a once-in-a lifetime, ‘mountain-top’ experience to their multi-year adventure in Scouting.
Summit Bechtel Carries on a Decade-Long Tradition of Outdoor Adventure
Recognized over the past 86 years as Scouting’s most high profile and sought-after large-scale gathering, The National Jamboree welcomes youth from across the nation with different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures to celebrate their common interest in Scouting, and to create memories that will last through their time in Scouting and for years beyond.
The 2023 National Jamboree will be no exception to this longstanding tradition. The Summit Bechtel Reserve – the official home of the National Jamboree since the 2013 National Jamboree – provides an outdoor experience unlike anything else in the nation. Offering a heart-pumping zipline course, a world-class skate park, rock climbing, mountain biking, patch trading, and world-class entertainment, a sampling of the 2023 National Jamboree activities includes:
– The Big Zip – Riders can reach speeds of up to 50 MPH riding one of the longest zip lines in North America
– Bolder Cove – Scouts can ascend a 35-foot man-made vertical rock face and climbable boulders
– The Bows and The Barrels – Shooting sports and archery programs, from trap shooting and compact clays, to 3-D archery targets and sporting arrows, where participants take aim at moving targets
– Low Gear – Mountain biking on 36 miles of forested trails
– The Trax – BMX biking and at one of the world’s largest facilities
– The Park – Skateboarding at The Park features introductory, transition, street, and bowls sections, and a training area with mini ramps, banks, and quarter pipes.
– Water Sports – Water sports at Goodrich and Tridave lakes include water obstacle courses, kayak touring, and paddleboarding.
– And so much more!
National Jamboree Brings a $76 Million Boost to West Virginia’s Economy
In addition to the positive impact on Scouts, the National Jamboree provides a boost to West Virginia’s Economy. A 2019 study by the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research found The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve pours $28 million into the economy, supports 280 jobs and generates almost $1 million in state and local tax revenue. When the National Jamboree arrives every four years, those numbers grow to an impact of $76 million, 350 jobs and $1.2 million in tax revenue.
