July 30th, 2023 by WCBC Radio

Mount Hope, West Virginia was the host for the 20th National Jamboree with more than 15,000 Scouts from across the United States and 12 countries. Scout leader Doug Minnich and Scout, Riley Wolfe from Troop 27 in Kaiser attended the two week event along with Scout leader Doug SchwabI of Troop 89 here in Cumberland.  Mr. Schwabl volunteered at the Jamboseum telling the story of the Scout program through the years from 1910 to the present.

This year's major service project involved the assembly of 5,000 Flood Bucket essential first aid resources and cleaning supplies assembled by Scouts and include a personalized note to the flood victims. The flood buckets will be distributed as needed to flooded areas throughout West Virginia.

2023 is the first National Jamboree where female Scouts are able to attend as members of Scouts troops. Young women have attended previous Jamborees as part of Scouting’s Venturing and Exploring programs but this is a landmark event for Scouting, with women representing more than 20% of the total 2023 Jamboree attendance.

Typically held every 4 years, Jamborees are the Boy Scouts of America largest national event, since its inception in 1937 more than one million Scouts have participated in a celebration of Scouting’s commitment to fun, friendship, outdoor adventure, service to others, personal development, diversity, and leadership.

For more than one million currently enrolled youth, Scouting is all about moving Forward, which is the theme of the 2023 National Jamboree. National Chair Brad Tilden, former Chairman and CEO of Alaska Air Group, said that, “Each person in Scouting is on their own personal journey, and the National Jamboree strengthens their forward momentum by adding a once-in-a lifetime, ‘mountain-top’ experience to their multi-year adventure in Scouting.”