Ghost Town

Do you remember when I told you that we stayed in camp during the arena show?

Here is the video I took while everyone was gone.  We sat up at the end of the road hoping to hear or see some of the fireworks.  While we were waiting I walked along each of the campsites on one side of the road and then turned and video taped across the street as I walked back. It was eerie quiet except for a few birds flying through.  Turn the volume down if you don't want to hear me huffing and puffing as I am walking.  At the end of the video you can hear fireworks off in the distance.  At the end of the road, the guy with the shade umbrella is my husband. 

Waiting Game

The last night at the Jamboree was spent beneath the shade canopy under the stars.  It began to rain about 3:00 a.m. The trucks arrived by about 6:00 a.m. and the groups loaded everything in the rain.  Despite the wet and the mud and confusion, they departed safely to Kings Dominion Amusement Park for the day. 

The scouts went on ride after ride after ride and enjoyed every minute.  It was a fun day.   I went on two roller coasters and was done!  I survived three weeks of boys scouts and the roller coasters were what finally did me in.  

The next morning all twelve buses departed to different destinations and airports.  In the afternoon, a line of thunderstorms hit the eastern coast and held up the groups needing to depart by 4:00 p.m.  We traveled with Troop 2024 and Troop 2016.  Our flight was delayed and did not depart until about 11:00 p.m.  The flight took about five hours so by the time we arrived home we had waited about twelve hours. The boys were so very, very, well behaved.  They visited the gift shops, ate, wandered around, checked the departure chart, etc etc.  I admit to falling asleep sitting amongst the crowd.  (Was I really snoring?)  At the last minute we had to make a trek to a different gate and when we finally boarded, boy scouts filled the entire back half of the plane.

We were lucky and very glad  to actually get home.  (Troop 2008 and 2022 were sent to a hotel and will arrive home at 10:00 p.m. tonight--a day late.)

Both of the groups with us gathered together with their leaders and had a final good bye moment before going to the waiting families.  They no doubt had mixed emotions and it showed as they seemed a bit hesitant and unsure while they greeted their parents. 

All day long it had been amazing to watch the boys as a group arrive, move through the airport, wait and make adjustments without skipping a beat or causing trouble.  My what changes have taken place in the last three weeks.  They all stand a little taller and their confidence levels have increased. 

They have matured tremendously and that is what the Jamboree experience is all about!!

Ethan's shirt was buttoned wrong. oops!

Troop 2024

The stores closed on us.

FYI

You can go to http://www.aznatjam.com/ to see all the many pictures taken by the group photographers.

There were many, many booths, displays, activities and ideas for everyone to enjoy.  You could not see or do everything in a week.  I walked through the Conservation Trail and spent about 2 hours completing ten stamps of the twenty possible presentations to earn the patch.  The trail was located in a shady area and I really enjoyed everything I learned.  Most of the booths had trinkets, patches or papers for participants.  The NPS was really fun with old fashioned actors etc.

For lunch each day the boys can stop at any lunch kiosk anywhere at the Jamboree, turn in the day tab for a nice sack lunch.  They then sit down wherever they want to eat.  I also noticed a few naps taking place anywhere they could find a shady spot.  HA!!

BrownSea Island is a reenactment of the first Scout Camp in England.  I also met up with American Scouts along Thomas Road.  They looked quite young for being over 100 years old.

Church on Sunday was a four mile round trip hike for the boys.  There were about 50 Priests at the Sacrament Table and about 70 Deacons.  (The pictures on shows half the church area.) Elder Hales spoke to the congregation.  His talk was perfect.  He encouraged the boys to be prepared.  He told a story about a fellow pilot during WWII who did not bother to learn the emergency procedures for when his plane was hit because he would just fly in.  Elder Hales said that later that pilot died because he did not have the automated response when he needed it. All of the Jamboree boys were great listeners and were commended by Elder Hales for being there and for learning to be prepared.  I walked back to camp and enjoyed watching everyone in action along the way.

The LDS boys have been earning the George Albert Smith Award by completing certain requirements.  They then went to the church display and could receive a special medallion.  Many of the boys listened to Bill Burch while he carved his neckerchief slides.  Bill always  challenges the boys to live the scout oath and law and be good people.  The hand carved faces on each slide are really special and something the boys truly treasure. 

Boyd Thacker, an assistant scoutmaster in Troop 2024 also carves. Thanks Boyd for giving me a Bear slide to add to my collection.

Tuesday Take Down

Tuesday afternoon the groups began taking down their camps.  They started with the gateways and then moved on to the tents and kitchens.  (The covered awnings, tables and chairs were rented from a local company.)  I felt guilty sitting in my chair and watching the huge effort.  The reality of how many kids know how to work and those who just don't know how or want to lift a finger to help really sets in at this point. 

Parents need to thank and rethank the Scoutmasters for their huge efforts and great sacrifices to make this all happen!!

The boys will not come home and say they had a "fun" time every minute.

Remember that the entire three weeks was an "experience" they will reflect on for years to come.  The events included highs and lows for everyone.  The entire trip is truly a metaphor of life.  Your son will have learned many life skills that will give him confidence to face the future.  Tell him you are proud of his great accomplishment.

Thanks for sharing your son with the Scout people.

The boys all repacked their bags and then had a slumber? party under the awnings.  When we left about 7:00 pm they had a long ways to go and I was glad to be out of there.  It was a huge mass of chaos as you can see from the pictures of each group.  (Surprise, it rained in the night, so it will be interesting to see how well they did.)

Monty arose early to meet the trucks at 5:30 a.m. to go and load all of the equipment.  The buses will follow and then the group will be off to Kings Dominion amusement and water park for the day.

I have included the four remaining gateways from earlier this week.  I also took a picture of the Post Office where I spent a lot of time waiting to have my mail stamped with the official Jamboree cancellation stamps.  (OK, I will have to admit that they had a great Women's bathroom, a cold drinking fountain along with a really friendly crowd.)  The boxes in the center of the room were part of the Jamboree lost and found.

Jamboree Home Evening

Last night Elder Dahlquist, the former general YM's President came and visited each of our LDS troops and a few of the Traditional troops from GCC.  He left a message with each groop and played his banjo.  He is serving as the Commissioner to all of the Chaplains at the Jamboree.  We really enjoyed the experience.
Troop 2005 who is all about safety orange--their color--invited everyone to come down and have orange soda ice cream floats.  They were delicious and it was a perfect ending to the evening.  Of course, the boys are all winding it up at this point; the group was really revved up when we left.  Luckily curfew is at 10:00 p.m. and we all had walked miles and miles and miles yesterday and everyday.  Rest assured that they went to bed and slept well last night.

Camp Sweet Camp

Click pictures to make larger and see details:

Here are a few pictures of camp life.  While the boys went off to the arena show we "campsat" and kept an eye on everything.  It was an eerie ghost town.  While everyone was gone, I took a few pictures of patrol flags and patrol kitchen chore charts.  Keep in mind that the boys are doing their own cooking and cleaning!!  Ha!!  There is quite a range.  My husband was resting in one of the cleaner camps while I was snooping.  I really felt guilty being in their homes without permission.  I will admit that I looted a chicken salad lunch can and a nutrigrain bar from the leftover food pile in Troop 2022 for my dinner. 

On the first day while camp was being set up, a couple of the boys came up to me with bewildered looks on their faces and wanted to know where their camp was.  I pointed them in the right direction and then understood better why each Troop puts up a gateway.  The unique entries help everyone to recognize who lives there and also helps the boys to find their way home.  For the last two jamborees Grand Canyon Council has put up a western town.  Some of the gateways even match the troop patches.  We also have fencing that connects us all together. 

P.S.  This is the most friendly chatty environment I have ever been in!!  For example, I sat in line at the Post Office yesterday for over an hour and met the nicest people from PA, CA, IL and more.  (I only happened to have a $1 in my pocket so I bought one envelope with a scout stamp on it for 82 cents.  My favorite souveneir!!)