like archery and riflery, skateboarding and paddle sports like
whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding.
“Our task was trying to balance what a traditional world
Scout jamboree would offer with all of the adventure elements
the summit offers,” he says. “When we were planning it, we
thought the adventure elements would be a draw. We just didn’t
know how well. We found that the kids were drawn to the field
sports, especially the shooting sports and the aerial sports.”
For many Scouts, the jamboree was their first time experiencing
these types of sports.
“The leaders told us that their Scouts, especially those
from European countries, would not normally be allowed to
shoot a rifle,” says Walsh. “What the Scouts got out of the
shooting sports was not just the chance to shoot a firearm
but to learn how to safely use it and how to use it as sport
for target shooting.”
All of the adventure activities were coordinated by West
Virginia University (WVU) and operated by volunteer students
and staff. With the theme Science Behind the Sport, the Scouts
not only had the chance to try new activities but learn how
they work as well.
Science Behind the Sport was the second largest check-in at
the entire jamboree, according to Greg Corio, WVU’s assistant
dean of the Mountaineer Adventure Program. About half of
the Scouts also went whitewater rafting down the New River.
“It’s something they may not have in their home country
and culture, especially with the New River surrounded by the
mountains and everything it has to offer,” says Walsh. “That
was the only time the Scouts got to leave the site.”
Representing scouting organizations from 145 countries, the
jamboree transcended cultural and political barriers.
“The second full day of the jamboree, a troop from Africa
arrived in the morning,” says Corio. “It was already hot, and
they were looking around, lost. I watched as some Scouts came
over from a campsite a few yards away, and all of a sudden,
all of these Scouts surrounded them, greeting them. They
helped them set up their tents and gave them directions to the
bathroom. No adult told them to do it. They were just thriving
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