CANFIELD — Local Scouts and adult leaders will head to the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia next week to take part in the National Jamboree with roughly 30,000 Scouts from across the nation.

The BSA National Jamboree convenes every four years to give Scouts an adventure of a lifetime.

“Thirty-one Scouts, mostly from the Stambaugh District, will be part of 2023 National Jamboree Contingent Troop 3123,” said Scoutmaster Albin Dearing from Troop 9002 in Poland. “We will be leaving from Stark State Akron Satellite Campus at 6:30 a.m. July 19 to check in at the Jamboree by 11 a.m.”

The Jamboree is a week-and-a-half long with every day presenting an adventure. Like most scouting events, it starts with a well organized unit.

Dearing said each group attending will be made up of 40 Scouts, of which at least four are adult leaders. For the local Stambaugh group, that was a tough number to fill because nine who were planning to attend backed out. That saw the Stambaugh Scoutmaster asking for help filling the positions. The National BSA came up with eight Scouts and a leader from West Palm Beach, Fla. who were looking to be part of the Jamboree. That group will be joining the local group to form Troop 3123.

” Troop 3123 is a contingent troop assembled just for the Jamboree,” Dearing said. “Once the event is over only the memories will remain. What I think is amazing about Jamboree is it gets Scouts out of the comfort of their normal troop, to meet new friends — hopefully for life –experience other cultures and lifestyles, and add many new things to your life.”

Dearing said the Troops of 40 are divided into patrols of eight. That subdivision can then choose a patrol name. The local Scouts decided to use the names of famous military aircraft, calling their patrols Thunderbolt, Blackbird and Raptor. The adult leaders of the group formed the patrol named Hercules.

During the 10-day camp, Troop 3123 will have one day where they are responsible for a service project. Their project will be to put together a cleaning package for flood victims that will include buckets and cleaning supplies.

One other special day will be “Home Day” when a troop features what is special about their area of the country. Dearing said the local troop will be offering a football toss and karaoke, along with a presentation on the history of steel production in the Valley.

The other days will be full of activities. After breakfast, the patrols can head out and participate in a large variety of scouting activities. Among a few of the many high adventures available at the Jamboree are zip-line, canoe, archery, shooting, and one that 13-year-old scout Bruce Kelly is looking forward to.

“I am looking forward to stand up paddle boarding,” he said. “I also want to do some patch trading.”

Patch trading is where Scouts get together and trade patches they earned locally. Some Scouts can end up with some rare ones from the other side of the nation.

There also will be several stations set up from NASA, various military groups, and Bruce and his father and Scoutmaster from Troop 9002, Pat Kelly, are hoping to see Space Force there as well.

Pat said no scout attending a Jamboree can become bored because there is far too much to do. He said a lot of Scouts use the events to earn needed merit badges.

Bruce and Pat are not new to Jamborees. Both had experienced them as guests in 2017 for the National and in 2019 at the World Jamboree that featured Scouts from around the globe. They may have been at the 2021 event had it not been canceled by COVID-19.

To attend the camp, Pat said there are four ways to pay the fee of $2,000 per participant. He said many Scouts and troops hold fundraisers. The troops can also get donations. Another source comes from scholarships issued by the BSA. Any leftover balance has to be picked up by the scout’s family.

“There are Scouts who attend the event without putting up any money from the family,” Pat said.

The Scouts will wrap up the adventure July 28 when they break camp and head home.

Jamboree attendees

Attending this year’s National Jamboree as part of Troop 3123 are:

Benjamin Drummond, Ethan Hanni, Leo Henry, Greg Carbon, Gabriel Dearing, Cameron Wheaton, Noah Hanni and Bruce Kelly, all from Poland Troop 9002; Ganon Force, Colton Hickman, Noah Senne, Dylan Davis, Mark Debernado, Jonah Force and Brody Kihm, all from Lordstown Troop 4020; Alexander Zedaker and Robin Zedaker, from Poland Troop 9044; Jerod Holtz and Austin Jennings from Edinburg Troop 355; James Patterson and Thomas Patterson from Boardman Troop 9060; Samuel Watkins from Warren Troop 4101; and Andrew Beatty and James Searcy from Canfield Troop 9115.

The leaders are:

Noah Dearing, Scoutmaster Albin Dearing and 1st Assistant Scoutmaster Patrick Kelly from Poland Troop 9002; 3rd Assistant Scoutmaster James Patterson from Boardman Troop 9060; and 2nd Assistant Scoutmaster Robert Zedaker from Poland Troop 9044; James Searcy from Canfield Troop 9115; and Brian Force from Lordstown Troop 4020.