[This is the 2nd of 4 posts about the National Scout Jamboree]
Dear Friends,
Two weeks ago, I was in West Virginia, at the 2017 Boy Scout National Jamboree. As I ended the last post, it was a great Sunday at the Summit Bechtel Reserve (SBR).
On Monday, we went to work to assemble the LDS booth inside the Duty to God and Country tent. This was a collection of all the major faiths that sponsor Scouting in the U.S., as well as several service-based organizations (Salvation Army, Elk Lodges, etc):
Inside, we had a decent-sized space to assemble. We had large graphics that had been delivered by the Church designer that creates the temple open house displays. Everyone pitched-in to help:
The design was pretty simple - we wanted to make sure that images of the Savior were visible from all parts of the booth. In fact, we had one image that was particularly important:
This is a Greg Olson painting, that Greg has given the Church permission to use. It portrays the Savior talking to a young man who appears to be running away from home/troubles/etc. Greg created this after hearing about several teen-age suicides. He wanted to do something. As an artist, this was the vehicle for him to try and help youth understand their importance. It certainly fit into our theme. We wanted every person that came into the booth to understand that they are important to their Heavenly Father - and that they had a purpose for being here on the Earth. It was a good, focused message for the rest of the Jamboree.
We continued to assemble the graphics, and created areas where conversations could be conducted, as the visitors could earn the Compass Award by speaking with booth staff (see more about the award at the bottom of this post):
Here's a time-lapse video of the booth assembly. You can see me every once-in-a-while...
We got to a point where everything that could be assembled, was assembled. We had to wait for some additional materials to arrive. With a break in the action, I tried to walk around the Summit Center, to watch other areas develop.
I found out that the giant zip lines were in need of people to help the staff practice safety rules and assembling the harnesses that would be used on the Scouts when they arrived. I jumped at the chance to help, as I never had the opportunity four years ago. It was a very hot day, and I had to carry equipment up a mountainside...perspiring all along the way. But, it was totally worth it:
This was one of three zip lines. Two started from this station, heading in opposite directions. You flew 1,500 feet...over the tops of several Jambo display areas. The third was a whopping 3,000 ft long...but it wasn't ready for me to try : (
This is a video that I took, many days later, of Scouts using the same zip line. You can see just how far they get to go....
Back at our area, I continued to help put together the other tents that we were in charge of. The Genealogy merit badge and the Family Life merit badge:
That's me, holding the sign. I was the only one tall enough to do it ; )
When we finished the main exhibit, it looked pretty great. We had a display of our core beliefs...which made explaining what LDS/Mormons believe, much easier:
The rest of the booth focused on helping folks understand where we came from and why we are here on earth...and where we're going after this life:
Overall, a beautiful exhibit. In addition, the team that was in charge of the overall Duty to God tent had a brilliant plan. They created these wooden coins for every single booth in the big tent. Scouts could earn these coins by interacting with each of the booths. If they collected enough, they could also earn these beautiful laser-etched plaques to display their coins. The craftsmanship was beautiful. More importantly, it led the Scouts to learn more about the various faiths, in a way that they wouldn't do on their own. I love this...a lot.
After a few days of working in the hot West Virginian sun...I actually had the makings of a tan line. This is pretty historic...
At the end of the day, everyone made their way back to Camp Echo. It was a gorgeous, but hot and humid day:
The 5,000 strong staff enjoyed a great dinner. This - and breakfast - were the times where you saw almost all staff in the same place at the same time. There were a LOT of people in that dining hall tent. In this video clip, you not only see all the people seated, but the lines of people preparing to receive their meals...it blows my mind to think of how many people were there to make sure these kids had a good experience.
Later that evening, the patch trading began. This is apparently a huge part of the Jamboree experience for many people - youth and adults. In the staff camp, it was mostly adults. I LOVED seeing these patches. To me, they are beautiful, and have meaning. The design of many are outstanding. In some cases, patch designers license the images from movies, cartoons, cars and sports teams. It's a colorful art experience. Nearly every single Scout Council creates a "set" of patches for the Jamboree. Many use this as a fundraiser. This patch trading was serious business...but fun to watch:
That night, they also help a small party for the staff, before the Scouts started to arrive. It was a chance to relax and listen to some great music...and have fun with your fellow staffers:
The next day was our last set-up and prep day. We assembled the LDS tent and exhibit staff together for a little training. It was fun to see everyone in the same place at the same time.
Then, a really interesting thing happened. The Muslim Scouting Association need help to assemble their mosque. As you may know, praying five times a day is an important part of their worship. They need a dedicated mosque to pray in. They only had two people on-site at that time, so four of us from the LDS group went to help build their mosque. While there was little ventilation in the tent, it was still fun to work and help people that were grateful for the assistance. We were able to talk openly about the imagery and the prayer service that would be conducted in the mosque during the Jamboree.
Back in the main Duty To God tent, the Muslim group had brought this blow-up version of an Islamic minaret, or prayer tower. It took up almost their entire booth...
The requirements to earn the award were pretty straightforward. They were aimed at LDS Scouts, but could be adapted for anyone to finish. This included memorizing scripture (James 1:5-6) and a quote from a church leader, watching videos about making good decisions, attending any religious service, completing requirements from the Genealogy and Family Life merit badges, and talking about how Scouting can prepare you to be great missionaries, husbands and fathers.
That's it for Part 2 - come back for the third of four posts about the Jamboree, as we really start to swing into action...
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