Jamboree On-Site Activities

When we all gather on-site, the Jamboree is one of the largest cities in Virginia. Some past activities at Jamboree included

• Displays & Activities
• Subcamp Activities
• Action Centers
• Outback Centers

Displays and Activities
The displays and activities that are a special feature of the jamboree include the Merit Badge Midway (merit badge requirement demonstrations), Arts and Science Expo, national exhibits, a replica of the 1907 Brownsea Island camp, American Indian village, America's first Scout camp, and The Outdoor Adventure Place (TOAP).

America's First Scout Camp
Drop by this unique campsite along Thomas Road adjacent to jamboree headquarters at Heth. Here you will find the first Scout camp in America, which was operated at Silver Bay in New York state beginning in 1910.

K2BSA Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators
Amateur radio can be an excellent source of communication during emergencies. You might not need a ham radio operator's services, but it is good to have them available just in case. Information on specific frequencies will be announced later so operators can prepare their equipment for the jamboree.

Arts and Science Expo
More than a thousand entries are expected in the Arts and Science Expo. Art categories include photography, sculpture, crafts, painting, printmaking, computer graphics, drawing, and literature. Science entries may be based on any merit badge subject that is science related. Exhibits will be judged by experts, and appropriate ribbons will be awarded. Special recognition will be given to category winners.

Brownsea Island Camp
The historical re-creation of the first Boy Scout camp, conducted by Baden-Powell in 1907 on Brownsea Island off the coast of England, will feature demonstrations, games, and activities conducted by a select group of Scouts dressed in the costume of the time. British and Canadian Scouts will also be involved in the Brownsea Island experience.

disAbilities Awareness (Scouts With disAbilities) Trail
Hands-on activities from the disAbilities Awareness merit badge will be offered in and around the midway. This daily activity can greatly improve understanding of the challenges and opportunities people with disabilities face.

Order of the Arrow American Indian Village
American Indian-style dance performances and demonstrations will be presented during mornings of the jamboree. In the afternoons, the staff will demonstrate and teach various crafts such as beadwork and porcupine quillwork, and teach Indian games. At the Indian village, Scouts will have the opportunity to work on the Indian Lore merit badge. Evening pow wows will take place on different occasions. Scouts who are dancers are invited to bring their dance outfits and join the dance circle. Everyone is invited to sit under the arbor and watch the vivid colors and skilled movements of the different styles of American Indian dancing.

Merit Badge Midway
Close to 100 booths will fill the Merit Badge Midway. The midway will feature many exciting hands-on activities for Scouts. It is designed to stimulate their interest in a wide variety of merit badges, including Auto Mechanics, Skiing, Communications, Energy, Aviation, and Computers. Scouts will have an opportunity to practice many skills related to the merit badges. They may meet some of the requirements of the badge at the jamboree and then complete the requirements at home.

National Exhibits
Near the visitors' parking lot, large tents and several outdoor areas will be set up with the following national exhibits: International Division, Relationships Division, National Park Service, Cub Scout Division, Boy Scout Division, National Eagle Scout Division, High Adventure, National Scouting Museum, Venturing, Sea Scouting, and The Outdoor Adventure Place exhibits. Other exhibits to be located in the Merit Badge Midway area include Air Force F-16 flight simulator, America Racing Pigeon Union, Can Manufacturers Institute with Troop Recycling program, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Energy, Navy recruiting and Navy flight simulator, and NASA Space Shuttle exhibits. Most divisions of the BSA's national organization will be represented. Several national associations, national chartered organizations, the armed services, and federal agencies will participate. Boys' Life plans to pack several tents with displays, as well as skill and activity events related to Boys' Life articles, including codemaster, whittling, lamination, Drugs: A Deadly Game, and the infamous Pedro, the Boys' Life "mailburro."

The Outdoor Adventure Place (TOAP)
Scouts will be given the opportunity to test their camping and outdoor skills. The latest BSA camping equipment also will be on display.

Subcamp Activities
Subcamp activities will consist of jamboball, a 5K run, and other activities. These activities should be informal, pickup-type events with no winners or losers. Interaction within and between patrols and troops should be encouraged.

5K Fun Run
Four 5K runs will be conducted simultaneously, one in each region, at 6 a.m. on Friday. The events are fun runs/walks; Scouts and Scouters are encouraged to participate, and everyone who completes the course will receive the 5K segment as recognition.

Boys' Life Patrol Flag Contest
The Patrol Flag Contest is a tradition at jamborees. Each patrol designs its own flag.
Jamboball
Jamboball is similar to volleyball, except all four patrols in a troop play at once and against each other. The games will be conducted in each subcamp's activity area. The event requires teamwork and will challenge the patrols' ability to work together.
Action Centers
Because Fort A.P. Hill is such a big jamboree site, there will be four action centers, one at each regional site. Each action center will offer identical program events. The four action centers will offer the following activities:
Action Alley
Action alley is a full obstacle course with a zip line. Although most Scouts will be able to complete the course successfully, only those who are more physically fit will be able to post the best times.
Air-Rifle Shooting
This activity will be operated as a standard target rifle range following National Rifle Association and BSA requirements. Target shooting will take place on the range, and safety techniques will be taught in the waiting area. Participants will receive an orientation in target-shooting safety and the proper care and maintenance of target-shooting rifles. A 15- foot air-rifle shooting range with NRA-approved targets will be used in each action center.
Archery
Jamboree participants who visit the archery range will enjoy shooting with the latest in target-shooting equipment. Participants also will receive instruction in safety techniques for this exciting sport. The archery ranges are designed to accommodate 40 archers at one time.
Bikathlon
In the bikathlon, competitors ride specially geared mountain bikes cross-country. At designated stations, the Scout will be required to target-shoot air rifles. As in the modern Olympic biathlon, success in the bikathlon is measured in riding times and shooting scores.
Buckskin Games
The buckskin games are a set of competitive activities that men participated in during the early 19th century. The games feature instruction in and firing of muzzle-loading guns, a tomahawk throw, a knife throw, a bucking bronco event, bullwhip cracking, and branding.
Confidence Course
The confidence course is designed to promote and reinforce the participants' confidence, physical and mental awareness, endurance, fun, and competition. The course includes a series of "low course" COPE activities. This is a team event participants should plan to attend as a patrol of six to eight members.
Motocross
In bicycle motocross, one of the fastest growing sports in this country, jamboree participants can test their skill at riding bikes along a motocross course with a series of obstacles. The course is designed to the specifications of the National Bicycle Motocross Association. Those who have never participated in motocross will be instructed in proper motocross methods.
Mountain Boarding
Cruising down a hill or dirt road, mountain boarding feels like a cross between snowboarding and wakeboarding. Mountain boards come in all shapes, sizes, and weights and are designed to be matched up with riders based on weight. Smaller riders generally have smaller boards, and bigger riders have bigger boards. With pads on and helmet strapped, participants will be ready to tackle the grassy hill of Fort A.P. Hill. This event is brought to the jamboree by the action centers administration. It will be available only on Thomas Road.
Pioneering
In this activity, the patrol will work as a team using simple tools and practical pioneering skills to move objects, build structures, and play games. Participants will learn the use of pulleys and the block and tackle, and use slip hooks, quick links, and shackling to complete the tasks. This is a hands-on area.
Rappelling Tower
This artificial mountain will allow participants to rappel (descend using ropes) a vertical wall. Special mini-towers will aid in the instruction. While waiting to ascend the tower, Scouts can practice on a horizontal (bouldering) climbing wall.
Trap Shooting
Many Scouts will handle a shotgun for the first time at the trapshooting range. Before trying to shoot the fast-moving clay "pigeons," they will be instructed in the proper shooting techniques and safety.
Outback Centers
Conservation
Participants will be offered a wide range of hands-on opportunities to experience the latest in environmental developments and to become involved in conserving our world's natural resources.
Fishing
More than 20,000 bass, channel catfish, bluegills, and other fish are stocked in Fishhook Lake. Assisted by experts, participants may fish here throughout the jamboree. Fishhook Lake will be open daily.
Aquatics
The aquatics center will provide opportunities for participants to row, canoe, kayak, snorkel, and scuba dive. Aquatics activities include the following: Canoe Slalom. A two-Scout crew will run through slalom gates using canoeing skills over a timed course. Canoe Sprint. A two-Scout crew will race a canoe through a set of buoys over a timed course, testing maneuvering and speed. Discover Scuba. Scouts have an opportunity to enjoy the underwater world, led by experienced instructors from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Kayak Fun. Participants will learn basic kayak-handling skills and run a set course for time. Racing Shell Fun. Two Scout crews in sleek, lightweight racing shells will race each other down Upper Travis Lake.
Raft Encounter
Two Scouts per raft meet in a multiraft challenge, in a splash-and-dash handpaddle experience where everyone gets wet.
Snorkel Search
Following a short instruction on the use of snorkeling equipment, participants will find souvenirs in a clear-water pool.