Friday, August 21, 2026
National Jamboree Report - Luis W
National Jamboree is one of the largest Boy Scout activities which takes
place once every four years. My brother and I were a part of the Troop 4302
South Contingent which was comprised of about 40 people from Utah, Idaho,
and Nevada.
For the first week, we spent time touring many different museums and
historical sites; places like Gettysburg, Arlington, the Smithsonian, and
Independence Hall. These experiences really showcased just how impressive
America is and how much of an impact the Founders had on the success of the
United States.
When we arrived at Summit Bechtel Reserve (The Summit) in West Virginia we
were greeted by lush green forests and lots of rain. We received in two
hours what Utah gets in five years! There were over thirteen thousand
Scouts at The Summit which allowed us to meet people from all over the
country. There were live bands and firework shows, as well as hundreds of
merit badges and activities that you could do. By far the most popular
activity was patch trading. People would set up large blankets and display
their entire collection for people to see and trade. I was able to
quadruple my collection in my short time there.
After our main experience at The Summit, my Troop headed to the NASCAR
Museum in South Carolina. It was so cool to see how the sport has evolved
and how the teams use that sport to advance how our regular cars work.
Overall, this Jamboree experience has been tremendous! I learned so much
and had a wonderful time with all of the people. This is an activity that I
would recommend for anyone.
