Grand Opening of National Jamboree Offers Local Scouts High-Adventure Fun; Local Troop Donates Engraved Washington National Cathedral Limestone for Construction of New Summit Campfire Ring
Washington, DC (PRWEB) August 15, 2013 -- Over 600 local Boy Scouts, adult leaders and volunteers from National Capital Area Council (NCAC), Boy Scouts of America (BSA) traveled to the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Mount Hope, West Virginia, to participate in the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. From a five-mile zip line challenge course, BMX course and ultimate rock climbing, to bouldering and kayaking, the National Jamboree had something to challenge Scouts and leaders alike.
“Scouting ushered in a new chapter in high-adventure with our first National Jamboree at the Summit Bechtell Reserve," said Les Baron, NCAC’s Scout Executive and CEO. "This inaugural Jamboree offers a chance to relive Scouting’s origins while creating lifelong memories at Scouting’s newest high-adventure venue and enjoying quality outdoor programming that helps young people be prepared for life.”
Held for the first time at the new Summit Bechtel Reserve, the National Jamboree is an iconic Scouting event that occurs every four years. The 2013 Jamboree runs from July 15 – 24 at the Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve, located near Beckley, West Virginia - the newest national high-adventure base for Scouting adventure and excitement. Over the past week, more than 45,000 scouts, leaders and staff from all over the country gathered for nine days of the finest outdoor experiences that Scouting has to offer.
Adding their own piece of history to the Summit, NCAC Troop D340, a special unit formed for the Jamboree from Scouts from across the Council, donated a 25-pound piece of Indiana limestone from the reconstructed Washington National Cathedral, the same material being used to repair the Cathedral, to be used in constructing a new campfire ring at the Summit's Garden Ground. To obtain the stone, Scouts from Troop D340 reached out to the Cathedral’s stonecutters Joe Alonson and Sean Callahan. The stone was engraved with “Troop D340” by the Cathedral’s mason foremen.
“Troop D340 was honored and proud to carry the limestone to its resting place on our Garden Ground trek on Monday, July 23," stated Scoutmaster Jim Ashe. “Scouts in the troop made crayon rubbings of the limestone as a souvenir. Our boys have thoroughly enjoyed their Jamboree experience and we’re privileged to leave a legacy of our troop and Council here at the Summit.”
Completed in 1990 and damaged in the 2011 earthquake, the National Cathedral is a venerable landmark on the Washington skyline that has hosted numerous special events including the funerals of Eagle Scouts President Gerald Ford and astronaut Neil Armstrong.
About Boy Scouts of America & National Capital Area Council
Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be Prepared. For Life.™ The Scouting organization is composed of 2.6 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 21 and more than a million volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more, please visit http://www.scouting.org.
National Capital Area Council was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. The Council territory includes the District of Columbia; Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland; and in Virginia the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg. For more information, please visit http://www.BoyScouts-NCAC.org.
Jeff Agnew, Blakey & Agnew LLC, +1 (703) 203-8720, [email protected]
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