So much to do!

I have spent a few hours most days out and about checking out all the Jamboree action. I have not come close to hitting EVERYTHING, but I have certainly seen enough to be impressed with the vast and varied activities available to the boys. Most impressive to me is the quality of instruction at the merit badge and activity areas. Taught by adults, here scouts have a chance to really learn about things that interest them from caring, dedicated, professionals in their field.

Today I visited the Conservation Area. It is huge and full of well done, hands-on displays from the Game and Fish, US Forest Service, Corps of Engineers, and waaaay more. I crawled through a cave and learned about bats; met some indigenous reptiles; played the engineer as I guided a boat through a lock and dam; talked to a paleontologist about his dinosaur bones; panned for gold; learned about endangered and invasive species; identified the features of good and bad Leave No Trace campsites; watched boys crawl through sewer pipes as if they were grease; learned about erosion with a demonstration model, among other things. As you can tell, I was pretty fascinated with the raptors that were tethered there.

I did a little shotgun shooting and was very impressed with their set up. At the range I visited they were shooting 12 gauge shot guns at sporting clays (there are four additional 20 gauge ranges). The range is set up to service 5 sets of scouts per coach, 10 at a time. Yes, 50 shooters at a time. In two days they had 1400 scouts through that one range, 10 shots each. They get a 20 minute safety lesson then they shoot clays from three different directions, both singles and doubles. Very fun and not impossible even for beginners like me!

Just another 36 hours or so before the troops leave and another 42 until the majority of the staff will gone. Tomorrow many troops will move in and load their trailers and after 4pm, the staff will start to break down program areas. Staff are trading patches and exchanging business cards and reflecting on the week. In the troop camps, the leaders are holding meetings and letting their scouts know what tomorrow will hold as they prepare to leave.

Tonight the staff had their celebration dinner -- steak, fresh sweet corn and potatoes with live music -- prepared by our awesome dining hall staff. Staff patches and Southern Region belt buckles were distributed as thank you gifts and many kind words were spoken. We're not quite ready to leave, but we are thinking about it. Hopefully there will be another post tomorrow...we'll see if I can get on Vance's computer again. If not, I hope you have enjoyed the blog and a glimpse of the Jambo. It has been fun and I would staff again in a heartbeat! Goodnight!