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36 Scouts attend jamboree
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Members of Hubbard Boy Scout Troop 100 who attended the National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia are, from left, Mark Feigert, Max James, Adam Learn, Justin Oaks, David Ross, Clayton Burrows and Tracy Rusk III. Scoutmaster is David Oaks.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
HUBBARD
A trip of a lifetime and once-in-a-lifetime trip reflect how members of Boy Scout Troop 100 feel about their participation in the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill near Bowling Green, Va.
Scouts said the trip was even more significant because the jamboree took place during the 100th anniversary of Scouting in the United States.
Hubbard troop members and other Scouts from the Greater Western Reserve Boy Scout Council made up the 36-member Greater Western Reserve Troop 1323, which existed just for jamboree. Hubbard Scouts, who were among 40,000 at the event, are Clayton Burrows, 15; Mark Feigert, 14; Adam Learn, 15; Justin Oaks, 13; and David Ross, 14, all of Hubbard; Tracy Rusk III, 15, of Brookfield; and Max James, 13, of Howland.
David Oaks has been involved for about 30 years overall in Scouting, first as a Scout and Eagle Scout and now a Scoutmaster. “Since it was the 100th year of Scouting in the U.S., this was a special one,” he said. Scout leaders and Scouts had to apply early, more than a year before the event, and were selected to attend. To be considered, applicants had to be first-class Scouts and at least 13 years old.
The trip was from July 23-Aug. 4 and included stops at historical sites. Jamboree itself was 10 days of activities including rappelling, kayaking, canoeing, fly fishing, archery, swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, shooting, buckskin games and merit-badge demonstrations along with evening arena shows.
For Oaks, whose son, Justin, made the trip, the jamboree was especially meaningful. “It was an opportunity to take a child away and see a side you don’t usually see,” he said. His other son, Brandon, 17, is a member of Troop 100 but other commitments prevented his participation.
Assistant Scoutmaster Tracy Rusk Jr., whose son also took the trip, participated on jamboree staff as a medical technician. “It was a meaningful experience together,” he said. “I noticed how the Scouts came together and bonded.”
Oaks and Rusk said the Scouts also had the chance to meet other boys from around the country and world. They noted it made the local Scouts realize the principals and skills that they learn and practice in Scouting are the same for Scouts around the world. “Our Scouts saw that the character-building, morals and values go beyond our troop ... and are worldwide,” he said.
“With technology, it makes it easy for them to communicate and keep in touch with friends around the world,” Oaks said.
Though they made friends from other places, the bonds of Scouting friendship were strengthened among the Hubbard Scouts, and their awareness and appreciation of American history was increased. On the way to the jamboree, the Scouts visited Philadelphia, where they toured Independence Hall, saw the Liberty Bell and visited other historical places. In Washington, D.C, they visited the U.S. Capitol, 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and Air and Space Museum, National Cathedral and Arlington National Cemetery.
Seven members of Hubbard Troop 100 were among 36 Scouts from Greater Western Reserve Troop 1323 of Greater Western Reserve Boy Scout Council in Ohio who attended the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill near Bowling Green, Va. There were some 40,000 Scouts at the event. The following Scouts offered comments on the memorable trip:
Clayton Burrows: “It was exciting to me to see different cultures come together and agree on Scouting,” he said. Troops from Korea, India, Sweden and England attended. “There will only be one 100th event, and it was great to be part of it.”
Mark Feigert: “One of my favorite activities was the rig line ... you slide on it,” he said. “Fundraising stinks, but it’s completely worth it.” Each Scout had to raise $2,000 to attend.
Justin Oaks: “The best part was hanging out at the campground," he said, noting that he and his fellow Scouts from the Hubbard troop became “like brothers ... like family.” He also noted he was impressed how all the Scouts worked together as a group to take care of the campsite.
David Ross: He was one of four Scouts who laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. He wrote a 250-word essay and he was chosen for the ceremony. “It was a great honor,” he said.
Tracy Rusk III: "I found out I could sleep in a tent for 10 days and not go crazy.” But on the serious side, he said of visiting Independence Hall in Philadelphia, “It was amazing to be where something so important to the country happened.”