Sights and Sounds: The fun begins at the World Scout Jamboree

Scouts from all over the world were greeted with some rain as they set up camp at the Summit Bechtel Reserve for the 24th World Scout Jamboree. But that didn’t dampen spirits at all.

Let’s take a look at some of the fun more than 40,000 Scouts and leaders are already having in West Virginia.

Singing along

Jess Williams with the United Kingdom Contingent wrote the official Jamboree song entitled “Unlock a Brand New World.” You can listen and download it here. She also talked with New World Live! and played the song on her ukulele. New World Live! is where you can watch a recap show of each day’s events, plus live streams of the stadium shows.

Other Scouts have been breaking into song, too, and as you can imagine, John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a popular tune.

Sharing photos

Scouts and leaders have also been sharing photos from the Jamboree. Attendees and visitors are welcome to share their experiences, photos, etc., with us to highlight by emailing to onscouting@scouting.org. Here are a few we’ve received so far:

Anthony Moreno, Noah Matus and Thomas Giese, Sea Scouts and Eagle Scouts from California, prepare to leave for the Jamboree. Noah says, “What I would love to experience at the World Jamboree is to make lots of new friends with people from all over the world and to also do a lot of activities while trading lots of patches.”

USA Contingent Troop 131 finds a little time to play some gaga ball.

Sea Scouts talk with Scouts from the Ireland contingent as they help them set up camp in the rain.

Scouts with USA Contingent Troop 228 make new friends.

Cooking and putting on neckerchiefs in camp.

Kok Matim, center in blue, poses for a photo with other Scouts at the Jamboree. He is from South Sudan and participates in a Scouting for Refugees program in a refugee camp in Kenya.

Scouts at the Opening Show.

Find hundreds of more photos on the Boy Scouts of America Flickr page. There is a team of more than two dozen professional photographers there, capturing activities at the Jamboree and posting to that page.

The Opening Show

Tuesday’s opening show featured appearances by Chief Ambassador of the Scout Movement Bear Grylls; Lebohang “Lebo M” Morake, the South African composer of The Lion King films; and American band Recycled Percussion, which was on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”

Scouts danced, cheered, made new friends and listened to the on-stage hosts.

“The hosts made the point that we are all different, but that we are united as Scouts,” says Kristin D’Sousa of USA Contingent Crew 141. “We are a force for good in the world.”

The show ended with a synchronized lighted drone show.

Stay tuned

Click here for more ways you can follow along with everything happening at the World Scout Jamboree.


About Michael Freeman 432 Articles
Michael Freeman, an Eagle Scout, is an associate editor of Scout Life and Scouting magazines.