Crouse attends National Boy Scout Jamboree
By MICHELLE BOSWORTH
Staff writer
"When you help someone else, you're making America more hopeful, one heart and one soul at a time."
President George W. Bush,
2005 National Boy Scout Jamboree, Fort A.P. Hill, Va.
About a year and a half ago, Richard and Marilyn Riemer noticed an advertisement in a Boy Scout leader's magazine about the upcoming 16th National Boy Scout Jamboree. Held every four years, the Jamboree provides an opportunity for scouts ages 14 to 18 to gather, learn new skills, interact with each other, and speak with former scouts who have become leaders in their fields.
The Riemers thought their grandson, Jon Crouse, would benefit from the Jamboree, so they began saving money, filling out paperwork, and planning for the trip.
"We thought he was at a good age to go because he was old enough to take care of himself and we wouldn't worry about him," Marilyn said.
Crouse, a 16-year-old Life Scout from Hillsboro's Boy Scout Troop #129, prepared for the trip by attending meetings with other scouts and leaders from this area who planned to attend the Jamboree.
Newton Scoutmaster Robert Good and his son, assistant Scoutmaster Tim Good, led the newly formed Troop #1318.
The group flew July 21 to Baltimore, Md. From there, they took a bus to Washington, D.C. They stayed in the George Washington University dorms and toured the area for three days, visiting the Smithsonian Institute Air and Space Museum, Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Reflection Pool, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and walked past the White House.
At Arlington Cemetery, the troop laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They watched the Changing of the Guard. "It was really neat to watch that," Crouse said. They also learned how small the world really is when they met a Marine guard there who is originally from Wichita.
The scouts frequented Union Station, rode the subway, listened to street musicians, and encountered many different lifestyles in the city. After their three-day-sightseeing tour, the boys rode a bus to Fort A.P. Hill, Va. There, 46,000 leaders, scouts, and staff gathered for the week-long Jamboree, representing all 50 states. Guest scouts from Trinidad, Sweden, Britain, Spain, Korea, and Japan also were present.
Scouts spent the first day setting up camp. Troop #1318 erected a gateway, tents, and dining flies (canvas supported by poles). Breakfast and supper meals were precooked and ready to be warmed up on Coleman stoves. Scouts received lunch tickets to buy sandwiches at one of the many kiosks dotting the area.
In addition to the scouts' camping areas, the Jamboree was divided up into three Action Centers — A, B, and C.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. scouts pursued activities of their choosing: rappelling, scuba diving in above-ground pools, high ropes confidence course, archery, skeet shooting, shotgun practice, air rifle training, BMX biking, buckskin games, tomahawk and knife throwing, black powder shooting, and a bike-a-thon.
Multiple exhibits were on display. At Merit Badge Midway, scouts worked on earning merit badges.
The Army showed tanks, helicopters, and artillery pieces and presented information about that branch of service.
Air Force drill teams performed with rifles and bayonets.
Bands from the armed services entertained and the Navy Seals offered free T-shirts to teens who took their challenge course.
"Walking from one side of the Jamboree to another took 45 minutes to an hour," Crouse said. "It was a large place! But I enjoyed walking around and chatting with people from all over the U.S. and the world."
Crouse also spoke highly of the 27-minute laser light and fireworks show. "It was loud, bright, huge. It was the coolest fireworks show I've seen!"
To Crouse, the most enjoyable aspects of the Jamboree were visiting the Army Action Center and the shotgun range, observing the various techniques of patch-trading, and listening to President Bush speak. "That was pretty neat," Crouse said. "What he had to say was true."
President Bush made everyone laugh when he told about his scouting days in Texas. "When I was a Cub Scout, my mother was our den mother. It's about the time her hair turned white," he joked.
President Bush wasn't the only famous person at the Jamboree. "Each sub-camp had a famous person representing them," Crouse said. Among others, two astronauts and a deep-sea diver were present to provide encouragement, leadership, and direction.
"People think scouting is tying knots and it is 'nothing'," Crouse said. "But Boy Scouting is about enabling young men to do something they wouldn't normally do. Twenty years from now, I will know that it was a good decision to go to Boy Scouts. I'll be happy with myself for doing it, because I had the opportunity to do a lot of stuff."
