Troop 54 traveled further than in recent years to attend the largest gathering of Scouts in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Jamboree takes place every four years.
We camped at the Waterville Valley Ski Area in Waterville Valley, NH. Arriving somewhat late and in the dark due to an accident and other heavy traffic on the interstate highways, we found a spot to camp well up a ski slope. Our first order of business was to carry our gear up the slope - it was a good thing we packed light as it was a long hike from the cars. Then, we set up for cooking our dinner.
The second day was the big activities day for the event. Following an opening ceremony at the base of the slope, the approximately 2000 overnight participants made the 3.4 mile hike through the woods from the ski area to the activities area, which was in and around Town Square, a shopping and recreational development.
The Jamboree was open to overnight participation by Boy Scout troops and Venture crews and day participation by Cub Scout packs. Our ten Scouts and three leaders were ready for some fun and participation. Happily for most of the participants, the organizers had arranged buses to take us back to the ski area at the end of the day.
Between hiking up and down the slope several times each day and hiking between locations, this event was great exercise. For the Scouts, the daytime activities were fun, but the major highlight seems to have been the evening concert, featuring the groups Two Guys and The Zoo. The organizers had set up an inflatable projection screen next to the stage for inspiring Scouting videos, a slide show from the day and a second view of the concert itself. Seven of our participants earned the participation award for the event.
