Sunday, July 29, 2001: Its Sunday, normally time for the Closing Arena show, but it's
raining cats and dogs here, with three inches of rain expected before it stops.
The Jamboree Leadership has decided to "postpone" (not cancel) the show. They have not yet announced when the show will be put on, or if there will be any changes in appearances. Right now, we do not know if President Bush will be able to be here on the rescheduled date, or if Louise Mandrell will be able to re-arrange her schedule
either.
Most likely the firework will not be a problem, nor will the military bands, the Jamboree band or the Jamboree Chorus.
Even with all the rain, as I sit here at the QBSA Studios on Thomas Road at the back entrance to the Arena, foot traffic is heavy, scouts are not letting the rain stop them from attending the activities that are still going on. one bonus of the postponement of the Show is that three extra shows of "Scoutopia" have been scheduled.
Scoutopia is outstanding, I must send Kudos to Bruce Sanders and his team.
Another highlight (for me anyway) was going into DC on Friday to watch the Jamboree band play at the Capitol. That was an awesome sight. I will be posting some pictures of the performance on the QBSA site.
Yes, I know it really has nothing to do with QBSA, But I am the webmaster for that site, and My son is in the Band! So there! (tongue planted firmly in cheek!)
Once again having the time of a lifetime at the Jamboree, and I have the Best job here!!
John Tudor
ASM Troop 184, Morganton, NC
QBSA, Jamboree Radio '97 & '01
Sunday, July 29, 2001: Dear List:
We arrived back home to Orlando from our Jambo visit last night. We arrived at the Hill on Tuesday and decided to drive by the site so we would know where we were going in preperation for our Wednesday visit. To our suprise the MP's let us in the gate and were able to visit on Tuesday afternoon as well as Wed. & Thurs.
What an awsome place! I am sure glad I had a good broken in pair of shoes as we did much walking. We took many pictures and was very happy that we were able to visit. All of the campsites and gateways were erected and the Scouts were in full swing at the activity areas.
Trading posts had the jamboree edition patch which has a black border $4.00 Jamboree Hiking Stave emblems $4.00 , you could also purchase the jamboree video for $21.95, and a full set of the jamboree daily newspaper for the cost of $4.95 Which will be shipped to you starting Oct. 1st.
The opening show was good. The Boy's enjoyed the Three of Hearts.
Wish we could have stayed longer but we needed to get back to work on Monday.
I am sure all the participants and staff will need a few good days rest when they get back home.
Our son will arrive home around midnight on Wed. and school starts on Monday. Not much rest time, but the Scouts can bounce back quicker than us old folks.
Peter
Saturday, July 28, 2001: Its Saturday and the sun shines warmly on the jamboree. This morning I
attended Jewish worship services at Heth Camp with about 200 other Scouts and Scouters. Another large group of Jewish attendees went to a service in Subcamp 5. Tomorrow will see church services of every imaginable denomination in every open space at Fort AP Hill.
Foot traffic on Thomas Road (through the middle of the jamboree) was so heavy today that the road they walked on was invisible.
Behind me, Grant Jackson, editor of Jamboree Today, whistles happily as he lays out the front page of tomorrow's edition. The newspapers have been
beautiful, printed on slick white paper instead of the newsprint of earlier jamborees. Randy Piland and his staff of photographers have turned out some amazing photos, causing us to have to pick from many good shots. We
distribute all 45,000 copies that get printed. But don't worry, we're printing extra souvenir editions that can be ordered at jamboree trading posts. I'll find out whether they can ordered if you are not here.
The Scoutopia show has gotten high marks from its attendees. Scuba is always an attraction, especially in this heat. I flew over the Scuba area and we got waves from everyone in the pools.
Excitement is building as we head towards tomorrow's arena show. Will the President be there? The "Closing Show" is the most exciting event - lasers, fireworks entertainment, and a closing that gets to me every time. I won't
spoil any surprises, but you should hear about it from your sons and family members.
You should also send people to the digital postcard booth, to get a postcard with a cool background with them in it.
Having more fun than anything.
Mike Schatzberg
schatz5@hicom.net
Wednesday, July 25, 2001: About five hundred Scouts were outside the K2BSA tent this morning at 7AM, as we contacted the International Space Station. Sixteen Scouts were able to ask questions of astronaut Susan Helm as the station passed overhead.
I don't think I breathed much as I sat by the radios (it was my job to keep the audio levels on the PA system right so the Scouts could hear both ends of the contact) until we first heard Susan's voice replying to our call. The
contact lasted almost ten minutes, until the space station set over the southeastern horizon.
Another Jamboree experience which will be long remembered!
We had our first ham radio testing session last night - five Scouts passed their Technician tests and will become new hams. If we can pull it off, we'll be able to get them back to K2BSA before the jamboree ends to give them their brand-new call signs and let them make their first contacts from K2BSA.
One hundred fifteen Scouts started Radio Merit Badge yesterday, and fourteen have completed it already, and we have 24 Scouts in the first licensing class (we'll have two). We've also fixed uncounted radios for visitors,
charged endless batteries, and given the weather report a dozen times. All in all, a good Jamboree.
73 es YiS
Mike Brown, WB2JWD
Misc. Activity and Support Coordinator, K2BSA
Wednesday, July 25, 2001: The temperature is about 90 degrees. The sun blazes down in typical jamboree fashion. Boys carry carts loaded with orange water containers from the water spigot about 50 feet from where I type this. As it gets later, the cooks for
tonight start to prepare for dinner. Food is dispensed from the subcamp commissary. Each troop picks up a box of food adequate for all 40 troop members. Food boxes in the morning include a copy of Jamboree Today, the eight page full color newspaper that I work on.
Most Scouts are out trying to see everything there is to do. They're doomed to failure as the attractions far outnumber the hours available in which to do them. I walked past the Venturing Jungle, and the sound of jungle animals could be heard. I added it to my list of things to see.
You have to see the pictures at http://www.bsajamboree.org - they are a wonderful look at what's going on here in Virginia.
It was much cooler last night when I walked down Lee Drive from Longstreet camp to see my wife in Subcamp 6. Then we crossed the street to see our son Chaim and his friend David in Subcamp 5. After a big hug, a hoarse 14 year
old ("I was screaming a lot") told us about his trip from New York to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Silver Spring, MD and then here to the jamboree. In the dark, it's hazardous to navigate around the tightly packed troop sites. Tent lines are all over waiting to trip you. Tents are squeezed out to the very perimeter of the area to maximize the space available in the center. Troops only have about 90 by 90 feet to fit 40 people, their tents, equipment, kitchen and a dining area. As it gets later, the lights in each
campsite are turned off and every tent looks alike. You have to keep large landmarks in sight or wander around hundreds of tents.
A typical subcamp houses 1400 people in about 750 tents. Scouts are usually two to a tent. As a subcamp chaplain, my wife lives in an Army tent along with five other women, all subcamp staff. Two bulbs hang from the tent ceiling and provide light and electricity. Almost everyone has a fan and a small reading light wired up to the light sockets.
Driving is almost impossible as a tide of boys flows on and off the roads. They look with longing on at our truck with air conditioning.
Walking and school buses are the only mode of transportation. Bicycles skates and scooters are prohibited. Smart Scouts sign up at Hometown News,
where filing a story will give them the use of a bike for two hours, two stories gets a bike for four hours and a third story earns the use of a bike for a whole day.
More when I get a chance.
Mike Schatzberg
schatz5@hicom.net
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