A Rowdy, Boisterous Gathering

One aspect of the WSYF and WSC is educating members of WOSM about what is happening in Scouting around the globe.  From local programs to regional events, Scouts will have the opportunity to learn about the different facets of our organization and how the types of events other groups hold advance our movement.  One of the most anticipated events is the World Scout Jamboree, and in 2019 the 24th World Scout Jamboree will be held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.  While in Slovenia, we’ll be talking with others about the opportunities we’ll have in 2019 when we meet at SBR.

My name is David Joyner, and my inclusion with the BSA’s delegation to the WSC is largely due to my work with the planning team for the 2019 World Jamboree.  I joined Cub Scouts in first grade and advanced through the program to become an Eagle Scout in 2009.  Along the way I’ve had many Scouting opportunities, from staffing my council’s summer camp to attending the BSA’s past two Sustainability Summits.  My favorite part of being a Boy Scout has always been the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s National Honor Society.  The experiences I’ve had with the OA have made me a better Scout, leader, and person.

In 2012 I was asked to join the youth planning team for the 24th World Scout Jamboree.  The group includes three members of the BSA, three from the Scout Association of Mexico, and three from Scouts Canada.  The nine of us have been advising the Scouters working on the event’s preparations by providing input on what young people want to get out of a World Jamboree.  The 2019 WSJ is the first to be hosted by a continent rather than a single country; Canada, Mexico, and the United States have been working together for the past several years to secure the bid and now plan the Jamboree.

World Jamborees have been a part of Scouting since 1920.  As the movement spread around the world, leaders like Lord Baden Powell saw the need to bring young people together to experience Scouting together and learn more about one another’s programs.  Just as each unit in the BSA abides by the organization’s structural and policy set-up but has its own traditions, National Scouting Organizations each follow the principles and guidelines of WOSM, yet maintain their own customs.  The idea to bring these customs together through the spirit of Scouting led to the birth of the World Jamboree, and has continued approximately every four years.  When BP was asked what the word "Jamboree" meant, he described it as, "A rowdy, boisterous gathering."  WSJs have been held all around the world, though Africa is the only continent yet to host the event.

The next World Scout Jamboree will be hosted by the Scout Association of Japan.  Scouts will gather in Kirarahama, Japan from July 28 – August 8 2015.  The Boy Scouts of America is already accepting applications to attend.

World Jamborees are one of the many ways to get involved with World Scouting.  Having only become involved with international programs in 2012, I encourage anyone in the BSA to look into World Scouting immediately.  Working with the 2019 planning team has been one of my favorite Scouting experiences and makes me wish I had gotten involved on an international level even sooner!  I can’t wait to see the other members of the planning team – Luis, Grecia, and Diana from Mexico, as well as Keegan from Canada – who are attending the WSYF and WSC, and I’m excited to make new friends from across the globe.