The Boys Scouts of America & West Virginia

Just in case you haven’t heard: the Boy Scouts Of America are coming to West Virginia!

All of them.  (Well, almost all of them.)

We are the new home of not only the Boy Scout’s of America’s fourth and largest High Adventure Camp but also the site for future Boy Scout Jamborees.

It’s one thing to be told that there will be 40 to, oh, I don’t know, 50,000 scouts each year, and approximately 200,000 visitors coming to the Jamboree in West Virginia in 2013.

But it’s another thing entirely to attend the last Jamboree being held at Fort A.P. Hill, VA and see it for yourself.

Our staff, as well as representatives from the WV Division of Tourism, hosted a “Welcome to WV Booth” at the Jamboree that began on last Monday, July 26th.  All we can say is WOW!  The boys, leaders, and all of the visitors seemed very excited about the new location and we had a ton of great questions and comments.

We talked to scouts and scouters  from every single state and several different countries.  These scouts literally come from everywhere, and I can honestly say that I have never been in the company of so many polite young men in my life.  (And if you’ve spent a lot of time around groups of kids, you can really appreciate that last sentence.)

The Scouts can’t wait to raft the New River, climb in the gorge, hike our trails, and participate in all the other countless adventure activities in the region.

The Scouts and visitors were eager for information on our state as well as the plans for The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, and I for one came away knowing much more about the project and about what to expect in 2013.

Here’s a really broad overview of where we stand, time-wise:   In 2013 the Jamboree will be held in West Virginia.  In 2014 The Summit – Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve will open the high adventure and summer camps.  The Summit will be used year round for winter camps, training and more.

I can definitely tell you one thing after meeting people at this year’s Jamboree in Virginia from California, Washington to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Oregon, Texas, Japan, Puerto Rico, and just about everywhere in between– our wild and wonderful state is no longer going to be one of American’s best kept secrets.

Thanks, Boy Scouts.  And welcome home.