Scouts and leaders from one hundred forty-three countries gathered in West Virginia for the 24th World Scout Jamboree. It has been more than fifty years since this event has been held in the United States. Four years ago, it was held in Japan, will be in Korea in four more years, then Brazil.

More than 45,000 Scouts from around the world gathered at the Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve near Beckley to “Unlock a New World” the theme of this year’s Jamboree.

February of this year marked the beginning of female scouts in the Boy Scouts of America program, forming Troops and being a part of Scouts BSA. Thousands have joined all-female troops throughout the United States.

Maynardville has such a troop with two members taking part in this historic event. Scoutmaster Linda Myers leads USA Troop 252 with four adult assistants and thirty-one youth from the states of Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

The troop gathered a few days before the World Jamboree at Camp Barnhardt in North Carolina to form patrols and elect youth positions of responsibility.

“It was a chance for all of us to get to know each other and get ready to meet the rest of the world when we arrived at the Summit,” said Linda. “The scouts were eager to meet face-to-face since up until then, all contact was by social media due to the vast distance separating us.”

The Summit offered a world of activities and opportunities for others to meet. From rock climbing, mountain biking, shotgun shooting, skateboarding, archery, and white-water rafting, to an international food court and cultural day. There were also three stadium shows; the opening show hosted by Canada, the second during mid-week hosted by Mexico and the closing show by the USA. All were in attendance for the amazing entertainment including drones performing an airborne light show, dancers, musicians and fireworks.

Trading scout neckerchiefs, called “neckers” by scouts from other countries, was a favorite thing as well as swapping patches, uniforms, hats and other trinkets. Linda’s daughter, Jamie Myers was elected by her patrol to be a youth leader.

“I traded my scout shirt with a scout from Shri Lanka” said Jamie. “They were so nice and it was cool to hear about their country.”

Eating meals and attending events with international scouts built memories that will last a lifetime,” said Linda. “After thirteen days of cultural exchange and making new friends, it was time to return to our home units. We all brought a piece of the world back with us and found that we are not so different than scouts from other countries.”