Available slots for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree are filling up fast.  The 2013 National Scout Jamboree won’t be your grandfather’s Jamboree; it won’t be your father’s Jamboree; it won’t even be your older brother’s Jamboree.  The 2013 National Scout Jamboree will be the first at the Bechtel Summit, and will offer unique opportunities focusing on the adventure of Scouting.  White water rafting, technical rock climbing, nearly mile long ziplines, rifle and shotgun shooting, boating and much more await all of our youth who attend.

We remind everyone that all youth slots will be filled on a “first come – first served” basis.  We have a total of 216 youth contingent slots (180 Boy Scout slots which will be formed into 5 provisional troops of 36 scouts AND 36 youth Venturer slots).  In order to be part of one of the 5 Boy Scout troops, a boy must have been born between July 25, 1995 and July 15, 2011 and will need to have earned the First Class Rank before the Jamboree.  Venturers must have been born between July 25, 1992 and July 15, 1999 (the minimum age may be waived if a Venturer will have completed the 8^th Grade before the Jamboree).  Check www.bsajamboree.org for more information.

Although all registrations need to be done through the national website, we understand that this is not the easiest process and there are issues with the registrations.  If your Scout meets the qualifications and is interested in going to the Jamboree, don’t worry about getting through the national website.  Simply fill out the “HOLD A SLOT” form available on our council’s website at www.ppbsa.org, mail it to the council office in Florham Park with a $250.00 deposit, and we’ll hold a slot for you.  You will still have to navigate the national website registration process, but you’ll know that you’re going to the Jamboree!

SPECIAL NOTE:  Everyone who has “completed” the national registration process should have gotten a letter from our council office with a request for a deposit.  If you haven’t gotten this letter, there’s something wrong with your registration.  Don’t worry about it yet – this is happening to about 20% of registrants.  You do need to contact Debbie Wickham at the council office IMMEDIATELY to get this straightened out.  Even if you think you’ve registered, you haven’t until you’ve gotten confirmation from the council office.  WE ASK THAT ALL UNIT LEADERS PASS THIS INFORMATION ALONG TO THEIR SCOUTS.  We are trying to avoid anyone missing the Jamboree because they missed something on the national website.

Adults are not shut out from attending the Jamboree.  With our 5 troops and 1 Venture Crew, we will need 24 of the best adult leaders in the council to accompany our youth to the Jamboree.  The deadline for applications has been extended to December 15, 2011.  Similar to the youth, if you have “applied” through the national website, you should have gotten a letter asking for a deposit (refundable if not selected).  If you haven’t, please contact Debbie Wickham at the council office immediately to work on rectifying the application.

Finally, any city of 40,000 boys needs a support staff.  National is looking for approximately 10,000 staff members to make this the best Jamboree possible.  Staffers are needed for everything from medical staff to plumbing maintenance, and everything in between.  Remember, the Jamboree will be a city of 50,000 residents at its peak, and every service that would be provided to a city that size must come from the Jamboree staff.  For more information on serving on the Jamboree staff, please register directly through the website, www.bsajamboree.org.

We look forward to seeing you participate in the 2013 National Scout Jamboree.  If you have any questions, please contact the following:

REGISTRATION ISSUES:  Debbie Wickham, debbie.wickham@scouting.org, 973-765-9322

ANYTHING ELSE:  Howard I. Gordon, 2013 Jamboree Contingent Chair, higesq@optonline.net