Boy Scout National Jamboree 2005

Boy Scout National Jamboree was my favorite experience in Scouting. It was a week of touring the highlights of the East coast, then a week of Jamboree. It involved trips to the White House, FDR Memorial, and Ford's Theatre. The week of Jamboree was utterly amazing. 10,000 Scouts convened at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. Aspects like Merit Badge Midway (with every single merit badge) to Action Alley (where I rode motocross) and shotgun shooting as well as black powder. President Bush came to speak to us. It was absolutely an unbelievable experience and I got very close with my patrol and troop, all while meeting other fellow scouts from all over the country. One way to meet Scouts was the patch exchange. Every troop had their own patch on their uniforms, and when you bought extra troop patches, you would trade them with other scouts from other places. I jumped into this whole heartedly and spent 3 days, setting up my own site, to bargain with fellow scouts to exchange the patches I had accrued. I decided I would go for brand name patches. I had a patch from troops sponsored by M&M, Subway, Hagar the Horrible, Chick-Fil-A, McDonalds, NY Knicks, and even a Hooters patch. My pearls, the Marvel Back Patch, the X men back patch, the entire set for the A&W car patches and the Wizard of Oz patch set showed my extensive collection. Wheelin and Dealin. I want to introduce a NIKE patch to the jamboree.

My token to reel in other scouts was my Halo video game patch, which was worth "I'll give you all of my money" patch. Not a big fan of the game, I traded the patch for a large endowment to my cause. I had traded the patch 1 for 1, to obtain the patch, and I knew it would be my jewel. I lost my $20 bill patch when someone stole it. Scouts of honor. I spent those 3 days in my own little shop dealing with my fellow scouts to get the best patch blanket. Then I went to experience the amenities of being a Boy Scout. You could do ANYTHING and it was some of the most fun I have ever had. My favorite experience in Scouts, I am forever grateful to be a part of it.