2005 National Scout Jamboree

Location

Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia

Country

United States

Date

July 25, 2005 – August 3, 2005

Attendance

31,700 Scouts

The 2005 National Scout Jamboree was the 16th national Scout jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America and was held from July 25, 2005 through August 3, 2005 at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Normally, the next jamboree would be held four years afterward in 2009, but the date was changed so that the next jamboree could take place in 2010, the centennial anniversary of Scouting in the United States.

The 2005 National Scout Jamboree was divided into 20 sub-camps, named after living American explorers. The subcamps were then grouped into four Regions.

Northeast

Western

Central

Southern

Three Arena Shows were planned to be held during the jamboree. Allan Gibbs was the director of Arena Operations.

The first Arena Show was held on July 27, 2005. The first show was a staff show, and a youth arena staff member served as MC. The show also featured a staff barbecue and a speech from the Chief Scout Executive, as well as a preview for what was to come during the rest of the week.

President George W. Bush was scheduled to attend the second show, along with Senator Bill Frist but was not able to attend. The second show was finally canceled due to extreme temperatures. However, Frist was already en route to the show when it was canceled, and consequently delivered his speech. He emphasized the Support our Scouts Bill recently passed in the Senate. A number of participants and staff members were treated for heat exhaustion and heat stroke while Frist was delivering his speech—at one point, his voice was competing with a helicopter airlifting one victim to a nearby hospital. It also began to rain heavily as Scouts returned to their campsites. The trip to and from the second arena show earned the moniker "the death march" among scouts attending the jamboree due to the distances scouts were required to travel in extreme heat, from the Bataan Death March experienced by American POWs in the Pacific theater of WWII.

The final show set a jamboree record for the most attendants. President Bush did speak at the third show regarding the importance of Scouting. Jim Fowler, as well as other numerous dignitaries visited and spoke during the closing show. It concluded with both a laser show (originally scheduled for the first show, using music from Epcot's IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth), and a fireworks show.

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