To register for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree please click on the link below for The Summit. Local information on pricing, tour options, etc. will be updated soon.

As many of you know, ground as been broken at the BSA’s newest high-adventure base and future home of the National Jamboree:

The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. While the sight of tractors and other earth-moving equipment at the West Virginia site is the most obvious sign of activity, there has been a lot going on behind the scenes as well.

There are 10,600 acres of forested mountains adjacent to more than 70,000 acres of the New River Gorge National River area, which is managed by the National Park Service. Planning started in 2007 when our leadership began looking for a new home for the national jamboree. After reviewing more than 80 sites in 28 states, our leadership chose this West Virginia property in 2009.

Programmatic design will embody the spirit and adventure of Scouting to help carry us into our second century. The continuing relevance of Scouting will be demonstrated through top-notch programming at a world-class facility.

The site will provide a permanent home for the national Scout jamboree and an additional national high-adventure base to meet interest and demand (annually, 20,000 more Scouts and leaders apply to spend time at our high-adventure bases than can be accommodated).

The Summit will serve generations of Scouts as:

• Site of the national Scout jamboree every four years, beginning in 2013.
• High-adventure programming and treks, similar to Philmont, Northern Tier, or Sea Base, beginning in 2014.
• Located in the New River Gorge area of West Virginia, world famous for its white-water, rock climbing, and mountain biking. Additional adventure and action sports are also being explored for Summit programming.
• Plans include a national center for Scouting excellence in leadership. This site has the potential to serve as the home for Venturing, the Order of the Arrow, and the National Scouting Museum.

Scouts, volunteers, and our leadership joined with area officials in West Virginia at the groundbreaking ceremony for The Summit. At this event, a couple of special announcements were made:

• Jamboree Dates Set- Dates for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree—July 15-24, 2013—were announced. Development of the site is on schedule, and the jamboree will serve as the inaugural event.
• Summit Fundraising Tops $100 Million Mark- Total contributions to The Summit have now topped $100 million, less than a year after the project was launched. They include the largest single gift in BSA history—$50 million from the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation.
• Other gifts include a $25 million donation from The Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation, a gift of an undisclosed amount from Mike and Gillian Goodrich, and several anonymous donations.
• BSA to Host 2019 World Scout Jamboree- We have won our bid to host the 2019 World Scout Jamboree at The Summit..

The Summit website will be launched publicly in the next month. The site will combine many of the resources that are currently available in separate locations (see list below), with video, photos, discussion areas, and 2013 jamboree information.

Included in the jamboree section will be a feature that will allow Scouts to express their interest in attending the 2013 event. This is not an actual registration, but rather an expression of intent that will help us in our planning process and establish an online connection with interested youth. Online registration will be launched on the site at a later date.

Trinity Works Inc., of Fort Worth, Texas, is the project developer, managing all aspects of design and construction. Construction teams work two 10-hour shifts per day. At this time, the overall project is on schedule. The current focus is on grading, permitting, and finalization of detailed project design. Construction is planned for three phases, with phase one completed for the grand opening at the 2013 jamboree.