U.P. Boy Scouts head to Nat’l Jamboree

Fifty Boy Scouts from across the U.P. have their backpacks full of camping essentials as they head to West Virginia on a 17 day trip.

The scouts are leaving Thursday morning for the 2013 National Jamboree.  They will be making stops along the way at places like the Henry Ford Museum and Mammoth Cave.

At the Jamboree, the scouts will meet up with over 40,000 other Boy Scouts from across the country to celebrate scouting.

“I’m excited about all the activities that are going to be there,” Holly Ettenhofer said.  She is an Adventure Crew Member, part of a co-ed scouting group.  She’s the only girl from the U.P. going to the Jamboree.  “There’s zip-lines, high ropes, white water rafting, SCUBA diving.”

“And just the adventure down and back, it’ll be a lot of fun.  And to meet new people.”

“When we get there there’s going to be a lot of high adventure courses, which are going to be awesome,” Boy Scout Garrett McMillan said.  “Coming back we’re going to have a lot of breaks and see museums and stuff.  This is my first time (going), so I’m just excited and hope it’ll be great.”

“The experience of having 40,000 plus scouts all in one area, it’s a bit overwhelming,” Hiawathaland Contingent of Boy Scouts Scout Master Matthew Morgan said.  “But it’s a great experience for the youth to see that they’re part of something so much bigger than just the small troops we have here in the U.P.  For most of these youth, it’ll be the only time in their scouting career that they’ll be able to go.”

The Jamboree happens once every four years.  It is funded by the scouts raising money, and donations from many U.P. businesses that help keep the cost of the trip as low as possible.