WESTBOROUGH – Getting out of bed at 3:30 in the morning.
Heavy rain and lots of lightning.
Walking a mile round trip with a wagon to get the makings for breakfast – for 20 people.
Plenty of beef jerky and sheet cakes.
Trading patches with Scouts from Texas, South Dakota, Kansas and New York.
Four Scouts (Travis Knox, Dexter Honer, Oscar Hubbard and Hunter Felton) and one adult leader from Westborough Boy Scout Troop 100 recently attended the National Jamboree held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia for 10 days. They helped represent part of the larger contingent sent from Massachusetts of 80 Scouts.
This was the first National Jamboree in six years, and it was attended by more than 14,000 Scouts.
The Westborough Scouts said the best events at the jamboree were whitewater rafting and zip lining.
“It was the best planned event,” said Felton, a senior patrol leader, of whitewater rafting. “It was a lot of fun.”
To go zip lining required a bit of advanced planning, since there were more Scouts than the activity could handle. That meant waking up at 3:30 a.m. to get tickets.
“It was the number one choice, aside from shooting [archery],” said Knox.
The jamboree offered plenty to do, and it was also a chance for Scouts to gain experience in leadership roles.
In addition to the jamboree, the local Scouts got to visit Philadelphia and Hershey Park.
“We slept very well on the bus ride home,” said Felton.
The local Scouts are getting ready for their next activity – another jamboree. This one will be held in Hyannis in October and will include seven scouting councils, or about 5,000 Scouts.
For the latest on Troop 100, visit www.facebook.com/troop100westborough.
