Jambo feedback from the final day -Some nice stuff but it sucked.

[jpstodwftexas]

I got a few Simple Solutions

1> Limit the Total number of Scouters from Each council to 10 ( 8 Youth 2 Adults)

2> Extend the Number of Secessions of Jambo to 4..Limit each week to 10,000 Scouters

3> Figure out a way to cut back on the Cost for Volunteers to work..I wanted to but could not come up with 850.00 and Cut Back on the Amount of Training Costs..I want to Be BSA Certified on Climbing and Other things i just can't afford it.

 

[st0ut717]

T2Eagle,

 

The shortage was not evident as soon as you believe. They tried to do just what you suggested but not all college students could do it. One must be fit and possess much upper body strength. So when the problem became evident, they tried recruiting as you suggested but it turned out to be far more difficult than they would have believed. When I learned of the problem, I thought that it would be easier to recruit than it turned out to be. The BSA was flexible, thought outside of the box but things did not work out as they had thought. The folks doing the programs worked extremely hard, are very intelligent, very oriented toward the youth having a great time, and excellent planners in their professional careers. They are far more than competent - they are leaders in their fields. So it was a learning experience and it will be better in four years.

Umm Be prepared?

 

Be prepared for the max amount of interest in an event that was heavily advertised.

 

My troop did not attend and as a new scout parent I held my tongue in questioning the SM in his decision. I see he had the right insight.

[Basementdweller]

T2Eagle,

 

The shortage was not evident as soon as you believe. They tried to do just what you suggested but not all college students could do it. One must be fit and possess much upper body strength. So when the problem became evident, they tried recruiting as you suggested but it turned out to be far more difficult than they would have believed. When I learned of the problem, I thought that it would be easier to recruit than it turned out to be. The BSA was flexible, thought outside of the box but things did not work out as they had thought. The folks doing the programs worked extremely hard, are very intelligent, very oriented toward the youth having a great time, and excellent planners in their professional careers. They are far more than competent - they are leaders in their fields. So it was a learning experience and it will be better in four years.

General an entire troop from a single CO doesn't attend.... Each council gets a number of ad hoc troops that it can take. The boys apply and generally it is first come first serve.

 

The boys need to be 13 by the end of 13 if I remember right.

[Basementdweller]

like you tex...I wouldn't mind volunteering, But $800 is way too much. I never understood why they needed to make a profit off of the the staff......

 

So how much did it cost to staff at ap hill????

[qwazse]

like you tex...I wouldn't mind volunteering, But $800 is way too much. I never understood why they needed to make a profit off of the the staff......

 

So how much did it cost to staff at ap hill????

I think the general rule was about half fare.

[qwazse]

like you tex...I wouldn't mind volunteering, But $800 is way too much. I never understood why they needed to make a profit off of the the staff......

 

So how much did it cost to staff at ap hill????

Plus keep in mind that anything you spend as an essential volunteer counts like a charitable deduction.

[qwazse]

Just putting it out there: "It's the Economy, stupid.". The centennial was three years earlier. Usually volunteers for things like is have four years to recharge the wallets. In a good ecomonmy, most of us would have a little fat to burn. In this one ... most of us are just trying to stop the bleeding. Lots of us have done that by passing on the big ticket items.

[Basementdweller]

I don't believe the Economy BS any more....People complain about it....But generally they are the ones with the 4 smartphones, three SUV's and a Flat panel tv in every room, high speed internet and 800 channels of HD cable. It is about about priorities. Energy prices are up....My electric is up by a third from last year....My gas bill has nearly doubled. My families grocery bill has gone up by about $50 a month, of course son is eating everything that isn't nailed down currently.

 

So how many years have we heard oh its the economy.....Way too many. Excuses and priorities. Scouting just isn't a priority for many folks any more.

 

I am off for my third week of summer camp end of the week, Second adult on crew backpacking trip....should be fun.....Much cheaper than resident camp.

 

[Basementdweller]

I don't believe the Economy BS any more....People complain about it....But generally they are the ones with the 4 smartphones, three SUV's and a Flat panel tv in every room, high speed internet and 800 channels of HD cable. It is about about priorities. Energy prices are up....My electric is up by a third from last year....My gas bill has nearly doubled. My families grocery bill has gone up by about $50 a month, of course son is eating everything that isn't nailed down currently.

 

So how many years have we heard oh its the economy.....Way too many. Excuses and priorities. Scouting just isn't a priority for many folks any more.

 

I am off for my third week of summer camp end of the week, Second adult on crew backpacking trip....should be fun.....Much cheaper than resident camp.

Trying to talk the Leadership to going to the Dolly Sods for a long weekend trip.

[SWScouter]

I didn’t receive any forms for providing feedback before I left the Jamboree. If anyone knows where I can get one please post.

 

Both I and my scouts had a wonderful time over all. I have been thinking a lot about my experience and what I think could be done differently. In no particular order here are my reflections.

The enthusiasm and dedication of the volunteer staff cannot be overstated.

 

Every computer system I encountered was poor: the dashboard that remained stubbornly stuck at 50% from when I first registered until it dropped to 0% after I checked in, the activity registration that was often down, the payment system that I could never get to work, the medical system that lost all the info from my and both my sons’ accounts, the list of curriculum activities on site for my scouts that wasn’t correct. For a supposedly high tech jamboree there was no meaningful use of the bar coded credentials, and the $0.99 app was klugy and provided almost no functionality.

 

Too many of my scouts spent too much time in line for activities, often not even getting to do the activity after all the waiting. Grin and bear it isn’t really the answer to this. A Scout is Thrifty, and that should apply to how to spend his/her time, hours in line is not thrifty.

 

Staffing and staffing levels: I have about a dozen friends who were on staff, most of them veterans, between the cost, the time and effort spent getting to their areas, and the overall difficulty of the experience, I think they are going to need to better accommodate folks to get the numbers they need.

 

Transportation: hiking up and down mountains as an activity is fun, hiking up and down campsites and gravel trails because that’s the only way to get there is the reason we have invented every mode of transport from the wheel to the jetliner. Some sort of shuttle system is needed both for the sake of thriftyness and for staffing.

 

Over all a great experience, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

The app had the schedule and a map. The map would turn on the phone's GPS and wouldn't turn it off. At least with the Android app. I had to shut down and restart my phone to turn it off. Phone GPS chips really suck the batteries.

[SWScouter]

like you tex...I wouldn't mind volunteering, But $800 is way too much. I never understood why they needed to make a profit off of the the staff......

 

So how much did it cost to staff at ap hill????

This year, to staff the whole jamboree it cost $850. One could also have staffed for a week instead for $425. If I remember right, the cost for the 2010 jamboree was $750.

[RememberSchiff]

Well send your feedback to Jamboree Director Larry Pritchard who supposedly is "conducting a detailed evaluation process to get feedback from those involved" for the 2017 Jamboree.

 

He said they will plan to do the Day of Service next time and called it a good lesson learned this time around.

 

Changing our whole food delivery system to the Scouts was a big change, a huge risk for us and it turned out okay,†he said.

 

All in all, Pritchard said he was satisfied with how the Jamboree went and looks forward to hearing feedback from Scouts in the near future.

 

http://wvmetronews.com/planning-alre...2017-jamboree/

[fotoscout]

Well send your feedback to Jamboree Director Larry Pritchard who supposedly is "conducting a detailed evaluation process to get feedback from those involved" for the 2017 Jamboree.

 

He said they will plan to do the Day of Service next time and called it a good lesson learned this time around.

 

Changing our whole food delivery system to the Scouts was a big change, a huge risk for us and it turned out okay,†he said.

 

All in all, Pritchard said he was satisfied with how the Jamboree went and looks forward to hearing feedback from Scouts in the near future.

 

http://wvmetronews.com/planning-alre...2017-jamboree/

I am not surprised that they would continue the Day of Service. Although I continue to believe that it's inappropriate, opportunistic, and possibly abusive, it's takes the high road and can be defended from the bully pulpit by the powers that be. I will paraphrase what others have said.................The Scouts are not at the Jambo to do Missionary work! If they and their parents wish to do that, they all know where to go to make it happen.

[Basementdweller]

Well send your feedback to Jamboree Director Larry Pritchard who supposedly is "conducting a detailed evaluation process to get feedback from those involved" for the 2017 Jamboree.

 

He said they will plan to do the Day of Service next time and called it a good lesson learned this time around.

 

Changing our whole food delivery system to the Scouts was a big change, a huge risk for us and it turned out okay,†he said.

 

All in all, Pritchard said he was satisfied with how the Jamboree went and looks forward to hearing feedback from Scouts in the near future.

 

http://wvmetronews.com/planning-alre...2017-jamboree/

Your scout can say no to the Day of Service....Like the six eagle scouts in my sons troop did.

 

 

The food delivery system stank.......The boys in the troop had to get up at 4:30 to get in line for the breakfast food an unacceptable distance from camp.... My son showed me pictures of where they had to go and said it was a 45 minute walk one way.

[Basementdweller]

like you tex...I wouldn't mind volunteering, But $800 is way too much. I never understood why they needed to make a profit off of the the staff......

 

So how much did it cost to staff at ap hill????

I have no problem paying for my meals........Which at about 3 bucks a piece for 10 days is what 90 bucks.....I don't mind paying for my t shirts.....another 90 bucks.....

 

So why am I paying an extra $500?????