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.
Statistics
Over 31,700 Youth attended, making up the 883 jamboree Troops present. Scouts from 26 Nations attended. More than 7,000 adults volunteered to provide support and program services. Each jamboree troop was made up of 36 youth, consisting of 4 patrols of 8 scouts, and 4 youth leaders (senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, quartermaster and scribe) selected from various units in their local council. For the 10-day event Caroline County went from the 50th most populated county in Virginia to the 14th.
Sub-camps
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
1:William I. Koch; Troops 0100-0199
2:Dr. S. Allen Counter; Troops 0200-0299
3:Steven W. Squyres; Troops 0300-0399
4:José I. Castro; Troops 0400-0499
5:Michael Manyak; Troops 0500-0599
Western
6:Steve Fossett; Troops 0600-0699
7:Ken Kamler; Troops 0700-0799
8:James A. Lovell; Troops 0800-0899
9:Jim Whittaker; Troops 0900-0999
Central
10:Jim Fowler; Troops 1000-1099
11:Scott Carpenter; Troops 1100-1199
12:James Dewey Watson; Troops 1200-1299
13:Don Walsh; Troops 1300-1399
14:Richard C. Wiese; Troops 1400-1499
Southern
15:Robert Ballard; Troops 1500-1599
16:Richard Wiese Sr; Troops 1600-1699
17:Donald C. Johanson; Troops 1700-1799
18:William Forgey; Troops 1800-1899
19:Joseph Kittinger Jr.; Troops 1900-1999
20:Will Steger; Troops 2000-2099
Arena Shows
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 due to impending thunderstorms expected to hit about the time of the show or shortly after. 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. Part of the problem arose due to a lack of drinking water. Due to security for the President's visit, those entering the amphitheater were not permitted to bring any liquid through the security checkpoints (among other restrictions). There were several water buffalos provided by the Army, but long lines to refill empty bottles dissuaded many from filling their bottles. The second show was finally canceled due to extreme temperatures. 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 attendance. 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. There was to be a two-part presentation about "exploration" with part one taking place during the second arena show. Since it was canceled the two parts were combined into one. The premise was that "Scouts" were on a journey of exploration, but it was apparent that the "Scouts" were just second-rate actors. When the audience grew restless over the lame production it was decided to terminate that part of the program. The arena show 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.