RonnieAdventure #0533- "High on the Mountaintop," Flagstaff, Arizona

In 1982 I was selected as one of the leaders to attend the "High on the Mountaintop" Boy Scout Jamboree in Flagstaff, Arizona. While scanning old photographs I found some Jamboree pictures and it brought back a lot of memories - not all enjoyable. Camping with several thousand Boy Scouts can be a little challenging; not to mention the constant dust -- except when it rained, then the dust turned to mud. 

Every morning started with reveille and a flag raising ceremony. 

During the day there were hikes in the forest and competitive games with other Troops. A helicopter was always on standby to carry off the injured,

A variety of merit badge classes were also available. Whittling was popular and there was a doctor onsite to suture up severed parts. 

The US Forest Service presented classes on what they do to maintain a healthy forest. While the leaders were not watching, and without any instructional help, the scouts learned how to build a fire and burn down a forest. Unauthorized fire starting and burning down a forest was not approved for a merit badge.

 

At the Wildlife class scouts learned about forest "critters" and how to observe animals without disturbing them in their natural environment. 

When it was not raining, the scouts could ride a chairlift up Mount Agassiz. Of course, they did not tell everyone in advance that the chairlift was only designed to carry people up the mountain, so everyone got to walk back down. 

We spent one afternoon at the shooting range where scouts could use slingshots and shoot rifles at targets. When the scouts started firing, it sounded like a WW II battle.

There was even a class on family preparedness!

Without their mothers to pick up for them, some scouts tended to leave things scattered around their sleeping area. This is when the Scoutmaster called everyone out for a lecture and the older scouts gave the younger scouts a lesson on how to be a "squirrel." All new "squirrels" were given the opportunity to participate in the activity. 

During free times the scouts made new friends and traded their tribe cards with each other.  

Laundry facilities were available at various locations around camp. 

Drinking water was supplied from a large tank and each morning the young scouts would report at the commissary to obtain the daily allotment of food for the Troop. It is unclear where the food came from, but the meat was unrecognizable. The scouts just called it "mystery meat" because it always tasted the same, even though it came in different shapes. 

All of the scouts had the opportunity to take a turn at KP.

There were various dignitaries that wandered around the Jamboree and would often pose with scouts for pictures. 

I remember one afternoon when the scouts were in classes, myself and another leader decided to make a Dutch oven peach cobbler and then eat it all ourselves. Unfortunately, the scouts started returning to camp just as we finished cooking, so we hid the Dutch oven and did not tell anyone about it except the Scoutmaster. Our plan was to wait until everyone had gone to bed and then sneak out and eat the desert.  

As luck would have it, that evening before we went to bed one of the dignitaries visited our camp. Much to our surprise, the Scoutmaster showed up with our Dutch oven and ask the dignitary if he would like some cobbler. The dignitary respectfully declined the offer, but about a dozen want-to-be leaches that followed him around immediately said they would have some cobbler and ate it all. When others in camp learned about our experience, they started to calling myself and the other leader "Peaches." The nickname stayed with us for the rest of the Jamboree. 

Opening and closing ceremonies were held in a large field where everyone could gather. A stage had been erected and there was a large screen and multi-media projection system. There were also evening programs and light shows, but it was too dark to get any pictures of the evening shows.  

Some afternoons I was able to escape the scouts and take walks in the forest. There were many beautiful flowers along the trails.

After leaving the Jamboree and returning to civilization, we had to stop at the first convenience store we came to so the scouts could get some "real food" -- candy, soda, potato chips, etc.