Religious Services and Jambopalooza – Day 7 – July 22, 2013

The evening storms revealed the impact of the previous evening deluges which have probably increased the cumulative rainfall totals to approximately one-half inch.  The morning breakfast and lunch commissary pick-up patrol carefully navigated the rain puddles (which have become mud pits by lunch). Morning breakfast ingredients comprised a very filling scrambled eggs, sausage patties, ham, cheese, peppers, onions, and pancake ingredient menu satisfying the many culinary whimsical fantasies of even the most discerning Scouts on a relaxed day of rest. Breakfast was followed by a broad range of approximately 40 religious service options. Scouts were encouraged to explore services of faiths that they would not normally attend in an effort to broaden their cultural awareness of various religions. However, Mother Nature intervened again with a several hour patter of a light to moderate stratiform rain event.  On the plus side, the rain has helped to moderate temperatures resulting in only a yellow flag heat and hydration advisory on Sunday; however, the cost for the moderation of temperatures is a ubiquitous mud condition with the most severe conditions in areas of high pedestrian traffic (e.g., latrine perimeters, pedestrian traffic lanes).

The Troop’s Chaplain’s Aide held Scout’s own services for those seeking to stay dry and to get an early start to the elective areas which the Jamboree staff decided to open on a planned day of rest in an effort to compensate for some of the lost program from Saturday’s rescheduling of the stadium / arena show.  Some Scouts decided to get a head start on the training required as a pre-requisite for their curriculum high adventure activities, some engaged in elective high adventure activities, and others decided to focus on more traditional offerings such as the pursuit of merit badges. Some of Troop B410 Scouts earned collections, radio, surveying, and traffic safety merit badges.  Several Scouts are working on achieving initial amateur radio licenses or upgrading their credentials with the FCC through studying for and taking the respective examinations via the AARL members administering the merit badge curriculumn.

Additional afternoon activities included the Jambopalooza event in the stadium arena. Troop B410 carved a pinewood derby car which competed on the world’s longest pinewood derby track.  However, we lost one of the nails used as an axle and we had to race on three wheels. Needless to say, Troop B410’s pinewood derby car suffered a catastrophic failure and never completed the race. 

The evening marquee events included delivery of two large sheet cakes per Troop which were a definite hit amongst the Scouts after their Asian stir fry entrée.  The evening culminated with a 20-minute fireworks display choreographed to music that was broadcast from the base camp towers. The fireworks display was originally intended as part of the rescheduled arena show and postponed due to the severe weather events of Sunday.  A huge fog back rolled-in immediately prior to the planned fireworks display; however, Lord Baden Powell surely had an influence in having the wind disperse the fog bank making the fireworks show launched from Justice Heights visible to each one of the six base camps.