The first Boy Scout Jamboree to be held for the Boy Scots of America since 1937 was at Valley Forge Park in June, 1950. From June 30 to July 6 over 45,000 attended. They encamped on the actual parade grounds and former sites of the 18th century brigades of the former Valley Forge encampment. President Truman and General Eisenhower both spoke during that week at Valley Forge: it was the same week that the North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel….Truman spoke of advocating fellowship and human brotherhood while Eisenhower damned the invasion and hinted at U.S. intervention.The Philadelphia Inquirer’s June 25, Sunday morning edition had a front page article, “50,000 Arrive This Week For Jamboree.” Here are some excerpts:
“…Approximately 800 of the delegates will go direct from the Bellevue-Strafford Friday afternoon to board a 12-car special train for Valley Forge station at 4:25. Returning, it will depart from Port Kennedy at 10:45 PM arriving at Reading Terminal at 11:25 PM. The delegates making the trip will represent a part of the delegation officially welcoming President Truman, honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America, to the jamboree…
…On the day the President speaks and on July 4, it is expected that the Scout population of the camp site will be swelled by an additional 125,000 to 150,000…
…The camp has its own telephone system-the exchange is “Jamboree 1950,” and its own branch bank, established by the Norristown-Penn Trust Co. The camp has 4400 patrol kitchens, 600 showers, 1200 latrines, 6 1/2 miles of its own underground water piping, tapped in from a reservoir of the Philadelphia Suburban Water Co. and four miles of specially laid sewer lines…
…Any lover of the park’s lush beauty need have no fear that the scouts will leave behind them the usual litter of a departing guest…The scouts are CLEAN!”
Some of the other articles in the Sunday paper were: “City Prepares for Visits of Scouts to Shrines,” “Boy Scout Heads To Map Program,” “Jamboree Brings Police Huge Traffic Headache,” and “Jamboree Water Inspected by State.”
The World of Scouting Museum’s collection includes many objects related to the three BSA National Jamborees held at Valley Forge, PA, in 1950, 1957 and 1964. To view some of these objects on-line, check out their site ->
http://www.worldofscoutingmuseum.org/JamboreesAtValleyForge…
If you were wondering, the 2017 Jamboree will return to the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia from July 19, 2017 to July 28, 2017. It was decided at the 2013 Jamboree that the Summit Bechtel Reserve would be the location of each National Jamboree for the next 100 years.
Courtesy of the World of Scouting Museum online collection
Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday Morning June 25, 1950
Courtesy of the World of Scouting Museum online collection
