Massive Opening Show For Scouts

Note: The authors are Boy Scouts from Derby serving as Valley Indy hometown correspondents for the 2010 National Boy Scout Jamboree.

Wednesday was a great day at the 2010 Jamboree here in AP Hill, Virginia. 

We had our opening show. After reville at 5:30 a.m. we had a quick breakfast and prepared camp. 

We then got in our class A uniforms and began our mile and a half march to the arena for the opening show. 

We arrived in the arena around around 8:15 a.m.

What an awesome sight. The was a large stage at the front of the arena. Because of the heat, there was thousands of cases of water spread all over the arena for us to drink. The scouts were from all over the country and world, for that matter. 

In all there were 45,000 scouts in the arena for the show. 

After all the scouts arrived, the show began. 

There was a pre-show with Burton Roberts and Alex Boylan from the shows The Amazing Race” and Survivor.”

There was a fly over with Airforce F‑16s officially opening the Jamboree. 

860 scouts representing each of the 860 jamboree troops in attendance. 

The keynote speaker was the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Gates is an Eagle Scout and received the distiguished Silver Antelope Award. Gates welcomed all the scouts. 

The next exciting thing was the U.S. Army Golden Nights parachuted into the arena caring the world’s largest american flag on a parachute mission. 

The U.S. Air Force precision drill team gave a rousing exhibition with their rifle skills. 

There was a guest appearance from Miss America, Caressa Cameron. 

Sgt. Slaughter of the WWE welcomed the scouts to Virginia. 

The 45,000 scouts gave the scout law along with Secretary Gates. What an awesome thing. The show ended with the Army Artillary firing off canons in a salute to the 100th Aniversary of scouting. 

After the show, we all went out and participated in the thousands of action centers and activities throughout the Jamboree.

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