|
Celebrating
the
Boy
Scout
Jamboree
in
West
Virginia
This
week,
more
than
40,000
people,
including
24,000
Boy
Scouts,
Venturers
and
Explorers
will
arrive
in
Fayette
County
for
the
2017
National
Jamboree.
This
is
the
19th
Jamboree,
and
it’s
the
second
to
be
held
in
West
Virginia
–
where
we
continue
to
be
so
proud
and
grateful
that
the
Boy
Scouts
of
America
chose
our
home
state
to
be
theirs
as
well.
2013
Boy
Scout
Jamboree
(photo
courtesy
of
the
WV
National
Guard)
One
of
the
greatest
milestones
we
achieved
when
I
was
West
Virginia’s
Governor
was
when
the
Boy
Scouts
of
America
committed
to
bringing
a
world-class
scouting
facility
to
the
Mountain
State.
Today,
the
Summit
Bechtel
Reserve
is
home-base,
every
four
years,
for
tens
of
thousands
of
Boy
Scouts
from
across
the
country.
2013
Boy
Scout
Jamboree
(photo
courtesy
of
the
WV
National
Guard)
Right
here
in
Wild,
Wonderful
West
Virginia,
these
bright
young
Scouts
are
becoming
tomorrow’s
leaders.
They’re
encouraged
to
always
work
as
a
team,
build
new
skills,
and
learn
problem-solving
techniques
that
will
serve
them
for
the
rest
of
their
lives.
Many
of
our
country's
strongest
leaders,
whether
involved
in
business,
the
military
or
in
public
service,
were
Boy
Scouts.
I
knew
that
the
ideal
place
for
this
facility
was
in
the
adventurous
terrains
and
magnificent
mountains
of
West
Virginia.
So
I
assembled
government
officials,
business
leaders
and
private
volunteers
into
what
I
called
the
West
Virginia
Project
Arrow
Task
Force.
It
was
uphill
from
the
start,
but,
of
course,
Mountaineers
never
shy
away
from
a
challenge.
So
we
got
to
work
and
I
convinced the
National
Executive
Board
of
the
Boy
Scouts
of
America.
Senator
Manchin
at
the
2013
Boy
Scout
Jamboree.
As
West
Virginians,
we
can
all
take
pride
in
knowing
our
state
was
the
one
selected
for
the
10,000-acre
Summit
Bechtel
Reserve
–
a
once-in-a-lifetime
project
that
has
resulted
in
incredible
economic
and
tourism
activity
for
our
state,
and
unparalleled
opportunities
for
Scouts
to
hone
life
skills,
character
and
fitness
through
an
abundance
of
diverse
outdoor
adventures.
The
coal
that
came
off
of
this property
helped
build
the
Panama
Canal.
The
timber
that
came
off
of
this
property
helped
build
the
boats
that
helped
win
WWII.
It
has
so
much
historical
value,
and
now
it
builds the
tallest
timber
–
the
youth
of
the
future.
Senator
Manchin
with
Cameron
Zobrist,
a
White
Sulphur
Springs
Eagle
Scout
who
worked
with
local
volunteers
to
develop
a
memorial
for
the
2016
flood
victims.
This
year,
with
the
addition
of
the
Buckskin
Council's
H.
Bernard
Wehrle
Sr.
Scout
Leadership
Center
in
Charleston
–
named
for
West Virginia's
first
Boy
Scout
– the
Scouts,
volunteers
and
staff
have
world-class
headquarters
welcoming
them
to
the
Mountain
State.
Senator
Manchin's
Case
Manager,
Kim
Good,
and
Regional
Coordinator,
Brian
Aluise,
visit
the
Buckskin
Council's
H.
Bernard
Wehrle
Sr.
Scout
Leadership
Service
Center
in
Charleston.
The
Bechtel
Foundation,
the
Wehrle
family
and
countless
other
individuals
have
shown
a
tremendous
commitment
to
West
Virginia
and
the
Boy
Scouts.
I
cannot
thank
them
enough
for
supporting
not
only
the
success
of
this
facility,
but
also
the
success
of
tens
of
thousands
of
our
nation’s
young
people.
.jpg)
2013
Boy
Scout
Jamboree
(photo
courtesy
of
the
WV
National
Guard)
The
Boy
Scouts
and
West
Virginia
truly
are
a
perfect
match
–
an
organization
that
builds
character,
inspires
reverences
and
promotes
the
values
of
hard
work
and
compassion,
and
a
state
whose
people
live
and
breathe
those
values
every
day.
I
look
forward
to
joining
West
Virginians
in
showing
our
world-famous
hospitality
to
the
Boy
Scouts,
their
families
and
visitors
again
this
year
–
and
for
many
years
to
come. |