Jambo Day 4: Day 4 started early! At 4:30 a.m. to be precise! Today was the opening ceremony in the arena. The arena is a large open-air amphitheater with a massive stage in front. In order to move all 40,000 scouts into the arena, some have to begin much earlier than others, and it was subcamp 14's privilege to lead the Central Region into the arena. Troop 1445 was in line at 6:00 a.m. at the gate, breakfast picked up, eaten, cleaned up, and ready to go. We were the third troop in line. The opening show featured an F-16 flyover, an address by Defense Secretary Robert Gates (an Eagle Scout and Vigil Order of the Arrow). He was followed up by Miss America Carressa Cameron, the National Chief of the Order of the Arrow, and the Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. The Army Golden Knights Parachute team and the Air Force Precision Drill Team also performed. All in all it was a spectacular opening, and seeing 40,000 scouts recite the Scout Oath and Law really made an impression.

Our Scouts are really getting into the activities that are available. Two have earned the Electricity merit badge, a few have been working on Metal Working (they brought home the center punches they had fabricated), and one scout has been working on Broadcasting and will be pulling a brief shift on the Jamboree radio station tomorrow. Those are just the ones I know about! We have also had scouts go swimming, shotgun shooting, "Mysterium Compass" the Order of the Arrow show, and many other activities. Each day brings news of a fun new activity that has been discovered, and they are at it right up until our 9:30 p.m. troop meeting. Lights out / bed check is 10:00, which ends the day.

At the end of each day, at 10:15, I have to turn in a report to headquarters stating that all the scouts in troop 1445 are present in our campsite. So far so good! We're always where we should be. The interesting thing is what happens when I walk back from reporting. All lights are out, all scouts in their tents. But there is a unique, low, background noise that is generated by the 4,000 scouts of our subcamp. It is the sound of pairs of scouts in their tents recounting the adventures they had during the day. The activities, the awesome deals they made patch trading- As I walk back I can hear it all and discern none of it specifically. Its a sound I'll miss when this is all over.