The 2013 National Jamboree was attended by 30,037 Scouts and Scouters. For the Summit Bechtel Reserve, a brand new Scouting wonderland, that number of participants is staggering. Over 6,000 jamboree staffers provided the experience of a lifetime to those participants, both behind the scenes and on the front line. Through Operation Arrow in 2017, the OA is looking to further expand its support to the jamboree program for our eighteenth consecutive national jamboree. The Service Corps is a unique way for chapter and lodge leadership to gain valuable team-building skills, as well as see and experience the jamboree in its entirety.
Through the assistance of the Service Corps, hundreds of jamboree program areas will provide an unforgettable adventure for many Scouts. They, along with the other Operation Arrow staff members, will experience the jamboree program before anybody else in the days leading up to participant arrival. They will meet more people, do more things, and, have a more holistic experience than any other staff member or participant at the jamboree. By embarking on this rich tradition, Service Corps members will exemplify the OA’s devotion to “service with a smile.”
Alex Call, 2015 national chief and Service Corps member during Project 2013, said the following about his adventure at SBR:
"Lending a hand to Scouts from all over during the jamboree was an experience like no other. As a member of the Service Corps, I made lasting memories, cultivated close friendships and found an unmatched sense of accomplishment as we worked together to make the jamboree a reality."
Indeed, the Service Corps has become an essential component of the national jamboree, and the most sought after Order of the Arrow staff. In 2017, we are asking even more of our youth Arrowmen from across the country to step up and join us at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. Slots for Operation Arrow are filling fast, and we are now over 45% full! If you are interested in joining the Service Corps staff, or one of the other OA staffs, please visit oa-bsa.org/jamboree. There you will be able to register and find all the information you need. If you are unable to commit just yet to Operation Arrow, please fill out this Google Form, and a member of the Operation Arrow Marketing & Promotions Team will reach out to you to answer your questions.
We look forward to serving with you as we #FuelScoutingsAdventure in 2017!