August marks 50th anniversary of Scout jamboree held at Moraine State Park
In the Saturday evening, Aug. 4, 1973, edition of the Butler Eagle, the Page 1 article details a “canvas city of 22,000 wall-to-wall-tents” built to host upward of 40,000 Boy Scouts for the National Scout Jamboree.
Like the Olympics, presidential elections and leap years, the National Scout Jamboree is a tradition that occurs every four years. It is a time for members of the Boy Scouts from across the nation to come together and participate in service, adventure and skill-building.
Fifty years ago, in 1973, Moraine State Park hosted its first of two national jamboree events which was held from Aug. 3 to 7. The second was in 1977.
Butler native Gary Fleeger, a retired geologist from Middletown, Pa., and a volunteer with the Moraine Preservation Fund, remembers the transformation of the park for the event.
“Much of the initial development of the North Shore of Moraine was completed for the jamboree,” Fleeger said. “The park was only a few years old at the time, and the pre-park farm fields had not become overgrown yet. That was where they camped. The whole area has reverted to forest now.”
The 1973 jamboree was split between two locations: Farragut State Park, Idaho, and Moraine State Park in Muddy Creek Township with the theme “Growing Together.” A total of 73,610 Scouts participated.
It was the first and only dual jamboree in the 88-year history of the National Scout Jamboree.
According to the Aug. 4, 1973, edition of the Butler Eagle, which featured pictures and an article about the National Scout Jamboree at Moraine State Park, 44,000 of the Scouts were hosted locally.
The newspaper showed Scouts at an Aug. 3 opening ceremony, where the color guard raised the flag and the national anthem was played. A second picture showed a crowd gathered on a hillside to hear comedian and “honorary guest” Danny Thomas.
“Topped in red berets, some 40,000 Boy Scouts swarmed like army ants into a hillside arena here Friday night to be entertained by comedian Danny Thomas,” the article said.
But not everyone was a fan of Thomas.
“I just plain don’t like Danny Thomas and I hate his commercials,” said John Zold, then 12, of Troop 213 in Bethel Park.
Bruce Beyer, John’s then 11-year-old bunkmate, also skipped the show — for a different reason. He recalled how he had to “get up early to get food.”
“I thought I could stay here and get some peace,” Bruce said. “I thought I’d wrestle with John.”
The headline reflected the boys’ take on the matter, calling the comedian “serious,” and noting that he “can’t win all.”
The July 31, 1973, edition of the Butler Eagle reported that a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Canton, Ohio, arrived for the occasion. The unit would provide medical support over the next week.
That report reflected that 40,000 Scouts and their leaders, plus another 20,000 visitors daily were anticipated during the event.
Joseph C. Greiner Jr., an Alliance, Ohio, dentist, estimated at the time that nearly 1,000 Scouts and leaders would receive some sort of medical treatment from military personnel.
A later edition of the Butler Eagle reported that a worker suffered a heart attack and died at the jamboree.
The National Scout Jamboree is still an active tradition for Scouts.
Since 2013, jamborees are permanently held at the Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Mount Hope, W.Va.
And while the essences of the Scouts has remained, the jamboree has evolved including young women and an emphasis on technology.
Amy Kamis, district executive for Moraine Trails Council, said that the jamboree is still a major event, with families planning two years in advance to make the trip to Mount Hope.
“It’s really cool,” Kamis said. “It’s a time to promote inclusion of different cultures and people. It’s become more and more purposeful for young people.”
In February 2019, the Boy Scouts program was renamed Scouts BSA and announced that females too could earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
“I think you have to look at what Scouting is,” Kamis said. “Camp skills can be obtained in equal manner for boys and girls. For over 113 years, there were specific model roles, and that has changed to a modern perspective that doesn’t just benefit young men. It has brought a more family value for the Scouts.”
Additionally, while the Scouts still enjoy the outdoors with camping and fishing, there have been a few additions to the Jamboree agenda.
“It’s like going to Disney for Scouts,” Kamis said of the West Virginia location. “There is over 16,000 acres. There’s an entire skate park, ATVs, BMX bikes, mountain bikes, shooting ranges and even an outdoor climbing facility.”
Eagle assignment editor Tracy Leturgey contributed to this report.
