Jamboree News 4

Cousins head to Scout Jamboree

By Ben Orcutt - borcutt@nvdaily.com

Posted by NVDaily at 12:15 AM Jul. 24, 2010

Alexander Harrison of Front Royal and Wes Auchmoody of Richmond are cousins who will attend the National Boy Scout Jamboree. Dennis Grundman/Daily

FRONT ROYAL -- Second cousins Alexander Harrison and Wes Auchmoody are looking forward to heading to Fort A.P. Hill on Monday for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.

"It's gonna be pretty cool, I think," Wes, a rising freshman at Mills E. Godwin High School in Henrico County, said during a recent interview. "It's going to be the biggest one they've had so far."

Harrison, 18, of Front Royal, agreed.

"Celebrating the hundredth anniversary of Scouting is gonna be the biggest [thing] that the Boy Scouts of America has undertaken I think, and just being able to be a part of that, I think, is in itself is a really big deal," Harrison said.

An Eagle Scout, Harrison first went to the National Scout Jamboree in 2001 on a day trip as a Cub Scout. In 2005, he attended the event again as a Boy Scout participant. Wes also has made a day trip to the event.

A member of Troop 715, Wes, 13, is not far behind his cousin needing only one more merit badge and completing a special project to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.

A June graduate of Millbrook High School and a member of Troop 52 in Front Royal, Harrison is bound for Virginia Tech in the fall and says that being an Eagle Scout is a plus when applying for the ROTC.

"I think they really find a value in that," Harrison said.

Kelly Auchmoody, 49, Wes' mother, said the family is excited that that both young men will be at the Jamboree at the same time.

"We just thought that it's really exciting that they're going to be there at the same time and that they've both been such big Scouts," she said.

Edie Reil, 67, who is Wes' grandmother and Harrison's aunt, agreed.

"We just think it's great," Reil said.

As has been a tradition with presidents attending previous Jamborees, President Obama is expected to make an appearance at this year's event, Harrison said, adding that in 2005, he saw President George W. Bush.

"I'm a Republican, but I'm looking forward to it," Wes said of Obama's anticipated visit. About 45,000 Scouts from across the nation are expected to attend this year's event, which runs through Aug. 4.

There are so many activities at the National Scout Jamboree that Wes and his mother said it's sort of like Disney World for Scouts. Wes said he's looking forward to scuba diving and meeting Scouts from Las Vegas, as well as trading patches, which also is a tradition.

"It's a big deal, especially if you've got rare ones," Wes said.

Harrison said he's excited about just taking everything in.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity of meeting any Scout from any different state just to see what their outlook on [the] Jamboree is," Harrison said.

This is the final year for the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, according to Wes and Harrison, since the event will be moving to West Virginia next year.