Artifact of the Week 20240913 - 1924 World Jamboree

The 1924 World Jamboree brought about several changes to Scouting, such as participants sleeping in tents by patrols and troops. The Jamboree also featured the only time when Scouts from different nations participated in Scout skills competitions. Following the Jamboree, Baden Powell decided that this level of competition could lead to extreme nationalism, which would counter his idea that Scouting could be a tool to help bring lasting peace to the world. During the World Championship competition, the Scouts of the BSA earned the title of World’s Greatest Troop and, upon their return to the United States, were presented with a medal to celebrate their accomplishment. Interestingly, the ribbon used for those medals would be the same ribbon used for the first Silver Buffalo Awards presented two years later, in 1926.

For the BSA, the Jamboree is where the Merit Badge Sash first appeared, and the cloth Eagle Scout Badge was introduced.