Once upon a time, two tin cans and some string were all Boy Scouts needed to communicate with each other.
But now, in today’s world of cell-phone talking, texting and tweeting, National Scout Jamboree officials decided it was time to get with the technology program.
Scouts can’t help but notice the presence of AT&T, the jamboree’s exclusive communications sponsor.
All jamboree attendees have free access to the AT&T Wi–Fi network in order to connect to wireless Internet.
AT&T is also keeping Scouts connected through six Connection Zones equipped with laptops and cell phones throughout the jamboree to let Scouts go online and make free phone calls home.
READY, SET, CHARGE
There are even charging stations, which resemble post office boxes, where attendees can attach their cell phones to one of eight adapters. They get a key to the box so they can lock their charging phones in the box and come back and get it later.
Assistant Scoutmaster Andrew Hyer of Troop 942 in Utah stood in line to use the station to charge his Palm Pre Smartphone.
“I think it’s a great idea, but they underestimated the demand,” he said, as dozens of kids surrounded the station looking for an available box.
Staci Johnson, an AT&T representative at the jamboree, said the Connection Zones have been popular with the Scouts. Another popular attraction has been the Fanzone, an air-conditioned AT&T trailer where the boys can play games and watch TV. ESPN has been the most-viewed channel, she said.
While AT&T is proud to offer this service, a different representative did confirm yesterday that two iPhones had been stolen from Connection Zones in the western region area.
AT&T spokesperson Jennifer Clark said the company invested millions of dollars in this year’s jamboree, which includes two permanent towers that will stay at Fort A.P. Hill even after the jamboree’s expected 2013 move to West Virginia.
NO CASH, NO WORRIES
Another new concept this year is smart bracelets.
Scouts don’t need to carry cash for snacks and supplies. Instead, they can wear water-resistant, disposable smart bracelets, which include an RFID chip that allows them to make purchases that can be charged to their accounts.
Patrick Richards, a representative for FreedomPay, the company that makes the bracelets, says 12,000 Scouts signed up to receive bracelets before the jamboree started. New accounts are still being opened at their three tents.
Parents appreciate being able to monitor their sons’ spending online, receive low-balance alerts and add money to accounts from any computer, Richards said. Some accounts are set to automatically reload.
Tommy Hefele of Troop 1708 in Hanover County bought pizza and sodas at one of the trading posts with his smart bracelet.
“It’s much better than having to pull out a wad of cash and get change back,” he said. “You just put your arm out and you’ve paid.”
And the advancements in the jamboree’s technology don’t stop there.
‘COOL’ THINGS GALORE
Merril Davis, director of the jamboree’s Technology Quest area, said this new attraction shows that there is more to scouting than building fires and tying knots.
The Boy Scouts of America have partnered with high-profile organizations like NASA, National Geographic and the International Spy Museum that are showing the Scouts that science and technology can be fun.
Michigan Tech University had a tent that featured what Davis calls “cool Bill Nye the Science Guy kind of stuff.”
Scouts can’t walk on water, but they could run over it at one of the booths, which featured a cornstarch solution. Somehow the solution adapts to pressure. So, if it is tapped with a finger, the finger would go through it like quicksand. But if it is punched, it would be hard as a rock. It’s one of those things you’d have to see to believe, Davis said.
Hayden Council, 15, of Troop 1817 in Tennessee, said the Technology Quest is the best of the jamboree so far.
“This is so cool,” he said, while nibbling on a graham cracker dipped in liquid nitrogen, which allowed gases to blow through his nose, giving him “dragon breath.”
Davis said a red ticket is needed to get into this section, and it is not open to visitors because they want to make sure every Scout has an opportunity to experience it.
“Our objective here is to educate and inspire these kids through these types of activities,” Davis said. “We’re introducing them to new ideas so they can be leaders in innovation and technology. And since they are Scouts, they already have the character and high standards. Maybe these kids will find the cure to cancer one day.”
Portsia Smith: 540/374-5419
psmith@fredericksburg.com