What happens when thousands of Scouts from across the country come together for days filled with adventure, challenges, new friendships, patch trading, high adventure, STEM activities and everything Scouting?
You get the National Jamboree.
In July, Scouts and leaders from Occoneechee Council joined with Tuscarora Council and East Carolina Council to form a contingent headed to EleVate, the 2026 National Jamboree. For Scouts who had never experienced a Jamboree before, it was a chance to discover just how big the community of Scouting really is.
Among those making the trip were Adam Mottershead, Exploring Executive, and Erin Shiflett, Program Executive, for Occoneechee Council, Scouting America.
Adam has a unique connection to both Scouting and the United Methodist Church. Before joining the professional staff at Occoneechee Council, he worked for the UMC and long before that, he was a Scout himself, earning the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 357 in Occoneechee Council.
But despite his years in Scouting, Adam had never been to a National Jamboree.
This year, that changed.
Here is Jamboree through the eyes of a first-time attendee.
So, What Is Jamboree Really Like?
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the 2026 National Jamboree as part of the United Methodist contingent supporting Duty to God at Jamboree.
Given the crossroads of my career between Scouting America and the United Methodist Church, I was honored to be asked to lead music for the Open Faith Service at EleVate. The service welcomed everyone, with worship elements designed so they were not specific to any one religion.
That service was what initially brought me to Jamboree.
But once I arrived, I quickly realized there was a whole lot more to experience.
Being there gave me the opportunity to spend time with our council contingent, talk with Scouts and hear their stories about what Jamboree is really all about.
And one thing stood out immediately: the energy.
The young people we saw at Jamboree had smiles that were electric. It is not every day you get to wake up surrounded by thousands of your best friends. These are people who may have arrived from different communities and different parts of the country, but who share similar values and the same mission.
There is something pretty incredible about that.
There Really Is Something for Everyone
I am a proud Occoneechee Eagle Scout, but before this year, I had never attended a National Jamboree.
What I discovered was an experience much bigger than I expected.
Jamboree had something for everyone.
You could build circuits at STEM Quest, take on high-adventure outdoor activities, trade patches with Scouts you had just met, try something completely new or simply spend time laughing and making friends with fellow Scouts.
Everywhere you looked, something was happening.
But the activities were only part of it.
Jamboree gives Scouts a chance to realize that they are part of something much larger than their troop or hometown. Thousands of young people come together with different backgrounds, interests and experiences and somehow, everyone finds a place.
Everyone had a space, and ALL were welcome at Jamboree.
Ready to Take on the World
During the Open Faith Service, one of the songs we sang included the lyric:
“Let us take on the world while we are young and able.” -Crowded Table, the Highwomen
Looking out at approximately 1,500 young people gathered for worship that morning, those words became an anthem.
It was exactly what I saw happening around me at Jamboree.
Young people challenging themselves. Meeting new people. Exploring new interests. Growing as leaders. Building confidence. Living the values of Scouting alongside thousands of other Scouts doing the same.
The ideals of Scouting were alive and well at the 2026 EleVate Jamboree.
And if Jamboree showed me anything, it is that this generation of Scouts is ready to take on the world while they are young and able.
Until the Next Jamboree
It was a true honor to join the fun and experience Jamboree for the first time.
A special thank you to Occoneechee Council Program Executive Erin Shiflett, who made the journey to serve alongside me with Duty to God; Steve Scheid, Open Faith Service Event Chair; National Commissioner Devang Desai; and UMC Bishop Reverend Dr. Debra Wallace-Padgett, who joined us that morning for worship.
I am also grateful for the support of Occoneechee Council and the Exploring Committee that helped make this experience possible.
I arrived at Jamboree as an Eagle Scout who had somehow never experienced one.
I left with my head held high, a smile a mile wide and a reminder of why experiences like this matter.
From the confidence of the 1,500 that stood alongside me that morning, I departed with the utmost assurance that Scouting is alive and well.
And for the Scouts wondering whether they should go to the next National Jamboree?
Go.
Take the trip. Try the activity you have never tried. Trade the patch. Meet the Scout from the other side of the country. Stay up talking with your new friends. Challenge yourself.
You may arrive knowing only the Scouts in your contingent.
You might leave feeling like you have thousands of new friends.
— Adam Mottershead
Exploring Executive
Occoneechee Council, Scouting America
Eagle Scout, Troop 357
Photo album from EleVate: the 2026 National Jamboree, capturing the activities, adventures, people and moments that made up the National Jamboree experience.
Photo album from Occoneechee Council Scouts, leaders, and volunteers attending the 2026 National Scout Jamboree.