The land of Goshen, Virginia

Goshen in western Virginia ... green and lush in late summer.

Thousands of Boy Scouts have enjoyed the Goshen Boy Scout Reservation, a gift of 4,000 acres from Marjorie Merriweather Post donated to the National Capital Area Council. Providing a rustic atmosphere for camping, hiking, swimming, and learning new skills for new badges, it is made up of six various "camps" around Lake Merriweather, named after Mrs. Post.

Surrounded by the George Washington National Forest and the Goshen Natural Preserve, boys have been camping at Goshen Boy Scout Reservation since 1967. The location put Virginia in the running for the permanent National Scout Jamboree in 2010 but lost out to nearby West Virginia.

Back roads, mountains, hiking trails, wildflowers, wild critters ...

... and the Maury River that carves its way through the mountains. 

See also post with more photos: Goshen Pass, Virginia ... the Maury River

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
24 August 2011

Boy Scout National Jamboree moving to Goshen

In a move that is sure to help the surrounding localities of Rockbridge, Augusta, and Bath counties, the Boy Scouts of America announced they are moving their national jamboree to Goshen, Virginia. Located 30 minutes west of my house, the area around Goshen Pass stands out for its rustic beauty.

Held for years at Fort A.P. Hill in Carolina County, the new location is perfect for the Boy Scouts. If they locate at the 4,000-acre Goshen Scout Reservation, they will be adjacent to the George Washington National Forest, the Maury River, and the wide open spaces of western Virginia as well as surrounding Lake Meriweather.

The Goshen location won out over a location in Arkansas.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

“In its entirety, the center will offer a new American landmark — a multipurpose, year-round destination for Scouting activities that will become the epicenter for the best that Scouting has to offer,“ Jack D. Furst, who oversaw the selection process, said in a news release issued by the organization.

The same release quoted Patrick O. Gottschalk, Virginia secretary of commerce and trade, as saying the state was “committed to this process and know that we have a tremendous amount to offer in the long term to this time-honored celebration and the organizational goals of the Boy Scouts.“

The jamboree has been held at the 76,000-acre Fort A.P. Hill Army base near Bowling Green every four years since 1981. The event is scheduled there again in 2010 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.

The jamborees routinely attract about 40,000 Scouts and their leaders, along with hundreds of thousands of visitors.

The organization’s release said the group selected Rockbridge County in part because of its natural beauty, the size of available land and its proximity to nearby Interstates 81 and 64 as well as commercial airports.

Welcome, Boy Scouts of America!

Scouts will repair VA national forest trails

About an hour west of Staunton is the Goshen Scout Camp located outside Goshen in Rockbridge County, Virginia. It is a sprawling complex of cabins, lodges, and service buildings surrounding the huge Lake Merriweather and bordering the Maury River ... all donated to the Scouts by one of the Rockefellers.

An army of 750 Scouts is assembling there today -- members of the organization's honor society known as the Order of the Arrow -- preparing for tomorrow when they will begin to tackle their largest service project in 50 years.

The Scouts are there to provide help to the U.S. Forest Service which is understaffed and under-financed when it comes to keeping trails maintained and building new ones. Working in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, the Scouts will clear 63 miles of existing trails, build 12 miles of new trails, and construct new camp sites.

These are the best of our youth ... future leaders in America.