For someone who is only 15 years old, Benjamin Barber is a visionary.  After attending the Boy Scouts National Jamboree in 2013, Barber knew he wanted to grow, both as a scout and as a person.  The 2013 Jamboree was held right here in West Virginia and the surroundings were exciting, but familiar.  When the possibility arose for Barber to travel to the other side of the world for the 2015 World Jamboree, he knew it would become a reality.

Located nearly 7000 miles away in Kirara Hama, Japan, the World Jamboree will be held from July28-August 8, 2015.  With a theme of “A Spirit of Unity,”  the event will be filled with activities that promote cooperation, friendship, and harmony as well as a deep understanding of a culture that preserves tradition and excels at growth simultaneously. 

 

Barber, a sophomore at Bridgeport High School and a member of Troop 40 in Bridgeport, is currently a Star Scout and plans to be a Life Scout before he leaves for Japan.  Upon his return, he will begin working on his Eagle project and the international experience is sure to inspire some innovative ideas. 

 

“Scouts have been a huge part of my life since I was really little,” said Barber.  “The opportunity to travel to the World Jamboree in Japan is so exciting.”

 

The trip will cost Barber about $6000 and he is hard at work earning the money to attend. 

 

“I have been mowing yards all summer and plan to shovel walks throughout the winter in order to raise money. My mom has been working really hard making  quilts to sell in order to make this trip a reality and I really appreciate all her hard work,” Barber said. 

 

Barber’s mom, Pamela Barber, makes one-of-a-kind themed quilts, including those made out of children’s old jerseys or uniforms or even special t-shirts.

 

“They make great gifts and preserve childhood memories in a tangible way,” said Barber. 

 

She also has more general themes, such as WVU and Harley Davidson quilts. She has already had two raffles for her quilts and plans to raffle off a full-size Steelers quilt the week of Christmas.  Tickets are $1 and only 500 will be sold.  To order quilts and help finance the trip to Japan, those interested can contact Barber at www.facebook.com/quiltsandtees or email her at quiltsandtees@gmail.com.

 

The Jamboree will coincide with the 70^th Anniversary of the bombings of Japan and the scouts will have the opportunity to go to Hiroshima Memorial Park and Museum and possibly attend the memorial ceremony.  Throughout the event, the concept of peace is encouraged and there will be an on-site Global Development Village that will raise awareness of ways the scouts can help with issues involving human rights, health, and the environment.  There will also be a special feature on disaster mitigation and a City of Science, that advances in technology, renewable resources, science and robotics. 

 

Scouts will have the opportunity to appreciate nature as they have high adventure fun, including rafting, sailing, fishing, and snorkeling as well as zip-lining and hiking. 

 

“When I attended the 2013 National Jamboree at The Summit in Southern West Virginia, I loved all the zip-lining and adventure sports.  It’s exciting to think about how it will be in Japan,” said Barber.  “The part I am most looking forward to is meeting all the people from around the world.  The diversity is so amazing and it will be fun to see how, even though we all have scouts in common, the cultures and traditions can be so different.  I hope to make lifelong friends there and be able to bring the experience back with me to promote the benefits of scouting."