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WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2005 – President Bush praised Boy Scout values of patriotism, integrity and citizenship July 31 at the organization's 16th National Jamboree held at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. The 30,000-plus scouts attending the jamboree from around the world "are carrying on a tradition that dates back almost seven decades," Bush observed, noting that President Franklin Roosevelt came to the first jamboree in 1937. Over the years, millions of Americans have recited the Scout oath, which begins, "On my honor, I'll do my best," said Bush, who was a Cub Scout during his youth Midland, Texas. Bush said he...

Today President George W Bush used his constitutional authority to appoint John Bolton to serve as America's Ambassador to the United Nations. The President said that John Bolton will be an important member of his State Department team, led by Condoleezza Rice. Over the weekend the President had a routine physical on Saturday at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethseda, Maryland. He was pronounced fit for duty and above average fitness for a man of his age. Afterwards he visited wounded sailors and Marines recovering at the hospital. On Sunday evening the President spoke at the Boy Scout National Jamboree...

Bowling Green, Va. -- Succeeding on his third try to visit them, President Bush comforted thousands of Boy Scouts on Sunday at a national jamboree marred by the electrocutions of four leaders and stifling heat that sickened 300. "The men you lost were models of good citizenship," Bush told the estimated 50,000 Scouts, leaders and visitors attending the event near Bowling Green, Va., where boys yelled "Boy Scouts Rock!" "As scout leaders, they devoted themselves to helping young men develop the character and skills they need to realize their dreams. These men will always be remembered for their leadership and...

BOWLING GREEN, Va. -- Their motto is: "Be prepared." But as the disaster-riddled National Boy Scout Jamboree carries on following five deaths and hundreds of heat-related illnesses, event planners from across the country are wondering just how prepared the Scouts were. "That's the part that breaks my heart _ there are things you can avoid and things you can't," said Phyllis Cambria, an event planner from Boca Raton, Fla., who has written several books on the subject. "This one sounds like it was an avoidable one." Scout officials say they are not ready to place blame and are still investigating...

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) came to Fort A.P. Hill July 27 to address the 2005 National Scout Jamboree. Foremost on his mind was the importance of the U.S. military’s support to the scouts gathered before him. “Federal support for the jamboree -- what we are doing here today -- is important in helping to train our brave men and women in the military,” he said. Frist said he was proud to announce the “Support Our Scouts Act of 2005” as an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Bill that he sponsored. “The vote was ninety-eight to...

WASHINGTON — Larry Call told his wife that he wasn’t sure if it was a few seconds or a few minutes. But as he gripped the metal pole and hoisted it beneath the sprawling white canopy, he found himself suddenly paralyzed, full of electricity and a pain he has not yet found words to describe. He was jolted to the ground and lay there, barely conscious under the canvas, Paula Call said in a telephone interview from Alaska. This was the end, he thought. He looked around at it. There, hurled to the ground along with him were the men...

BOWLING GREEN, Va. -- About 300 people, most of them Boy Scouts, were sickened by the heat Wednesday while waiting for President Bush to arrive at a memorial service for four Scout leaders who were killed while pitching a tent beneath a power line. The president's visit to the Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill was postponed because of severe thunderstorms and strong wind. Instead, Bush is scheduled to visit the gathering Thursday. But before the president's appearance was called off, many Scouts fell ill from temperatures that rose into the upper 90s, made worse by high humidity. Half of...

FORT A.P. HILL, Va. (Army News Service, July 27, 2005) – About 42,000 Boy Scouts and adult leaders from around the world have arrived at the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., and following an accident July 25 in which four adult leaders were killed, activities continue with an added emphasis on safety. A safety review was conducted by the joint task force supporting the jamboree after the four scouting leaders were electrocuted while setting up their tent. Both scouts and about 2,000 service members of the task force have been cautioned to adhere to all safety procedures,...

BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - The four men electrocuted while pitching a dining tent at the Boy Scout Jamboree had ignored scouting teachings by putting the tent under a power line, a spokesman said Wednesday. The Scout leaders also had taken the "somewhat unusual" step of hiring a contractor to help with the task, Scouts spokesman Gregg Shields said. "Boy Scouts are taught not to put their tents under trees or under power lines. I don't know what happened in that case," Shields said. The four leaders killed Monday were to be remembered Wednesday at a memorial to be attended...

President Bush went to Capitol Hill this morning, accompanied by Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, to meet with and speak to the House Republican Conference and discuss issues and encourage support for CAFTA. Later he welcomed March of Dimes National Ambassador, Navy Anderson of Logan, Utah in the Oval Office, and then greeted the 2005 Boys and Girls’ Senators in the East Room. The Senators were selected to represent their states by the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. Tonight the President will be traveling to Ft. A.P. Hill in Virginia to address the Boy Scout Jamboree meeting there,...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush was offering comfort Wednesday to thousands of Boy Scouts mourning the deaths of four of their leaders, telling their national jamboree that the men who died in this week's tragic accident should be honored and remembered. Bush's speech Wednesday evening at the Boy Scouts of America's quadrennial jamboree — initially intended to celebrate volunteerism and military service — was turned into more of a consolation session after four men died on Monday while erecting a large dining tent at the gathering. Military and Scout officials were investigating the incident, in which the adult Scout leaders lost...

BOWLING GREEN, Va. - The National Boy Scout Jamboree reopened its gates Wednesday for a somber visit by President Bush and a memorial for four Scout leaders electrocuted in front of stunned children. Timmy Smith, 16, of Wheeling, W. Va., said his troop donated patches to the grieving Anchorage, Alaska, troop that lost the adult leaders Monday when a tent pole came into contact with power lines. "It would feel bad if my dad got affected like that," Smith said. "Scouts are supposed to be kind and help each other out so we helped them out." Some scouts watched in...

Boy Scouts 'All Started Screaming' Jul 26, 9:28 PM (ET) By LARRY O'DELL and JEANNETTE J. LEE (AP) A day following the deaths of four Boy Scout leaders at the National Jamboree, Boy Scouts line up...Full Image BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - They were deeply devoted to the Boy Scouts, traveling thousands of miles to the woods of northern Virginia for 10 fun-filled days of fishing, archery and storytelling beside the campfire. One of their first tasks: Set up a large tent. But the task went terribly awry when they lost control of a giant tent pole and it hit...

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Tuesday to allow U.S. military bases to continue to host Boy Scouts events, responding to lawsuits and a federal court ruling aimed at severing relationships between the government and the youth group. The vote came one day after four adult Scout leaders from an Alaska troop were killed on the opening day of the National Scout Jamboree at the Army's Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, Va., when a tent pole apparently struck a power line. In a 98-0 vote, the Senate approved the provision continuing the hosting of Boy Scout events as part of...

BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - The National Boy Scout Jamboree closed to visitors for a day of grieving and reviewing safety procedures Tuesday following the deaths of four adult scout leaders in an electrical accident. Three sons of the victims returned home to Alaska, officials said. ``Our hearts go out to the families of these dedicated Scout leaders who gave so much to their sons, their troops and their communities,'' Boy Scout spokesman Gregg Shields told reporters, his voice choked with emotion. The accident happened Monday when the Scout leaders were setting up a dining tent. Officials said the gathering,...

WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Tuesday to allow U.S. military bases to continue to host Boy Scouts events, responding to lawsuits and a federal court ruling aimed at severing relationships between the government and the youth group. The vote came one day after four adult Scout leaders were killed on the opening day of the National Scout Jamboree at the Army's Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, Va., when a tent pole apparently struck a power line. In a 98-0 vote, the Senate approved the provision continuing the hosting of Boy Scout events as part of massive bill setting Defense...

Four Boy Scout leaders were killed in Virginia on Monday, the opening day of the organization's national Jamboree, when a metal tent pole they were holding hit a power line and apparently ignited the canvas tent above them, according to Scout officials and witnesses. Officials late Monday confirmed the leaders who died are Ron Bitzer, Michael Lacroix and Michael Shibe of Anchorage and Scott Powell, who moved to Ohio last year. A fifth Alaska Scout leader, Larry Call, and an unidentified contractor were hospitalized with injuries, according to Boy Scout officials. Call is being treated at a Virginia hospital burn...

Four Boy Scout Leaders Die in Va. Accident By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM, Associated Press Writer Four adult Boy Scout leaders from Alaska were killed Monday afternoon in an electrical accident during the opening day of the organization's 2005 Jamboree. The accident happened between 4:30 and 5 p.m. while the leaders were setting up camp, officials said. More than six hours after the deaths, little additional information had been released. The Jamboree is being held on the grounds of the Army's Fort A.P. Hill; Army officials referred questions to Jamboree officials, who declined to detail how the accident occurred. One other leader...

20TH WORLD SCOUT JAMBOREE Sexual shenanigans spice up camp life It's nothing unusual, say teenage visitors Anucha Charoenpo Young love birds share an intimate moment yesterday during a party for participants in the World Scout Jamboree at Haad Yao beach in Sattahip. _ JETJARAS NA RANONG Scouts from Western countries say having sex and forming relationships is common practice among participants at the 20th World Scout Jamboree in Sattahip. They say they are well aware of the risk of sexually transmitted disease and take the necessary precautions. Rob Rolfe, 17, from Britain, said he believed some couples were having sex...

BOWLING GREEN, Va. -- Four adult Boy Scout leaders were killed Monday afternoon in an electrical accident during the opening day of the organization's 2005 Jamboree. Jamboree spokesman Gregg Shields said the accident occurred between 4:30 and 5 p.m. while the leaders were setting up camp. One other leader and a contract worker were injured, and were hospitalized in stable condition, Shields said. No youth Scouts were seriously hurt, he said. He did not say how many might have sustained minor injuries. Shields did not have additional details about the accident, including the victims' names. "We have an investigation under...