The 24th World Scout Jamboree will gather the world’s youth from more than 160 Scouting organizations
IRVING, TEXAS — December 1, 2015 — Martin “Marty” Walsh has been chosen as the executive director of the 2019 World Scout Jamboree.
The 24th World Scout Jamboree—which will take place from 22 July to 2 August, 2019, at The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia—will mark the first time a world jamboree has been hosted by three national Scout organizations: Scouts Canada, Asociación de Scouts de México, and the Boy Scouts of America.
Walsh was chosen for the event’s top managerial post from a field of more than 40 applicants representing eight countries, including candidates from both within and outside of the Scouting movement.
In this role, he will be charged with executive management of the development and administration of the first ever tri-lateral jamboree. He will work closely with the Jamboree Leadership Team, the World Organization of the Scout Movement, and the three national co-hosts. Mike Scott, co-chair for Scouts Canada, stated that “adding someone to our leadership team with Marty’s depth of experience and passion for scouting will enhance our capabilities to deliver an amazing event in 2019.”
The 2019 World Scout Jamboree, a unique, multicultural gathering of world youth between the ages of 14 and 17, will be attended by more than 40,000 young men and women from more than 160 national Scouting organizations. Omar Lugo, co-chair of the Asociación de Scouts de México, A.C., said Walsh “is prepared to build a multicultural team that will share the unique stories of each of our three co-hosts and the world Scouting community.”
“We are excited to announce Marty Walsh as the executive director,” said Scott Sorrels, who serves as BSA co-chair of the 2019 World Scout Jamboree. “It is a significant milestone in our preparation to welcome the Scouting world to North America and the Summit Bechtel Reserve in beautiful West Virginia.”
Since launching his Scouting career in 1984 as an Exploring executive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Walsh has dedicated more than 30 years to the youth-serving movement. Exploring is the BSA’s career exploration program that serves both young men and women.
In 1998, Walsh joined the BSA’s National Council in Irving, Texas, as an associate director of Learning for Life—a wholly owned subsidiary of the BSA that offers a range of educational programs designed to support schools and community-based organizations in their efforts to prepare youth to successfully handle the complexities of contemporary life. In 2014, Walsh was named national director of Learning for Life and Exploring. As a volunteer, he served in a variety of unit positions in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturing. He also has served as a staff member on National Scout Jamboree staffs in 2001, 2005, 2010, and 2013. In 2010, he attended Wood Badge training and was presented with his beads in 2011.
Walsh lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife Mariann. They are the proud parents of two grown sons, both of whom have earned Eagle Scout, the BSA’s highest rank for youth members.
About the 2019 World Scout Jamboree
For 12 days, tens of thousands of young people from around the world will gather at the 10,600-acre (4,300 hectares) Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.
The event will be the first world jamboree held in the United States since 1967 and the first time since the 1983 World Jamboree in Alberta, Canada, that a North American site has hosted. While Scouts Canada has hosted world jamborees in the past—1955 and 1983—this will be the first time that Asociación de Scouts de México will share hosting duties with Canada and the United States.
About the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America prepares young people for life by providing the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The Scouting organization is composed of 2.4 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 21, and more than a million volunteers, in approximately 280 local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.
About Scouts Canada
Kids in Scouts have fun adventures, discovering new things and experiences they wouldn’t discover elsewhere. Along the way, they develop into capable, confident and well-rounded individuals, better prepared for success in the world. Scouts Canada is the country’s leading co-ed youth organization, with 100,000 members nationwide. Scouts Canada offers programming for children and youth aged 5-26 in multiple languages, reflecting Canada’s multicultural landscape and communities. For more information, visit Scouts.ca.
About the Asociación de Scouts de México
The Asociación de Scouts de México has always been a leader for Scouting in Spanish-speaking countries throughout the Americas. It continues to host large regional events and provide leadership to several Scout associations. Founded in 1920, the Asociación de Scouts de México is headquartered in Mexico City and boasts a membership of more than 40,000 members, making it one of the largest Scout associations in Latin America. For more information on the Asociación de Scouts de México, please visit www.scouts.org.mx.