The Medal of Honor Character Development Program team recently spent nine days in the mountains and valleys of West Virginia at 2023 National Jamboree. At Jamboree, Scouts participated in events like kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing and earned merit badges in activities including leather-working and theater. Hundreds of Scouts also lined up at the Medal of Honor tent, where they had the chance to learn about the Medal of Honor, its Recipients, and the values they represent.  

In the tent, Scouts participated in lessons about Medal of Honor Recipients Florent Groberg, Richard O’Kane, and Eugene Fluckey. They also created their own custom challenge coins after completing a version of the My Challenge to You lesson from the CDP secondary curriculum. Those who spent the time to engage with all of the activities earned an exclusive 2023 National Jamboree Patch.  

During the lesson on O’Kane and Fluckey, Scouts were the very first to preview a new video on the heroic stories of these two WWII submariners in the naval battles of the Pacific Theatre. Stay tuned to our social media channels for the upcoming public premiere of this new video!

Scouts and adults at National Jamboree also had the unique experience of hearing from four Medal of Honor Recipients. Sammy Davis, David Bellavia, and Leroy Petry each spoke as part of the Scout Chat series, and Jim “Doc” McCloughan was a keynote speaker in the Leadership Heights series. After their speeches, these Recipients spent time at the Medal of Honor tent, signing autographs and meeting Scouts who were inspired by their messages of leadership and commitment.  

A special thank you to our sponsors for National Jamboree: BlueForge Alliance in partnership with BuildSubmarines.com. We are grateful to partner with these organizations to highlight the stories of Medal of Honor Recipients, and we look forward to showcasing brave acts performed by Medal of Honor submariners and demonstrating to students the ways they can show the values of courage, citizenship, and patriotism in their own lives through service to their communities and their country.  

ABOUT THE MEDAL OF HONOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM  

The Medal of Honor Character Development Program is a free resource that teaches courage, commitment, integrity, sacrifice, citizenship, and patriotism to students through educationally grounded lessons developed by teachers for teachers. Both the elementary and secondary resources of the CDP teach students to recognize and exemplify these values, making them useful as Social Emotional Learning resources, as a classroom management system, or as a tool to create a positive and healthy school culture.  

For more lessons revolving around our six core values, visit our website. To stay up-to-date on new lessons and teaching resources, sign up to receive our monthly newsletter.