2026 National Scout Jamboree

Northern Lights Council Contingent

Full Tour Dates: July 19-31, 2026

Summit Bechtel Reserve, West Virginia (with 2 days in Washington, DC)

Join us along with thousands of other Scouts and Scouters across the nation for an adventure of a lifetime! More updates can be found at the National Jamboree website at jamboree.scouting.org. This will be an especially memorable trip as we will be celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States in Washington, DC.

Adults MUST be approved by the Northern Lights Council before registering. Please contact ryan.hansen@scouting.org prior to registering any adults.

Event Fee:

The fee for the Northern Lights Council contingent in 2026 will be $4,900 per person. If the actual transportation costs are less than budgeted and no unplanned expenses occur, the final cost will be reduced. This fee includes:

• The National Jamboree fee ($1,560)
• Round-trip airfare and baggage fees from Fargo to Washington, DC ($800)
• 2 days of professionally guided tours in Washington, DC ($850)
• 3 nights of hotel stays (w/ security), bus transportation to/from Summit, and all meals ($600)
• All camping gear (tent, duffel bag, etc), patches, 2 shirts, shakedown costs, and marketing costs ($500)
• Administrative fees ($250)
• Surplus for unexpected costs ($300)

Other optional costs include any contingent t-shirts beyond the included 2 ($15 each), additional patch sets beyond the included 2 (price TBD), and snacks/drinks at the airport.

Youth Participation Requirements:

• Must have current Scouting membership.
• Must be 12 years of age by the first day of Jamboree but not reach 18 years of age before the last day of Jamboree.
• Be approved by the Northern Lights Council.
• Participate in at least 2 pre-Jamboree shakedowns with the Jamboree contingent in Bismarck and/or Fargo. 
• Submit an Annual Health & Medical Record using the online Jamboree submission process (form must be dated on or after July 1, 2025).
• Pay the non-refundable $500 deposit and all registration fees per the published payment schedule.

Payment Schedule:

A deposit of $500 must be paid online to secure your spot for the Jamboree. This fee is nonrefundable and will be applied to your total balance of $4,900. The following payment schedule will be applied leading up to the event. The minimum monthly payment from June 2025 to April 2026 is $400. You may pay more than is what’s required at a given time, but the minimum must still be met.

Jamboree Refund Policy: Once the $500 deposit is paid, the individual is committed to adhering to the payment plan schedule and paying for the entirety of the trip. Any cancellations before August 31, 2025, will receive a full refund of the event cost (minus the $500 deposit). Cancellations between September 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025, will receive a 50% refund of the total event fee ($2,450). Cancellations on or after January 1, 2026, will not receive any refund and will remain committed to paying the full cost of the trip. This policy supersedes any other council refund policy that may be found elsewhere.

Deposits are nonrefundable, but they are transferrable to another Scout not already registered for the Jamboree.

Fundraising and Scholarship Opportunities:

We understand that the fees for Jamboree may be more than expected for many families. The Northern Lights Council is pleased to share that we will host a "Jamboree troop" during the 2025 Fall Popcorn Sale. Scouts registered for the Jamboree are invited to enroll and receive a 40% commission on all popcorn sales, rather than the normal 29-33% commission. Scouts interested in this opportunity would enroll in this troop through the Trails End site rather than their home troop.

In order to raise $4,900 to pay for the Jamboree, Scout would need to sell $12,250 in product. Many Scouts were able to sell over $10,000 in product in 2024. Other fundraising opportunities exist with the council's spring sale and other initiatives your troop may host.

It is also the goal of the planning team that our council can produce an appealing Jamboree patch set, available for sale to collectors, in an effort to reduce the overall price of the event. Anyone with an idea should contact us soon!