Photo courtesy of Midshipman 3rd Class Daniel Roberts Midshipmen talk with Boy Scouts at the 24th annual Naval Academy National Eagle Scout Association Jamboree Jan. 15 at the United States Naval Academy. More than 400 scouts and 50 Eagle Scout midshipmen were involved in the event.

Scouts from around the country began arriving Jan.14, with the midshipmen planning staff registering them for a fun weekend.

By Jan. 15 over 50 of the nearly 400 Eagle Scout midshipmen on the yard came out to instruct a wide variety of merit badge classes, including weather, astronomy and fire safety. Some midshipmen taught first aid and personal fitness while others, including Midshipmen 3rd Class Steven Musselwhite and Matthew Perry taught more technical skills such as radio use and an introduction to space exploration.

Midshipmen taught orienteering to the scouts, and Midshipman 2nd Class Peter Shelton taught pioneering, which includes learning about different types and safe working loads of ropes and how to form different kinds of splices.

One of the most difficult courses offered was wilderness survival. This class culminated in an overnight campout in below-freezing temperatures in a shelter built that day.

Adult leaders and more advanced scouts were offered Red Cross CPR, climbing, and ‘‘Leave No Trace” outdoor ethics courses, designed to teach scouts how to enjoy the outdoors with minimal impact on the environment. Several midshipmen who completed summer training at Philmont scout ranch in New Mexico taught a backpacking familiarization course for the scout ranch.

During the noontime break, the Baltimore Marine Construction Battalion presented a display that included a Humvee and bomb robot. The scouts flocked around their equipment with questions for the midshipmen about what they will do in the Navy. Midshipmen offered advice about the academy and their experiences to the interested scouts.

The evening ended with was an admissions brief and a show that entertained a crowd of over 400 with skits and an address by Cmdr. Kurt Statts of the academy’s Weapons and Systems Engineering Department. Statts’ address, about his career as a Naval Flight Officer in F-14’s and other various platforms, that captured the attention of both the scouts and the midshipmen present.

Sunday morning, before packing up to leave for home, the scouts enjoyed a tour of the Naval Academy yard with midshipmen, visiting many significant monuments, including Herndon, T-court and Memorial Hall.