Misawa Air Base Hosts 60th International Scout Day

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jan David Mercado | 191116-N-EJ241-1037 MISAWA, Japan (Nov. 16, 2019) – Scouts work together on one of the several games during the International Scout Day event on Misawa Air Base. Japanese and U.S. Scouts have annually gathered at Misawa Air Base since 1959. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jan David De Luna Mercado)  

MISAWA, AOMORI, JAPAN

11.16.2019

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jan David Mercado 

Naval Air Facility Misawa

MISAWA, Japan – Misawa Air Base hosted the 60th International Scout Day November 16.

International Scout Day celebrates bilateral friendships and cooperation among boys and girls from a wide age range.

“This event is important because it gives our Scouts, as well as the Japanese Scouts, the opportunity to interact with each other, and treat each other as brothers or sisters, since they both have that common thread,” said Andrea Douglas, Misawa Girl Scouts Overseas Chair Committee.

The event started with opening ceremonies, which included a flag ceremony and the recitation of all the promises and laws for each Boy and Girl Scout present.

Scout leaders, with the help of several volunteers, led 10 stations of different games including jump rope, team cup stacking, and relay races, as part of the activities scheduled for the event.

“International Scout Day is a chance for the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, and the Cub Scouts from the troops here on Misawa Air Base and from the local community, the Japanese Scouts, to get together, meet each other, play some games, have some fun, and just share the experience of scouting,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tommy Brayden, Naval Air Facility Misawa Operations Officer.

“When my kids were old enough, all three of them became Scouts as well, and I became a Scout leader to help them out,” said Brayden an Eagle Scout.

Scouts and leaders worked together throughout the day to accomplish several goals involving teamwork and communication skills as a way to bridge the common ground between all of the different scouting programs present during the event.

“The scouting program is slightly different than the Japanese scouting program, but we all share the same values, the same lessons that we are hoping kids get out of scouting,” said Brayden. “We want to share those and build the relationship between our two nations.”

Japanese and U.S. Scouts have annually gathered at Misawa Air Base since 1959, but the first official International Scout Day occurred in 1992.

“The most memorable moment I observed today is the two gentlemen associated with Japanese scouting that were here at the first International Scout Day on Misawa Air Base in 1959,” said Brayden. “They were here as young scouts, and now they are here as leaders and it was very interesting to hear their perspective and get to talk to them.”

One of the two gentlemen from the Boy Scouts of Japan who were present during the first International Scout Day, presented Douglas with a copy of the news article of the first International Scout Day with his picture in it.

International scouting is the largest voluntary youth movement in the world with a membership of more than 31 million boys and girls, across more than 200 different countries and territories.

“Thank you for all the volunteers that helped today, without them this event would not have been as successful as it was,” said Douglas.

• Date Taken: 11.16.2019
• Date Posted: 12.06.2019 01:40
• Story ID: 354489
• Location: MISAWA, AOMORI, JP