Hope this goes nowhere. I'd have commented sooner, but I've been out of town.
Specifically, I've been in Japan as a leader for a BSA contingent of 41 people (35 Scouts and 6 leaders) from July 29th to yesterday. We flew to Toyko and stayed in the National Olympic Youth Center and toured Toyko by bus. Then we all stayed with Japanese Scouters and their families for two nights for a host stay to get to understand Japanese home and family life. After that, we attended the 6th Nippon Venture Jamboree with a group of Japanese scouts and did a bunch of high-adventure activities, as well as cooked and ate with them and had some fun after dinner activities.
Then we went to the Asia-Pacific Youth Forum with about 50 Japanese Scouts and Scouters and about 60 Scouts and Scouters from around 20 different countries around Asia and the Pacific Rim - New Zealand, Austrialia, French Polynesia, Bhutan, Nepal, Republic of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, etc. There were a number of panel discussions and workshops on the problems that the different Scouts see in their countries, and how they all feel that they as Scouts can help address them, as well as how to increase membership in Scouting.
We had 25 young men and 12 young women (ages 15 - 18) from 11 states. They all had fun and they all did a fine job of representing the BSA and the US while getting to know the other Scouts present. It was a very intense experience and the trip of a lifetime for all of us. I'll be posting more later when I get caught up.
bttt
Sounds like you had a great time. GO SCOUTS!!!!
Just came down off Mt. Lemon in Tucson from Camp Lawton after completing second part of 6 days "resident" part of the work to start my Wood Badge Ticket (OWL patrol).
Our patrol project was on --- World Scouting and how Scouting is restarting even in Iraq and Afghanistan with help from adult scout leader from the coalition forces.
Yours in Scouting SandRat.