Scout group represents Bryanston at the World Scout Jamboree

A week before the jamboree, the group arrived and had the opportunity to take in the sites of Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Kyoto.

The world jamborees are held every four years in a different country, and are an opportunity for the world’s youth to meet each other and learn something about each other’s cultures, beliefs and way of life.

“This must be the highest number of Scouts that the group has sent to a World Jamboree in recent years, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they share their knowledge and experiences with the rest of the troop,” said Mike Stanley of the 1st Bryanston Scout Group.

The 142 scouts and 36 adult leaders from South Africa joined more than 32 000 Scouts from 144 countries to experience 12 days of camping and adventure at the jamboree site.

In addition to making new friends and swapping badges, the jamboree also focused the Scouts’ attention on pressing societal issues such as global development, peace, culture, science, nature and water. Visits to local schools were also arranged, where they learned about and experienced traditional Japanese culture, festivities and food.

One of the key highlights was the special Peace Memorial Ceremony held at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, as this year marked the 70th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the World War II. The aim of this offsite visit was to deepen the awareness of the Scouts about the sanctity of life and the importance of empathising with others, which is in line with the values contained in the Scout Promise and Law.

Scouts joined with the citizens of Hiroshima city and other dignitaries, as they prayed for those who lost their lives in the nuclear bombing, as well as for peace in the world.

The next World Scout Jamboree takes place in West Virginia, USA, in 2019.

“We hope to inspire and assist a number of our Scouts to attend the next one,” said Stanley.