One of our Scouts took part in the 23rd World Scout Jamboree in Japan this summer.

Thomas returned to tell the church about this amazing experience, and to thank us for our support.  During the morning service on 18 October, he gave a very interesting presentation on this event.

Thomas attended as part of a group of scouts from Northumberland, who each had to raise funds to pay for their trip.  The jamboree was held at Yamaguchi, near Hiroshima, and had a theme of peace.  For those attending, there were 2 years of preparation, team-building and fundraising.

The trip involved a great deal of travel, with several aeroplanes, trains and coaches.  The scouts enjoyed some home hospitality with a Japanese family in the city of Nara before the jamboree, and also visited Hiroshima, Tokyo and the island of Suo-Oshima during their stay in Japan.  This gave them a taste of Japanese culture and cuisine.  They visited zoos, museums and historic temples, and saw deer roaming the streets.  They also visited a school and took part in science lessons, listened to a brass band, and helped to make ornaments to decorate a tree for a local festival.  The scouts visited a peace memorial museum in Hiroshima, which is now once again a thriving city, and were given a memorial coin each.

The opening ceremony with 30,000 scouts from all over the world was an overwhelming experience.  Life at the jamboree was noisy, exhausting and tremendous fun.  The scouts from Northumberland had the opportunity to share some of their local culture, with tea and singing hinnies, hopscotch and jigsaw puzzles, as well as sampling other cultures on show.

After this trip of a lifetime, Thomas closed by enthusiastically recommending Scouting to other young boys and girls.