Scouts head for the rising sun

Scouts Sarah Maguire (left) and Lucy Morris are heading to Japan.

Three Shetland scouts are travelling to the Yamaguchi region of Japan to participate in the largest gathering of Scouts and Guides in the world.

Sarah Maguire of Mossbank, Lucy Morris of Sandwick and Rebecca Hinton, formerly of Walls, will participate in the 23rd World Scout Jamboree, an event held once every four years.

They will join 4,000 other Scouts and Guides from across the UK and over 32,000 from 144 countries, where they will be sharing and celebrating their cultures.

Their journeys to the jamboree began over two years ago when they were selected to represent Shetland within their units.

Over the past two years Sarah and Rebecca, of Hjaltland Explorer Unit in Lerwick, and Lucy of 1st Sandwick Guides, participated in five training weekends to build teamwork, and most importantly, friendships within their respective units.

Learning about Japanese culture was largely incorporated into the weekends, with many meals being eaten with chopsticks and washed down with everyone’s “favourite” – miso soup.

Trying new and unfamiliar foods was largely important for their preparation for the jamboree, as a section of the three weeks they spend away from their homes will be spent in someone else’s house.

“Ho Ho”, meaning home hospitality, is to educate the Scouts and Guides who experience the jamboree not only about the place they are visiting, but about the people who live there.

The following three nights after “Ho Ho” will be spent exploring Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures, and then the 12 nights afterwards will be the experience of a lifetime – participating in a jamboree where the girls will be camping together with thousands of other teenagers like themselves from throughout the world.

Laurence Goudie of Lerwick will also be joining the trio on the adventure, as he is on the International Service Team (IST) which is responsible for the setting-up and running of the jamboree through its 12 nights.

All four are ecstatic to be travelling to such an exciting and beautiful part of the world and participating in such a life changing experience.

If anyone is interested in joining the Hjatland Explorer Unit they can contact Tommy Goudie at email tommygoudie@btinternet.com.

If they are interested with joining the 1st Sandwick Guides they can contact Louise on (01950) 431285.

–  Sarah Maguire