It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance and eight Richmond scouts did not want to miss it. It took two years of intense fundraising and planning, but the prize was the opportunity to attend the 23rd World Scout Jamboree in Japan. Seven scouts from the 32nd Richmond Scouts fundraised as a group, and one youth from the 12th Richmond Scouts raised money individually.
Timothy Yap, Scouts Rover for the 32nd Richmond Scouts, called the fundraising and planning a “huge success.”
“We are pretty excited to go and come back and share with the scouts what we have learned,” Yap said before heading out last week.
Emily Wan, the 32nd Richmond Scout’s group commissioner, agreed the scouts were excited and said she wanted to “help develop the next generation of leaders.”
The 32nd Richmond scouts will be the first to go as a group from Richmond to an international Jamboree. Yap and Wan are part of the service group which helped organize the event.
After the Jamboree, Wan and her group will stay in Japan to explore the Hiroshima memorial site and climb Mount Fuji. Wan’s goal is to not only have a personal learning experience, but to also “give it back to Richmond.”
Tony Zachata, a dedicated scout since the age of five, is proud to be the only youth member from the 12th Richmond Scouts to attend the Jamboree.
Tony, 15, raised $7,000 to fund his trip. He will also attend a pre-jamboree in Hong Kong before heading to Japan for the 10-day experience. His trip will end with a stay at a Japanese household.
The theme of this year’s World Jamboree is “Wa: Unity and Peace” and will be held at Yamaguchi city’s beach Kirarahama. The ground will be full of “houses” resembling nations displaying their cultures.
Wan says being a scout is valuable because it teaches you to “not only be a better citizen, but also how to be a better leader.”
The World Jamboree, which runs until Aug. 8, takes place every four years. Last time it was organized in Europe.
