Marshall Islands advances Scouting Program

Majuro, Marshall Islands, under the leadership of Island Director Hirobo Obeketang and chairman Kenneth Kramer, is preparing to hold two camp programs this summer, the first on July 1-4 and the second on July 30-Aug 1. These two camps will introduce merit badges and the BSA advancement program to the Scouts in Majuro.

Three merit badges will be offered to our Scouts including Basketry, Art and Fingerprinting, along with Scout skills requirements of the Tenderfoot rank. To prepare for this, Scout leaders on Majuro took part in a 3-day seminar on merit badges, merit badge counseling and rank advancement held two hours each afternoon. Interest in the program increased so much, as word spread, that by the third day attendance at the seminar had doubled.

The training seminar was combined with preparation to participate in the 2009 Republic of the Marshall Islands Flag Day ceremonies, held on May 1st. Individuals from the Department of Public Safety were invited to teach the leaders how to drill their Scouts to prepare them for marching in the Flag Day celebration. Uniform donations were also secured for most of the Scouts participating. In all, over 100 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts marched in the Flag Day parade.

These same Scouts are now preparing to take part in the Boy Scout summer camps, which will be held on the small islet of Enemanit. Funding for this camp will provided primarily by PII, Inc. and Do It Best Hardware.

Growth of Scouting in the Pacific Basin

The Pacific Basin is expanding to serve more youth as new units are established and existing ones are strengthened.

Yap State recently rebuilt a Boy Scout troop with the help of Curtis Villa (pictured above), a Filipino national who is in Yap with his family on a contract with the College of Micronesia.

Kosrae State and American Samoa organized five new units between them, two troops and one Venturing Crew, with the LDS Branches in Kosrae, and a new Cub Scout Pack and Scout Troop with Aua Elementary School in American Samoa.

More new units, serving youth on other islands, are expected this year.