The very first Cub Scout Day Camp took place at Penny Lake here April 26.
Leaders from the station Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts invited local Japanese scouts to enjoy a day filled with fun and exciting activities.
For most of the children, being able to explore the static displays of different aircraft was the most exciting part of the day.
After visiting the airplanes, the scouts had a flag ceremony at Penny Lake that started the rest of the day’s festivities.
More than 30 volunteers helped set up stations for the kids to choose from.
Stations included knot tying, an obstacle course, ultimate Frisbee, tug-of-war, sack races and three-legged races.
“I really like being able to be a good role model to the kids on base and in the community,” said Cpl. Michael McDougald, an aviation operation specialist who volunteered to help during the sack-toss portion of the event.
The scouts earned a different colored bead for each station they completed to see how many beads they could collect by the end of the day.
The scouts could go through each station as many times as they wanted.
Marine Corps Community Services also provided the children with volleyball and badminton nets, and a bounce house to play in when they weren’t preoccupied with other activities throughout the day.
After a long morning of fun, hamburgers, hot dogs, authentic Japanese food and lots of desserts caught everyone’s eyes.
The scouts enjoyed their meal while interacting with each other and listening to music.
After getting something to eat, everyone was ready for the competition.
Scouts from the station competed against the local Japanese scouts in a couple games of tug of war. After the children were done competing, the leaders even had a match of their own.
The friendly rivalry left everyone with a smile on their face.
“This was the first day camp we’ve had, but we really hope to have more events like this with the Japanese scouts soon,” said Kim Bertholet, the assistant cub master for Pack 77 Cub Scouts and mother of three Cub Scouts.
The scouts are scheduled to attend the Japanese Rally with the local Boy Scouts of Iwakuni during Memorial Day weekend.
To join Cub Scouts, your child must be in the first grade or seven years old.
Cub Scouts meet Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and Boy Scouts meet Mondays at 6 p.m.
For more information, stop by the Cub Scout Hut next to the chapel.