International friendships formed through celebrating Girl Scouts’ birthday

Girl Scouts, volunteers and U.S. service members form a friendship circle at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni/

Reposted from DVIDS

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan (March 12, 2018) -- Girl Scouts with Yamaguchi Prefecture troop 37 and Iwakuni troops 92, 93 and 94 celebrated the Girl Scouts’ birthday at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, March 11, 2018.

Over 30 Girl Scouts gathered at Matthew C. Perry Elementary School to kick off the week-long celebration of the birthday by learning arts and crafts and playing games from different cultures. 

The organization’s annual celebration starts with Girl Scout Sunday and ends with Girl Scout Sabbath on Saturday the following week. Girl Scout week always contains the Girl Scout birthday, which is March 12.

“The event focuses on international friendship,” said Carla Bates, the overseas committee chair for Iwakuni Girl Scouts. “It makes sense to invite our international Girl Scout sisters to partake with us.”

The Girl Scouts bonded as they learned how to make origami helicopters and models of the Leaning Tower of Pisa with cardboard. They also played with Kendamas, a Japanese version of “Cup-and-Ball,” and played Cinco Marias, a Brazilian game similar to Jacks.

Kazuko Morioka, a troop leader of Yamaguchi Prefecture troop 37, said that this event was a good start toward a long-lasting partnership between the American and Japanese Girl Scouts.


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