Last day of work, there was a queue forming at the gate at 8:45 and when we opened 100 Scouts ran over to the Sandblasting activity. Each Scout gets a metal cup they tape cut out letters to it then sandblast in a machine marking the cup with the letters, a name or messgage.
I went to help out and worked all morning. The Japanese on the base were from a company called Shinto who provided all the machinery they were very friendly and keen to work well with the IST even with very poor English we managed to communicate and had a laugh. I was invited to join them for dinner a pot noodle but this was fantastic not what we are used to in the UK. I also swapped my UK Necker for a Japanese one.
After helping them tidy away and pack all there equipment on to a lorry I made my way to Wooly Pirates in time to see them break camp and lower their flag.
Back to the tent to pick up uniform, dinner then we made our way to the Closing Ceremony always sad but a time to reflect on 10 days of Jamboree.
I swapped my hat with a Japanese IST.
We heard a number of addresses but the one from the UN stuck in my mind, as Scouts we had lived in a global village for nearly 2 weeks, learning about each other’s, cultures, religions and aspirations. With 50% of the Worlds population under 25 Scouts shows a way where we can all live peacefully together.
Flags were lowered and the World Flag was passed from the Japanese to representatives of the U.S., Canada and Mexico who will hold the 24th World a Scout Jamboree in 2019 in West Virginia.
We were treated to some Japanese girl popband then some very heavy metal band before fireworks brought the ceremony to an end.
We our way into town to once again enjoy the experience of karaoke. Our Argentinian friend Hermsn arrived and we joked and drank together before leaving for another late night.
