Nanao Mayor CHATANI Yoshitaka (center) with members and other representatives of the Rover Scout Club
The Rover Scout Club visited Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and paid a courtesy visit to the mayor on August 20. Since the January 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the club has continued to undertake volunteer activities in Nanao. During the visit, its members reported on their activities to date and their interactions with the local community.
Immediately after the earthquake, club members traveled to the affected area and have since carried out activities addressing local needs, including removing debris and assisting residents. Since the previous academic year, the club has also focused on activities that emphasize interaction with local residents, going beyond recovery and reconstruction assistance by holding day camps for local children.
This academic year, the club further expanded the scope of its activities by visiting after-school children’s clubs and temporary housing complexes in the city. These ongoing contributions to the community led to the courtesy visit to the mayor.
Club members interacting with children at an after-school children’s club
This academic year’s day camp, the second to be held, brought together 25 children from Nanao and 38 club members. Under the theme “Rail,” the club conducted train-themed games, cooking activities, and other programs. These activities gave the participating children an opportunity to have fun while learning about the distinctive features of different parts of Japan and interesting facts about them.
Members of the Rover Scout Club conducting a program
The club also visited after-school children’s clubs and temporary housing complexes in the city for the first time this academic year. At the children’s clubs, members conducted a variety of programs they had planned, including balloon volleyball, a quiz competition, and water activities. At the temporary housing complexes, they interacted with residents at tea gatherings and while preparing lunch together, and listened to them talk about their experiences during the disaster and life in the community. In response to requests from the community, members also undertook activities addressing local needs, including helping to move equipment at a nursery school.
Participating members commented, “I was able to experience the joy of interacting with the children and get a sense of the atmosphere of the community,” and “Through our interactions with local residents, I gained a wide range of experiences and learned a great deal.”
Through these activities, the Rover Scout Club further deepened its interactions with local residents. The club will continue to build on the experience it has gained through Rover Scout activities while undertaking activities closely attuned to the needs of the community.