Tuesday, March 24 2009

The Prime Minister Receives a Courtesy Call from the Representatives of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Who Received the Fuji Award

Prime Minister Taro Aso received a courtesy call from representatives of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who received the Fuji Award, at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Fuji Award is an honorary badge awarded to the scouts (boys and girls of high-school age or under the age of 20) who worked the hardest to realize their own goals, and worked for the benefit of others within the scout movement.

Prime Minister Aso gave words of encouragement to the 46 scout representatives who received the Fuji Badge, saying, "I think boy and girl scout activities are deeply significant in nurturing leadership, creativity, cooperation, and the spirit of service through friendly competition with peers. These will prove important as you play active roles in society in the future. I look forward to seeing you venture into various fields, building on this valuable experience."

Later, Mr. Akira Yanagisawa of the Ueda 13th Division of Nagano Prefecture, who was representing the awardees, expressed his determination for the future, saying, "We spend much time together with our colleagues, sharing joys and sorrows, and this has enabled us to nurture a bond of trust and friendship as well as gain many valuable experiences which will assist us in becoming responsible members of society. I would like to thank everyone who has supported our activities, especially the senior members who have always acted as role models for us. We pledge to pass on our tradition with pride in our hearts, as Fuji Award scouts. We also pledge to pursue our aspirations and seek out new possibilities, not only inside Japan but in the world at large."