Wednesday, June 16th

This is a little older, maybe from two weeks ago (actually closer to three) - I'm not quite sure. I was hoping to find a Scout Troop while here to spend some time with. Mostly curiosity, to see what is different, what is the same & spend some time with people outside of a tourist or student setting. The first or second day here I noticed a lot of people - kids & adults wearing their Scout uniforms, but at that point I was still trying to figure out where I should be, when and how to get from one place to another, so I really didn't have the opportunity to talk to anybody. The following week I saw people with their uniforms on again, and by that point walking up to somebody I didn't know & blurting out a few simple questions was almost standard procedure for any situation. I found out that Tuesdays are when all Scouts wear their uniforms, and that they meet for three hours on Saturday afternoons. I made it to the first meeting, a few of the more noticeable differences between Scouting here and at home:

• Scouting in Venezuela (like most of the world) is coed. There are not separate Boy Scout and Girl Scout organizations.
• Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are distinct groups within Scouting at home. Here the older kids & younger kids are together in the same Troop. I don't know enough about Girl Scouts to say whether this is the same or different. 
• Kids are kids, no matter where they are or what language they speak. If there is a new face, they'll do everything they can to make sure they get noticed.

I was invited to an awards ceremony the following week. Unfortunately that weekend was right at finals for one class & midterms for another, so I wasn't able to make it. I missed last weekend, too (Jesús' first communion - a couple posts back). Oh well, there are still ½ a dozen or so Saturdays left before I go home, I'm sure I'll be able to get back at least a couple more times.