Culture class for Scouts

Not many people can say they sampled sushi in its homeland or were witness to the beauty of Mt. Fuji.

The far-out possibility became a reality for nine girls in the Girl Scouts Sybaquay Council who said "sayonara" to their suburban hometowns and headed to Japan on June 15th.

Spurred by a love of anime, or Japanese animation, and an interest in the culture of the country, the girls participated in over a year of fundraising to raise money for the eight day trip.

"Originally, the idea for the trip came from a troop, and then we opened up the idea council wide," said director of programs, Kay Flavin.

Destinations included Osaka and Kyoto, as well as the capital city of Tokyo.

"We did an awful lot," said trip chaperone Judy Dunne, whose 15-year old daughter Shannon went on the trip.

"We did sightseeing at main historical points such as the Osaka Castle, and the geisha district in Kyoto where "Memoirs of a Geisha" was filmed."

The group also spent a night at a traditional Japanese inn where they slept on tatami, or woven straw mats, and enjoyed natural hot springs.

Alysha Balog, 19, of Lake Zurich, believes her favorite part of the trip was visiting Buddhist shrines.

"I read Siddhartha in my English class last year so it was really cool connecting the book," said Balog, who was most surprised by the cleanliness of the cities.

"They were spotless," said Balog."

A curiosity about Japan had motivated some to learn more about the country from a young age.

"One of my friends wants to be a video game designer, so we took a Japanese class at the Centre of Elgin a few years ago," said Shannon.

Nonetheless, there was still plenty to learn about the country from firsthand experience.

"The Japanese people do a lot of little polite things, like give you washcloths when you go out to eat somewhere," said Shannon, "They all want to talk to you and learn more about you. Most people here don't care."

Girls ranging from ages 14 to 19 went on the trip.

Another trip chaperone, Connie Chappell, whose 17-year old daughter Kassi went on the trip, believed the trip was very fulfilling.

"I enjoyed not just spending time with my daughter, but seeing the excitement on al the girls' faces," said Chappell. "They respected the culture and were willing to try things."

Chappell acknowledges that many girls start to drop out of Girl Scouts around the age of middle school, and was excited to share trip experiences with younger ones.

"If they know that such opportunities are possible, they may stick with it," said Chappell.

The Sybaquay Council serves over 10,500 girls residing in McHenry County and parts of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake and LaSalle counties.