By James Johnson, NAVFAC Far East Public Affairs
PWD Yokosuka Self-Help Seabees mentor local Boy Scout Troop 35 as they earn their Woodworking merit badge, Yokosuka, Japan. Photo by Izumi Morine
Boy Scouts from the Yokosuka, Japan, Troop 35 worked with Public Works Department Yokosuka Self-Help Seabees to earn their Woodworking merit badge in February and March 2015.
The merit badge required scouts to design and complete an individual project, learn basic woodworking skills and use tools safely.
It s fun to teach kids new things, said Builder 3
rd Class Joseph Lang. The most important skill we taught was safety.
Each scout had a Seabee mentor who helped take their project from an idea to a useful completed product. Projects included a dog sled, game boards and a jump box.
I learned how to sand down wood pieces so they d fit together, said Star Boy Scout Gannon Merry. Using proper equipment made the project easier than I thought. Merry built a display case for Lego figures. He got the idea from seeing store-bought display cases and knew he could build his own.
PWD Yokosuka Self-Help Seabees stay involved with the community by working with children to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills and to encourage careers in these fields.