On Monday, October 12, Waseim Kasabrey, leader of the Papal Scout Troop in Beit Jala, visited with the scout troups in Milford, OH.

Waseim shared the history of scouting in the Holy Land with about 50 boys plus parents and leaders.  Scouting in Palestine goes back over 100 years.  He shared pictures of scout activities, which are the same as the USA scout troops:  service projects, weekly meetings, prayer and liturgy, camping, etc.  The Milford boy scouts were very interested and asked lots of questions about scouting in Palestine.

One artifact Waseim shared was a passport from 1943.  The passport is written in three languages – English, Hebrew, and Arabic.  It is a historical document that illustrates the cooperation and peaceful coexistence of the diverse people who inhabited Palestine prior to the formation of the state of Israel in 1948.

Waseim shared gifts with the scout leaders, the neckerchief of the Palestinian troop and shirts with their troop logo on it.  The Milford scouts gave badges with their troop number and logo to Waseim.

Waseim’s  presentation was enjoyed by all.  His sense of humor and the brotherhood of scouting united everyone into common appreciation of the shared Boy Scout law:  A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.