The Association of African Methodist Episcopal Scouts (AAMES), a ministry under the AME Church’s Christian Education Department and its executive director, the Rev. Garland F. Pierce, is sponsoring an educational and cultural trip to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. The objective of the trip is to develop in our AME Scouts, Scout leaders, and Scout friends a global perspective of the Scouts’ call to serve the community in order to take our positions in the world as “Citizens of the World.“

AAMES is hosting this trip for AME Scouts, including friends, to go to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa February 10-23, 2019. Every Episcopal district and Boy Scout and Girl Scout unit is requested to come together to send, sponsor, or help support at least one Scout from their unit or Episcopal district for representation of each district and unit. This trip is open to all AME Scouts, whether a part of an AME-chartered unit or chartered by some other entity.

            AAMES has organized this life-changing trip for our Scouts to also support the chairperson of the Christian Education Commission, Bishop David Rwhynica Daniels Jr. of the Fifteenth Episcopal District. This Christian Education event is a “Christian Education Summit “in Cape Town, South Africa, which is scheduled for February 19-21, 2019.

At present, there are 88 Boy Scout units across the AME Connection and at least that many Girl Scout units. So, if every unit sends one Scout, we would have over 176 Scouts, Scout leaders, and parents joining us on our goal of our Scouts becoming “Citizens of the World.”

The trip’s cost is $5,250 per person and is based on three persons in each room. AAMES is using the travel services of Education Travel Adventures to service our trip. Registration is now open! To learn more and register go to www.etadventures.com. Click on Login and enter “to myETA.” The trip code is “aamescouts19” and the password is “southafricatrip19.”

If you want to reach any of the members of the South Africa Planning Committee, you can reach us as follows: Clarence Crayton (2^nd), AME Connectional Director of Boy Scouts: ccrayton@amescouts.org, Vivianne Frye-Perry (5^th), AME Connectional Director of Girl Scouts: vfrye-perry@amescouts.org, Robert McRath (5^th), South Africa Trip Treasurer:  rmcrath@amescouts.org, Anthony Franklin (4^th), Communications Chair:  afranklin@amescouts.org, Diane Watson (2^nd), South Africa Trip Planning Chair: dmw0025@gmail.com, Sharon Harrell (2^nd), South Africa Trip Fundraising Chair:  blessen2u@msn.com, and the Rev. Dr. Missiouri McPhee (11^th), AAMES Secretary:  infro@amescouts.org. Our Fundraising Committee has several fundraising programs a Scout or unit can use to help defray the trip’s cost so don’t let the cost keep you from your blessing, contact us and we can talk.