Annual Boy Scouts Makahiki draws hundreds

KAILUA-KONA — It was a day of exploration and remembrance Saturday as Boy Scouts celebrated their 106th annual Makahiki and the legacy of Ellison Onizuka in Kailua-Kona.

Themed the Ellison Onizuka Day of Exploration, the event, one of three being held statewide, boasted STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and paid homage to Onizuka, the 1964 Konawaena High School graduate who perished in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger tragedy that also claimed the lives of six other American astronauts. A moment of silence was observed for the seven astronauts following opening ceremonies.

“He is a Big Island Eagle Scout and he was also an astronaut,” Boy Scouts Aloha Council Scout Executive/CEO Jeff Sulzbach told the crowd of several hundred, later emphasizing that an Eagle Scout remains such, even after death.

“Sixty percent of the astronauts that have been in space were Scouts, did you know that?” asked Sulzbach. “Thirteen percent of those astronauts were Eagle Scouts, a really impressive number. And, if you think about it, today, about 4 percent of all Scouts get to the highest rank of Eagle, but 13 percent of all the astronauts are Eagle Scouts. That’s a really impressive thing.”

Norman Sakata, Onizuka’s scout leader when he became an Eagle Scout with Troop 26 (Holualoa), also shared a variety of letters, photos, mementos and stories about the Kona boy who reached his dreams, despite having only 39 years on Earth. Troop 26 also took part with its booth offering space-themed activities.

“It’s really great to have this day dedicated to Ellison Onizuka and what he stood for,” said Jason Ontiveros, Aloha Council Boy Scouts district executive director, who oversees West Hawaii. “What’s really special about this, I think, is there’s a lot of important people that have come out of Hawaii, but Ellison, he, out of every one, gives so much credit to Scouting for helping him to get where he was.”

The celebration and get-together opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Scout Oath. A lively Taiko performance by the Kona Hongwanji Taiko Group followed, bringing Troop 79 (Kailua-Kona) Scoutmaster Bruce Soto to the stage to perform during his last Makahiki event. Soto, who is also the event chairman, is heading to the mainland after being with the troop since January 2003.

About 25 troops with around 260 Scouts ranging in age from 5 to 17 from around the island took part in the Makahiki, enjoying games, crafts and exhibits inside and outside Makaeo Events Pavilion at Old Kona Airport Park. This year, the event’s activities were based around the concept of STEM, which has long been an important part of Scouting.

“Science, technology, engineering and math is really important for our country’s future,” said Sulzbach. “If you go way back to the beginning of Scouting time, 40 percent of all the merit badges were STEM-related, and they still are today, so we’ve got a lot of STEM we do everyday in Scouting.”

The fun included building miniature robots with toothbrush heads, launching paper rockets with Onizuka’s Troop 26 and making a balloon-powered car, in addition to the classics, such as the racing in the Pinewood Derby and taking part in the egg drop. A catapult contest was also part of the fun, as was an obstacle course.

“It’s super fun and super entertaining,” said Eli Yamaki, 10, as he took a brief break from making a hovering disk at one of the booths composed of a CD, bottle top and balloon that allowed it to scoot across a flat surface.

Yamaki, a Cub Scout with Troop 23 (Hilo), said he enjoys Scouting because it’s also fun and that other boys that aren’t in it would like as well because it “helps you get prepared for your life, its super fun and you build friendships like you never had.”

The Aloha Council refers to the Makahiki as the oldest annual Scouting show in the United States. The Boy Scouts of America event was first held at the old Camp Bluegum in Aiea Heights, Oahu, in 1911, one year after Scouting arrived in the Hawaiian Islands.

“It’s one of the oldest Scouting shows in America,” said Leelan Park, district director for Hawaii Island.” “We’re almost as old as Boy Scouts, which is 107, and we’re a 106-year-old show.”

It’s also a fundraiser, as Scouts sell tickets leading up to the event that help support Scouting islandwide.

“It’s a fellowship, it’s for the public as well as for the troops to be able to see what other troops are doing,” said Park.

For more information on the Boy Scouts of America Aloha Council, visit www.scoutinghawaii.org.

Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com.