MANNHEIM, Germany - Boy Scouts from the Heidelberg, Mannheim and Kaiserslautern U.S. military communities gathered at Mannheim's main train station Dec. 13 to receive the Peace Light from Bethlehem, which was picked-up in Vienna, Austria, by representatives of Heidelberg's Scout Troop 1.
"The Peace Light originates in the church of Bethlehem," said Andrew Johnson, den leader of the Webelos II Pack 284. "The goal is to spread the light during the holiday season - a spirit of world peace and unity around the world."
In 1986, the Austrian radio station ORF had the idea to light a candle from the eternal flame in the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem. Since then, an Austrian child travels to Bethlehem every year during the Christmas season and lights a candle, which serves as the ambassador of peace around the world.
From Bethlehem, the light is brought back to Vienna, where it starts to spread throughout the world. Boy and Girl Scouts spread the light to their communities, which helps to send the light to the United States, too.
"Heidelberg Boy Scouts went to pick up the Peace Light in Vienna, and they (brought) it back to Germany," Johnson said. "Along the way, there (were) Scouts waiting at each train station to receive the light. They spread it out to their local communities."
During a Peace Light ceremony in an Orthodox church in Vienna Dec. 12, more than 1,000 scouts from 20 different countries gathered to receive the light while speaking a "peace wish."
"During the ceremony there stood a single light, and everybody was focused on that one light, which came from Bethlehem," said Phil Quinn, scoutmaster of Scout Troop 1. "The scouts came in and they took that challenge to spread the peace around the world. No matter where you're from, all came in on one mission - to spread the peace."
Quinn received the light two years in a row at the train station before he could finally arrange a trip with all other European scouts this year.
"This year, we were fortunate enough to be part of the ceremony and to go to Vienna," said Quinn, who accompanied nine scouts and three adults.
"(My son and I) heard about it when we lived in Italy, and we wanted to be a part of it then. We moved to Germany and looked around, and we knew that the Germans were taking part in it, but it was something new for the Americans," he said.
After receiving the light Dec. 12, they went on the train, heading back to Mannheim, with a lot of other scouts departing the train in Cologne. At every train station along the way, people on the platforms could receive the light from the scouts.
"The spirit and camaraderie that the actual Peace Light itself brings, is the most important thing," Johnson said. "There is the understanding to promote world peace, but I have found it very unique in the fact that it has brought boys together from the Mannheim community and Heidelberg community, and we are here on a Sunday morning at a train station platform, and everybody is having a good time. The one little moment of unity captures the whole spirit of Peace Light."
According to Scout Troop 1 Senior Patrol Leader Michael Tinnelly-Williams, 15, friendship is what goes hand-in-hand with the Peace Light.
"All scouts come together for one thing," he said. Tinnelly-Williams bore the scout flag during the ceremony in the church.
"The boys really enjoy meeting people from Croatia, France or Ukraine, because they have a common friendship already in scouting," Quinn said. "I enjoy seeing their opportunity to meet other cultures."
Since Quinn received the light for the first time three years ago, the amount of people waiting at the train station for the light has been growing.
"Every year we get more and more people; it is a fantastic event," Quinn said. "Our German scout friends already want to continue this, and that was part of it. It was part of building friendships, within Germany and within Europe."
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