Scouts celebrate 100 years

Accra, Aug. 1, GNA- The World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) on Wednesday, at a ceremony, pledged to abide by the scout law as part of their centenary celebration.

The event under the theme: "Scouting Sunrise" brought together over 28 million scouts, leaders and volunteers worldwide.

They renewed the Scout promise and oath to be of duty to God, serve their country and humankind. The Ghana Scout Movement had a campfire at the Holy Gardens in Accra to usher in the celebration dubbed: One World, One Country, One Promise, at the Baden Powell Centenary Memorial Hall in Accra and presented a gift for Peace project to the Chief Scout, President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Mr. Isaac Newton Addy, Chief Commissioner of the Ghana Scout said the celebration in Ghana would focus on sanitation. He noted that, through scouting in Ghana, many people, during their youth were trained to be disciplined and self-reliant and many of them had the chance to realize and display their talents on both local and international platforms.

Mr. Addy said in Ghana, most people above the age 30 years have been scouts, resulting in the popular slogan : "once a scout, always a scout".

The Reverend Kofi Awadzi, Head of the Rural Ministries, also a scout said the scouting law and promise sum up the essence of scouting. He said, "scouting was the global development of the personality of the scout; the end result being having character with purpose, championing and upholding the growth of morals."

Mr Awadzi called on all to remember that the single purpose of scouting was the integral development of a group of people so that they become responsible members of society.

King Tackie Tawiah III, Ga Mantse, member of the scout movement said every activity of the scout was to give assistance to society. He urged all scout members to be disciplined and to perform their duty to build a good image for themselves and the movement. Mrs. Jemima Nartey, Deputy Chief Commissioner, giving the history of the movement 100 years down the lane said on the 1st of August 1807, at exactly 0800 hrs, Robert Baden Powell of Britain organized 12 boys in the first scout camp at Brownsea Island of Britain. The number of boys joining scout movement kept on increasing till it turned into WOSM.

She called for more females to join the scout movement to render it gender balanced.

Mrs. Nartey inaugurated a website for the scout movement in Ghana which is www.ghanascouts.org. 01 Aug. 07