Africa-Press – Botswana. Members of the Francistown District Scout Council will today converge at SOS Children’s Village Hall to introspect, review and revive structures.
An invitation has been extended to scout leaders, coordinators, pack scooters, unit leaders, old scouts, rover crews and general members to come draped in their scout.
In an interview, the leader trainer and troop scouter for the lions of the north, Mr Boikhutso Monametsi revealed that the movement started in the country in 1936 primarily to mould the youth into responsible, disciplined and honest future leaders with the requisite survival skills.
He noted that the scout movement had grown from a fledgling concept to an international phenomenon. “Today, we proudly stand as a world leading youth movement dedicated to building character and giving young people skills to better their lives,” he said.
He said local scouts thrived on their ability to adapt to different and changing cultures and aspirations, but remaining faithful to the original ideals of the scouting’s founder, Lord Baden Powell, adding that the ideals were embodied in three principles of the scout promise of ‘service to God, service to country and others and service to self through good character’.
He noted that scouting provided various platforms for interacting and ensuring youth participation and engagement in decision making.
“It is against this background that the city of Francistown scouts are invited and urged to attend the district scout council for amongst others ensuring compliance with internal national scout protocols like updating membership, reviewing the district leadership structure and adopting a model suitable for the city,” he said.
As a youth organisation, Mr Monametsi said the scouts’ movement was equally concerned by social challenges that if not dealt with would have a negative impact on the future generations.
Like any other place in the country, Mr Monametsi said Francistown was overwhelmed by social ills such as drug and alcohol abuse as well as challenges of unemployment.
He said through programmes and projects focusing on behavioural change, the movement had the potential to positively impact on the youth. He said the movement was appealing for support through collaboration with various stakeholders in Francistown.
He noted that in partnership with the ministry responsible for youth and culture activities, they once rolled out a behavioural change programme where young people shared positive life changing skills.
Mr Monametsi said they wanted potential partners to organise a youth boot camp and peer to peer talk shows between young people.
He added that they would also engage government and council departments in the city in pursuit of getting office space.
“We are hoping to get an office space where to offer services to the general community, easily get located by our members and the youth,” he said.
As a disciplined group of youth, Mr Monametsi said scouts could be used in various youth outreach programmes by various organisations.
Besides abiding by the law, Mr Monametsi said the movement also served those in need, supported nature conservation, self-progressive scheme, earning by doing as well as community involvement.
Mr Monametsi said one of the programmes they used to build resilient youth was bush camps, adding that the founding father of the movement used to say ‘a week of camp life is worth six months in theoretical teaching in the meeting room,’ and that nature was their science laboratory ‘where talent is identified and natured’.
Mr Monametsi noted that a bush camp exposed scouts to survival skills needed during trying times where basic necessities were limited.
He was adamant that the movement was still relevant and would continue to play a major role in guiding the youth to adopt responsible behaviour.
Following the revival forum of the Francistown council, Mr Monametsi said the Botswana Scouts Association would on Saturday commemorate Africa Scout Day at Kang and Matshelagabedi under the theme: Honouring Scouting Impact in Africa.
He added that in May 2024, the movement would organise a pilgrimage to Orapa for the national annual general meeting.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
