SCOUTING
AROUND Issue 30 - April 2019
BEAR GRYLLS APPOINTED AS FIRST CHIEF AMBASSADOR OF WORLD SCOUTING Bear Grylls has been appointed as the first Chief Ambassador of the Scout Movement. Hugely talented and popularly known to millions of people around the world as a global adventurer, inspirational speaker, TV host, and author, Bear is a natural fit for the role as he exemplifies the key values and leadership characteristics of Scouting.
and young people to join the Scout Movement. By strengthening growth and investment in Scouting, he will enable more young people to become active citizens and create positive change in their communities. As his first act as Chief Ambassador, Bear was on hand to launch the historic Scouts for SDGs mobilisation at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
“I’m very proud and humbled to take on this new role as Chief Ambassador of World Scouting and continue to promote the great work Scouting is doing across the globe. Scouting is a worldwide force for good that unites young people with positive values and an adventurous spirit. We aim to make a difference in our communities, help young people learn new skills, and be kind to all people,” said Bear. His lifelong passion for Scouting started from childhood as a Cub Scout and continued as an adult. In 2009, he became the youngest ever Chief Scout in the United
Kingdom, leading the way during a period of sustained growth. Through this new volunteer and honorary role, Bear will promote Scouting worldwide, champion youth education, and inspire more adults
Scouts for SDGs is an unprecedented activation of 50 millions Scouts to make the world’s largest coordinated youth contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. To date, Scouts have delivered more than one billion service hours towards community development, quality education, gender equality, climate action, building peace, and more. Photo: scouts.org.uk Article: scout.org
Masonic Charitable Organisation Contributes to ScoutsTT ScoutsTT was one of 10 organisations presented with contributions from the Masonic Charitable Organisation. Others included St. John Ambulance, Girl Guides, Morris Marshall Foundation, ALTA, Cadets and the Breastfeeding Association.
headquarters@scouts.tt 1(868) 624-7271 www.scouts.tt TTScouts
Allan Gittens receiving contribution
Headquarters Commissioner for Community Outreach and Strategic Partnerships, Allan Gittens, was present to receive.
@ScoutsTT
Scouting Around the World Venturingfest 2018 By: Jared Ramnarine – 5th Naparima Scout Group From the 1st to the 6th of July, I represented my scout group, 5th Naparima Scouts, along with 26 scouts form two other troops from Trinidad and Tobago, at the 2018 Venturingfest at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, located in the state of West Virginia, in the United states, approximately 3,600 kilometers away from Trinidad and Tobago. The Reserve has a width of 8.52 kilometers, and is located at coordinates 37⁰ 53’N and 81⁰ 06’W. The event spanned six days, with over four thousand persons on site, over two thousand participants and the rest being IST volunteers and staff. The countries present on site at the event were the U.S.A., Canada, Puerto Rico, Egypt, Honduras, Ireland and Trinidad and Tobago. During the week, various interactions
Contingent goes rock climbing
occurred between my unit group and the other international groups, allowing us to befriend many leaders and scouts, and to trade patches and our custom made Venturingfest 2018 jerseys from Trinidad and Tobago for various jerseys and patches representative of the states and countries present. Facilities on site were top of the line, each campsite equipped with extra equipment and numerous restrooms. Outfitted throughout the reserve were WIFI towers and water dispensers with numerous
faucets, for easy access of water by large groups. Sensors and an alert system were installed in the park, to warn persons of impending heat waves and storms, along with a smartphone application named Event Truly, equipped with a map of the reserve, locations of the various camps, activities and events, wait times for each event, and the synchronized alert and update system for impending weather and event changes. Apart from the friendly nature of everyone on the reserve, the overwhelming number of activities at the Reserve is a great challenge for the adventurous scout. As to allow each participant to experience the activities presented, the staff generated schedules tailored to unit’s activity choice, accommodating for the distances between activities, due to the sheer size of the area, which varied from short treks to the nearby ranges or a transportation via a Summit bus, to event sites that were further from basecamps. The activities available for the participants to partake of included: Paddle boarding, Kayaking, Water Obstacle Course, RockClimbing, Rappelling, Bouldering, Fishing, Shooting Sports (Guns and Archery), Mountain Biking, BMX, Skateboarding, Zip Lines, Canopy Tours, Challenge Course, Whitewater Rafting.
Archery time!
Park (Skateboarding), The Trax (SkillCycling), The Rocks (Mountain Climbing and Biking), The Ropes (Rope Bridge Challenge Course) and Low Gear (Off-Road Biking). Each participant was scheduled to partake in two compulsory programs, Project COPE and Leave No Trace Training/Awareness, which teaches scouts about reducing their impact on the environment, along with a tour of some Eco-friendly projects located within the reserve, like the ‘Green’-Energy Tree house and the CONSOL Energy Bridge. All in all, the experience I had was one of the most enjoyable ones, meeting and befriending new persons, participating in the various activities and making new memories about that great week at Venturingfest 2018. I am hoping to attend this event again, if I can, just because of how delightful it is.
The Whitewater Rafting experience, by itself, happens to be one of the best experiences as it feels like 3 hours due to the serenity of the open, rustic environment, but is around an hour and a half of getting soaked. Apart from the open normal activities, there were also High-Adventure versions of the various activities, which were opened to all participants. These activities included The Barrels (Guns), The Bows (Archery), The
Jared testing out the Human Gyroscope
Education for active citizenship The Better World Framework was conceptualised in 2015 to integrate established World programmes and promote the engagement of young people in community development. Soon after it was endorsed by the World Scout Committee and shared with National Scout Organizations (NSOs), it became a common approach to support young people and succeeded in boosting actions in local communities. In line with the Scout Movement’s commitment to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Better World Framework is now enabling NSOs to align their community actions with the SDGs. What is the Better World Framework? The Better World Framework is a set of coordinated programmes, campaigns, calls to action, and events designed to develop the competencies of young people to
become global active citizens by taking action around issues related to sustainable development. What is the purpose of an integrated approach? Development of young people through actions taken for the community. Development of the community through the actions of young people. This approach benefits community actors and partners as it • empowers young people to contribute to sustainable development • provides opportunities for partners to engage young people around key global issues • encourages collaborations with NSOs in the development of initiatives to tackle relevant local issues affecting young people and their community • allows experts to work with young people in the development of innovative
solutions, in collaboration with young people. This approach benefits NSOs as it • aligns NSOs’ educational objectives that are related to active global citizenship and community development with common global goals • aligns NSOs’ community development initiatives with specific SDGs and competencies for sustainable development • provides a common monitoring and evaluation system to measure and report on the totality of Scouts’ contribution to the achievement of the SDGs • facilitates the incorporation of topics and the development of new resources by WOSM (National, Regional, and World levels) • creates opportunities for partners that can help develop initiatives to tackle relevant local issues affecting young people and community.
Who are the key actors in the education for sustainable development? Young People in the lead Scouts of all ages Cub Scouts – 7-11 years of age, Scouts – 11-15 years of age, Ventures and Rovers – 15 and above are developing key competencies for sustainability and taking action for sustainable development. WOSM and NSOs Providing support and information, and developing capacity in adult leaders to empower young people to take action
Community Actors Providing insights, expertise, and networks to support young people
Partners Support young people and NSOs by providing knowledge and financial support, as well as developing capacity
2019 On February 17, 2019, ScoutsTT hosted its annual Carnival Extravaganza at the National Headquarters in St. Ann’s. The highly anticipated event is always a fun opportunity for our members and other young people to take part in a celebration of our culture. The Calypso competition started off the day’s activities, with six youth participants and two adult leaders competing. Celine Brown of 4th Couva was crowned the ScoutsTT Calypso Monarch. Placing second was Nyasha Severin of Upper Carapichaima and in third place was Atiba Sampson of 2nd Laventille. Sherwin Whyte of 2nd Diamond Vale won the head to head over 29th Port of Spain’s Rosanna Munroe in the leaders category. The Individual masquerader category was the biggest competition with 8 young members participating. First place went to Malia Cochrane of 1st Diego Martin playing “Dinah” from the Sparrow song “Jean and Dinah”. Tianna Richardson of 6th Point Fortin’s “Jab Molassie” presentation placed
The Midnight Robbers of 34th Port of Spain
second and the diminutive Jonessa Ramdial of Upper Carapichaima placed third with her “Fairy” portrayal. Ramdial was later awarded with a special prize for most outstanding individual overall. Her embodiment of the Carnival spirit was a sight to behold.
ScoutsTT extends thanks to the judges for the Calypso competition, Anthony Emrold Phillip, better known as Brother Valentino, and Rosanne Berkeley-Lucas and the judges for the Mas categories, Margaret Jobity and Christopher Saldenha of Image Nation Mas. Thank you to the sponsors, First Citizens Bank, MovieTowne, Image Nation Mas, Pizza Boys, Caribbean Airlines, Development Finance Limited, S.M. Jaleel, Carib Brewery and Allied Caterers. Adding to the excitement on the day were a few guest performers. Providing the entertainment were Tish, Khrstvn and Chuck Gordon.
Band of the Year—Diego Martin Scout District
Up next was the Traditional Mas category, which 34th Port of Spain won with their Midnight Robber portrayal. 1st Diamond Vale placed second with “Congo Man” and 3rd Claxton Bay placed third with “Moko Jumbie People of T&T”.
To the organizing committee and other volunteers and most of all, the participating groups, we look forward to an even bigger and better Carnival Extravaganza 2020.
The final competition was the Conventional Mas category, with the biggest prize of the day, which Diego Martin district won uncontested. Even though they were the only band to register in this category, their presentation was impressive—future competitors take note. Sherwin Whyte performing his winning Calypso
Guest artist, Chuck Gordon performs
Campfire Chat with Russel Seebaran Published by: www.bigmaninthewoods.co.uk Campfire Chat is a weekly online interview on Top 10 UK Camping Blog, Big Man in the Woods, that celebrates Scouting. From Leaders, to County Commissioners to volunteers the other side of the world, every Monday they share a few minutes to discuss Scouts! They caught up with ScoutsTT’s very own Russel Seebaran to find out more about him.
BM: Hi Russel, thanks for joining us! Tell us about yourself, what group you’re with, where in the world are you. RS: I am attached to the Scout Association of Trinidad and Tobago. BM: What’s your Scouting Role and how long have you been involved with Scouts for? RS: Currently I am an Assistant Leader Trainer. I have been involved in Scouting for the past 14 years. BM: Name 1 random fact about yourself. RS: I am known as a no-nonsense guy. BM: Where you in the scouting movement yourself when you were a child? RS: No BM: Are you a Camper or glamper? RS: Camper
BM: What do you always take with you on camp? I’m not talking about the essentials such as tent, sleeping bag. RS: Hand cream, hate dry skin. BM: What is the best piece of advice you can give to fellow Scout leader ? RS: Be patient, it always works out in the end. BM: How do you relax/ spend your ‘free time? RS: Going to movies or to the beach BM: What’s your funniest Scouting memory? RS: On a camp with scouts and the venture scouts dared the leaders that they could stay awake longer, it was funny to see the length they took to try and keep awake after a hectic day at camp, eventually they all fell asleep at the table. BM: Where is your favourite place to camp? RS: I love camping near the beach. BM: If you could have dinner with anyone? Dead or alive, who would it be? RS: My mentor from Scouting Mr. Lalman Nanan, he was my second father until he died a two years ago.
May 24-26, 2019 National Headquarters, St. Ann’s
Upcoming Events
ahqc_cubs@scouts.tt REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MAY 17, 2019
6th International Scout Youth Forum By: Damian Clarke – National Youth Commissioner The 6th Interamerican (IAR) Scout Youth Forum held on November 23rd – 26th, 2018 in the Radisson Decapolis, Panama City, provided an educational platform for youth within the region to develop skills in decision-making for scouting and the wider society. With the theme “Seeds have been sown, it is time to grow", representatives of the 24 National Scout Organizations (NSOs) were constantly reminded of the important role that young people have in creating a better world and the collective actions by which NSOs must take to achieve the goals of the 2018-2021 Regional Triennium Plan.
Damian Clarke receiving his certificate of participation from members of the organising committee
Topics including intergenerational dialogue, diversity and inclusion, regional policies and community involvement were at the forefront of the forum’s discussions. The 2018-2021 triennium which serves as a roadmap for the region, was a major educational focal point for the participants of the forum. The key performance indicators (KPI’s), NSO commitments, Interamerican Scout Committee (ISC) commitments and Regional Office commitments were explained in relation to WOSM’s strategic priorities. The participants were urged to return to their NSOs and encourage their national body to contribute to attaining the regional objectives by fulfilling the NSO commitments.
The “Youth for Change” concept was a particularly interesting discussion which explored ways in which Scouting can contribute to the holistic development of young people through the acquisition of pertinent life skills that are relevant to the advancement of the future society. Participants reflected on the impact of scouting on their development of life skills which resulted in the identification of traits such as project management, independence, confidence, public speaking, service-orientation and a plethora of other fundamental skills for life. Outcomes of the forum were in the form of Recommendations and Declarations. Twelve (12) recommendations were documented for review which ranged from a variety of topics including: strategic alliances, inclusion, methods to increase participation of NSOs in the youth forum and conference, climate change, conflict resolution and budgeting for the IAR youth network. Regarding declarations, eighteen (18) were submitted which were aligned with WOSM’s strategic priorities. These declarations and recommendations were voted upon and further presented at the Interamerican Scout Conference.
(L-R) Newly elected Youth Advisors—Joaquin Parafita and Jimena Ojeda and Youth Network Coordinators— Lucas Rusiani and Laura Bates
Furthermore, two (2) new Youth Advisors (YA) – Jimena Ojeda (Peru) and Joaquin Parafita (Uruguay) - and two (2) new Youth Network Coordinators (YNC) – Laura Bates (Mexico) and Juan Lucas Rusiani (Argentina) – were elected. This event truly provided the participants with the “seeds” to grow within each NSO. The skills gained, best practices learnt and networks built as a result of this empowering and inspiring event will be used to contribute to the further development of scouting within Trinidad and Tobago.
All participants at the Scout Youth Forum
From Trinidad & Tobago to the GLOBE
Antoinette Lewis, a 13-year-old Scout of the 1st Goodwood Air Scout group, along with of her school colleagues and their VicePrincipal went to Killarney Ireland for a Globe Program. These students would be responsible for representing Trinidad and Tobago at the GLOBE concurrence. Throughout the event the students were responsibly for representing their country and culture, while utilizing public speaking and interpersonal skills to present the environmental data of Trinidad and Tobago. The acronym GLOBE stand for Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the
ScoutsTT Youth On the Move ILT 2018
“We were interviewed by Tobago Channel 5 and Radio Tambrin, where we told them about the Globe Program and what they should expect from us going to Killarney
We had two cultural nights on one of which, we gave out memorabilia from our country. On the other night we had a presentation about our culture, for this event I had to wear my red black and white cultural clothing and perform a belle dance. We also had some field trips where they carried us out to different location to do our testing on the environment to see how healthy it really is. We also had another presentation where we had to present our information about the environment of Tobago. We took reading for the environment for a rural and urban area. We also had some free time where we got to explore Killarney and do some shopping. On the last day we said out farewells and exchange numbers before we heading back to our countries.”
American Region who were invited to send 2 participants to gain leadership skills.
as - No Poverty, No Hunger, Life Below Water, Life on Land and Quality Education.
Environment, The GLOBE Program is an international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Here’s her account of the experience:
The ScoutsTT Ambassadors for ILT6 in Quito, Ecuador from December 28th 2018 to January 4th 2019 are - Mr. Sachin Justin Seejattan of Naparima District and Mr. Krishan Punilal of San Fernando District. The ILT program include important topics such as: Vision, Goals, Planning, Conflict resolution, Ethical Leadership Stages of Team Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Intelligence, Leading Virtual Teams and the United Nation’s (UN’s) Sustainable Development Goals.
Sachin Seejattan, Siddeeq Shakoor, Krishan Punilal
The Interamerican Leadership Training (ILT) is a week-long course that prepares the Youth of the Inter-American Region to serve their National Scout Organizations. This Training started in 2013 at Camp Strake, Texas with 34 countries of the Inter-
Ireland to represent not only our school but Trinidad and Tobago at the conference. We left Trinidad and Tobago on 29th May 2018, to head to Killarney Ireland, when we reached Ireland we had to take a bus to go to Killarney where the conference will be held. On the first day we had the Opening Ceremony where we got to register and met other people from around the world and we also got to parade around the Killarney community.
Participants are put into teams of 6 which is led by an ILT alumni. On returning to their respective countries each participant will work on a Messengers of Peace project. These projects are based on 1 of the 17 UN’s Sustainable Development Goals such
THE NEW SCOUT METHOD 6: Symbolic Framework 7: Nature Nature: Learning opportunities in the outdoors which encourage a better understanding of and a relationship with the wider environment.
Symbolic Framework: A unifying structure of themes and symbols to facilitate learning and the development of a unique identity as a Scout. A symbol can be described as something familiar which represents something vaster or more abstract (e.g. an idea or concept). Symbols are often used (e.g. in advertising) to help people understand and identify with concepts through an appeal to the imagination. In Scouting, a symbolic framework is a set of symbols which represent Scouting’s educational proposal for a particular age range. The purpose of the symbolic framework is to build on young people’s capacity for imagination, adventure, creativity and inventiveness in a way which stimulates their development, helps them to identify with the directions of development and the values underlying Scouting, and stimulates cohesiveness and solidarity within the group.
Nature refers to the natural environment - the woods, the plains, the sea, the mountains, the desert - as opposed to the artificially created environments, such as the school yard, cement campsites, and crowded cities. Nature also refers to what Baden-Powell called the “harmonious whole” of the “infinite, the historic and the microscopic”, and of mankind’s place in it. Due to the immense possibilities that the natural world offers for the development of the young person’s physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potentials, the natural environment provides an ideal setting in which the Scout Method can be applied. Needless to say, it also offers a sense of adventure. Indeed, most learning opportunities should allow Scouts to be in direct contact with the natural world in urban, rural and wild environments.
The very name of the Movement, “Scouting”, is an element of a symbolic framework adopted by Baden-Powell when he wrote Scouting for Boys, intended to inspire the youth of his days. “By the term “Scouting” is meant the work and attributes of backwoodsmen, explorers, hunters, seamen, airmen, pioneers and frontiersmen.”5 Scouting represented adventure, close-knit groups, developed powers of observation, resourcefulness and a simple healthy life in the great outdoors-all qualities which Baden-Powell sought to promote.
However, the use of nature, as an element of the Scout Method, involves more than activities carried out in the great outdoors. It involves the development of constructive contact with Nature, making full use of all the learning opportunities provided by the natural world to contribute to the development of young people. Although referring to the forest, Baden-Powell’s view of nature as an educational tool can be summarised as follows: “For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, the forest is at once a laboratory, a club and a temple”.6 In an increasingly small and interdependent world, nature also refers to the environment in which we live. Thus, in urban environments with limited green spaces, this element of the Method can still be expressed through having activities out of doors, e.g. doing pioneering on basketball courts.
As Scouting now addresses a wider range of ages than when first created, each age section has a distinct symbolic framework which corresponds to the level of maturity of the age section and focuses on a specific educational need which is characteristic of the age section. The symbolic framework recognises the personal progression of Youth Programme through elements such as distinctive badges, and different uniforms for different age sections, etc.
Activities or projects may focus on different themes, such as classic outdoor adventure such as hiking or camping, or on projects related to environmental sustainability or education. In a world with fewer and fewer resources, Scouting is well placed to involve young people and the community in encouraging environmentally sustainable activities and practices. This would help anchor young people in their environment and help them appreciate their role in the wider world.