Scouting Around - Issue 18 - June 2017

“Camp, in one form or other, is, I think, essential to the successful training of a Troop..”

- Baden Powell

The 2nd Annual ScoutsTT National Youth Forum By: Elliot Haynes

Upcoming Activities July 1 — Cub Scout Leaders’ Meeting

1 — New Leaders Certification Training (@PSL Couva)

This year’s edition of ScoutsTT’s National Youth Forum saw a greater turnout than its first. The theme of the forum was “Dream…

Believe…Act”, mirroring this year’s World Youth Forum. The purpose of the forum was for ScoutsTT to explain its objectives and plans and to get feedback and input from the youth members on how we execute them.

5 — National Youth Awards (@NAPA) 21-23 — National Weekend of Camping (Scout Group/District Activity) 25 — Start of 15th World Scout Moot 28-30 — Annual Commissioners’ Retreat (Venue TBD) 30 — Program Round Table

headquarters@scouts.tt 1(868) 624-7271 www.scouts.tt Produced through the kind support of

Over the course of the weekend, we took part in discussions and brainstorming sessions on the following topics: the World Organisation of the Scout Movement’s (WOSM) Strategies; our National Strategic Plan; Strengthening Scouting’s Profile; Youth in Action; Better World Framework; Forming the Youth Network; and International Scouting.

But the forum was not only a weekend of talk, there were many fun moments. The icebreaker on the first night set the tone for the weekend. Each participant had to say their name with a gesture to accompany it.

Then there was the word of the weekend, “shook”, which we found several ways to say including “hashtag shook” and “thou hath been shooketh.”

On Saturday night, we cast our votes for the members of the National Youth Network and were given the results the following morning. They are as follows:  Program Innovation – Josiah Clarke, Jeremy Macintyre  Leadership Excellence – Siddeeq Shakoor, Kyle Doman, Mohini Seejattan  Youth Advocacy – Weena Rajkumar, Rueben Cruickshank, Farah Khan  Communication/ Strategic relations – Elliot Haynes, Jaden Findlay On the closing day, we had a meeting with members of the National Executive where we shared some of the ideas that we discussed over the weekend.

The overall experience was a highly enjoyable one, from being able to meet new people from different parts of the country to voicing the wants and needs of the youth.

I approve of this event and recommend that those who missed out this year make every attempt to make it next year. Stay shook and stay woke Scouting masses!

Celebrating World Environment Day World Environment Day is the United Nations’ most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries.

Above all, World Environment Day is the ‘people’s day’ for doing something to take care of the Earth or become and agent of change. Everyone is free to choose the action they take to celebrate.

That ‘something’ Penal Adventurers this year was to engage in a tree planting exercise in their neighbourhood.

Scouting for Food - National Food Drive Scouting for Food continued in the month of June as groups visited Massy Stores and JTA Supermarkets getting donations from customers.

The National Food Drive expanded further by partnering with Xtra Foods Supermarkets. Now collection bins can be found at their four locations: Chaguanas, Endeavour, Grand Bazaar and Arima.

Support has been great so far, donations have been pouring in as the nation gets on board with our community service project.

Our young people are understanding the “duty to my country” part of the Scout Promise and are getting involved in helping others.

After Tropical Storm Bret hit South and Central Trinidad, ScoutsTT decided to shift its focus to assist those affected by the weather that caused flooding , fallen trees and other damage to houses.

Hamper distributions have started as individuals, groups and districts vie for a prize given to the most hampers donated.

ScoutsTT Calls on the Nation to Invest in Character ScoutsTT launched its Investment in Character Campaign on Wednesday June 14th at the National Scout Centre in St. Ann’s. The ongoing campaign invites organisations and volunteers to support and partner with Scouting by investing in the development of its young people, through investing in the delivery of Scout program.

Speaking at the launch, National Scout Commissioner, Roger Berkeley highlighted the fact that billions of dollars are spent on things like building prisons but lamented that not enough is invested in developing the character traits in young people that would help them make the right decision to stay away from the criminal elements.

ScoutsTT has redesigned its brand to make it more appealing and relevant, keenly focusing on its youth membership and their needs as young people. It is now calling on the Government, corporate Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the general public to find a way to get involved. Financial investment, though a critical need, is not the only way to invest in character. There are several other

options including Program Support, Community Involvement, Adult Volunteer Support, Capital Development and Operational Support.

Guest speaker Gerry Brooks, Chairman of the NGC Group of Companies, congratulated ScoutsTT for taking the time to invest in its brand to better represent the young people that make up its membership.

Acknowledging the financial difficulties of the time and our declined GDP, Brooks asked corporate T&T to take a look at their budgets and, even if by means of reallocation, to dedicate a portion of their budget to supporting the movement that taught him good values, a foundation of integrity and made a substantial difference in his life.

“In Trinidad and Tobago today, the problem is not only economic,” added Brooks, “it’s not only infrastructural, it’s a problem fundamentally around human character and development and that’s why this movement and this initiative is so important.”

At Your Service!

Scouts respond to Tropical Storm Bret Scouts were on hand to assist with clean up efforts after Tropical Storm Bret left flooding and damaged houses in its trail.

Pictured here are Penal Adventurers helping clear trees, clean homes and distribute food items to those affected in there area. Also seen are Fatima scouts clearing a fallen tree on their school’s compound.

Guest Speaker, Gerry Brooks

The Scout Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ScoutsTT) has shaped the lives of generations of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago since 1912. Long declared as “the Proven Alternative” for youth to the many negative influences they face, Scouting has withstood the test of time and has kept its commitment to families to give parents and children time together, to help children discover new skills and interests and to prepare every Scout for life.

With your support, ScoutsTT can bring the nation’s highest quality scouting programs to many more youth in our communities, at a time when they are so sorely needed.

Your investment in Scouting is an investment in character building, it is an investment in Trinidad and Tobago.

Scouting Around the World

World Scout Moot Iceland

According to WOSM Guidelines for the hosting of the World Scout Moot, as adopted by the World Scout Committee in 2011, the purpose of the World Scout Moot is to provide an international and intercultural learning opportunity for young adults that share Scouting’s values.

The 15th World Scout Moot will be held in Iceland 25th July to 2nd August 2017. A small contingent from ScoutsTT of five youths, led

by Anand Singh and Russel Seebaran will be attending.

What is a World Scout Moot?

The World Scout Moot is an official event of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). It is specifically designed for young people aged between 18 and 25 years inclusive, from National Scout Organizations that are members of WOSM. The World Scout Moot is held every four years and is each time organized by a National Scout Organization appointed by the World Scout Conference, under the supervision of the World Scout Committee and with the support of the World Scout Committee and the World Scout Bureau. The 15th World Scout Moot in 2017 is being hosted and organized by the Icelandic Boy and Girl Scout Association It is an official event of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), hosted and organized by the Icelandic Boy and Girl Scout Association, for young people aged between 18 and 25 inclusive.

The aims of the World Scout Moot are:  To provide meaningful, active and fun experiences that can contribute to the participant’s personal development.  To discover and celebrate the similarities and differences between cultures, ideas, lifestyles, behaviours and experiences.  To enable collaboration and exchanges between participants on the challenges of today’s world, such as on employment, family, sustainability, peace, citizenship, leisure, global issues, etc.  To be an inspiration and starting point for activities, projects, partnerships and cooperation amongst individuals and associations worldwide.  To provide a showcase for programs and activities for the older sections and young leaders in Scouting.  To constitute a true example of a youth-driven event, in an international setting, in which participants have the main role in the design, preparation, implementation and evaluation.

STRATEGIC PLAN Towards a New Scouting Adventure

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COMMUNICATION AND REBRANDING

A critical issue for the movement is the challenges associated with its communications and is national image. There is a clear requirement for the movement to engage its stakeholders, so as to fully understand how it is perceived. This will enable SATT to develop a well-crafted marketing and communications strategy designed to address key messages, determine the tactics to fulfill the strategy, and create a timetable for the implementation on the plan. Develop a marketing plan to communicate how SATT meets the needs and interests of multiple audiences – youth, parents, chartered organisations, donors, business and professional leaders, and the general public.

WHAT ARE WE WORKING TOWARDS? 1. To be viewed as the premier provider of outdoor programs for the youth of Trinidad and Tobago. To position scouting as being “cool” among our nation’s youth.

2. An active outreach effort that consistently shares the successes of the Scouting program with a variety of media outlets.

3. A marketing program that would encourage new membership, and enhance recruitment and retention efforts.

4. Continued information flow to non-Scouting constituents to assist the Council in fundraising, volunteer recruitment at the Council and district levels, and a general acceptance and support of the values of the Scouting program.