Scouting Around - Issue 26 - March 2018

Calendar of Events

YOUTH LEADERSHIP

April

SIXERS

7 — NLC Training (Chaguanas) 7 — World Scout Jamboree Contingent Meeting (HQ) 14 — Cub Scout Leaders Meeting (San Fernando) 14 — Wood Badge Training (HQ) 21 — Youth Leadership Training (POS) 21 — Commissioners’ Quarterly Forum, Chaguanas 28 — Deadline date for applications to camp overseas for July/August 2018

headquarters@scouts.tt 1(868) 624-7271 www.scouts.tt

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The Youth Leadership Training (YLT) seeks to engage young cub scouts in a participative and engaging leadership training session which aids in their development as sixers and, in so doing, creates leaders of tomorrow.

This training occurs upon the request of the Zonal Commissioner or District Commissioner. The facilitation style and program layout follows that of the Interamerican Leadership Training (ILT) program, with past ILT participants contributing to its development.

In addition, the success of the program thus far is as a result of the efforts of Mohini Seejattan, team lead of the Leadership Excellence/Training Committee and other members of the National Youth Network Coordination Team (NYNCT), Mark Ainsley John, Youth Training Coordinator, and members of the National Training Team.

Cub Scouts greet the NSC on his training visit

To date, two training sessions have been completed as follows: Session 1 Zone: South West-Zone Date: Saturday 20th January, 2018 Venue: Naparima District, Penal Adventurers Scout Group Number of Cubs in Attendance: 76 Topics Discussed: Types of Leadership, Communication, Team Building Session 2: Zone: North-Central Zone Date: Saturday 24th March, 2018 Venue: Tunapuna Boy’s R.C. School Number of Cubs in Attendance: 51 Topics Discussed: Types of Leadership, Communication, Team Building

Follow the leader

Scouts Earn President’s Award

Seejattan, and Farah Khan, who received the Silver award. The three of us proudly represent ScoutsTT and the Penal Adventurers Scout Group.

“Successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity”- Reed Markham.

The President’s Award of Trinidad and Tobago is a scheme created to develop individuals holistically. It encompasses many characteristics which shape an individual’s personality; namely intellectually, spiritually, physically and emotionally. It is aimed towards creating experiences for individuals to become committed, responsible and fulfilled citizens.

On Saturday, March 3rd, 2018, I was honoured to receive the President’s Award Gold along with my brother, Sachin

Doing this Award Scheme with President’s Award Trinidad and Tobago - Horizon Unit under the tutelage of Mr. Shazard Mohammed has helped nurture the skills and talents that we have gained throughout our Scouting years. It has further developed our leadership skills, time management, teamwork, service, volunteerism and adaptability and tested us in many ways. It took us out of our comfort zone, and put us into situations where we built confidence, skills and friendship within our groups.

In achieving this Award, we wish to motivate the youths under our care to work hard in the program and challenge themselves. It is not only something good to add to their CV but it is a great opportunity to enhance their skills, get fit, become more resilient and prove themselves that they can endure and overcome such incredible feats.

Sachin and Mohini at the President’s Award Ceremony

THE NEW skills (all kinds of soft and hard skills) and it reflects Scouting’s practical SCOUT METHOD attitudes; approach to education, based on learning way in which young people gain knowledge,

2: Learning by Doing

Next up on the eight elements of the Scout Method, Learning by Doing: The use of practical actions (real life experiences) and reflection(s) to facilitate ongoing learning and development.

By its nature, Scouting should be fun and relevant. Learning by doing refers to personal self-development as a result of first-hand experience as opposed to just theoretical instruction. It reflects the active

through the opportunities for experiences that arise while pursuing interests and dealing with everyday life.

These opportunities are geared not only to make Scouts succeed, but also to make mistakes and be unsuccessful in some cases (which in turn creates more learning opportunities). It is thus a way of helping young people to develop in all dimensions of the personality through extracting what is personally significant from everything that they experience. It enables Scouts to experience the full programme cycle where they plan for their activities (in partnership with adults), carry those activities out and finally to have an opportunity to review the different outcomes and experiences brought about by the activities.

Learning by doing is also a means to ensure that learning opportunities in Scouting are fun and relevant. This will foster a desire in

young people to want to have more experiences and in turn to learn more. As Baden-Powell observed, “the method of instruction in Scouting is that of creating in the boy, the desire to learn for himself”. In today’s context, of course, the intention is to encourage young people to reflect on their experiences and to build on them, in a journey of self-directed learning.

Faith in the Commonwealth Youth Training of Trainers Workshop By: Rondell Gulston The Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network‘s (CYPAN) vision for the Faith in the Commonwealth Youth Training of Trainers (YTOT) programme was Respect & Understanding, and Youth Empowerment. Despite the simplicity of these words, we got to appreciate further the importance of these powerful words and how often we take them for granted. As a developing and youth-centred organization, we need to constantly remind ourselves that whilst focusing on the bigger picture we must take give time to the

smaller endeavours. Just as the ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into the water, so do our actions as little as it may seem will forever affect the outcome we desire. Thus, in being conscious of who we are and taking time to sincerely connect with others, we can literally give ourselves the tools to be empowered.

Being the 2nd country to host this programme, Damian Clarke and I (ScoutsTT representatives) along with 27 other participants, were given the opportunity to not only engage in this training but also be its evaluators and, at one point, even its facilitators. This allowed us to give our personal contributions to the programme and we were better equipped with the skills we were intended to gain. With the focus

being on interfaith and intercultural dialogue, we were challenged with encouraging peaceful coexistence by being aware of different needs for peace, through people’s similarities and differences. The participants involved came from Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, which was valuable as it gave an opportunity for regional relationship and shared wealth of ideas and concepts aimed at the betterment of the Caribbean.

endeavour focusing on different aspects of sustainable development. Another concept used was the ‘World Café’, which created multiple simultaneous topics for quick discussion and reflection, for the purpose of moving between different issues and seeing how they are connected. These activities and others done during this programme showed the presence of engaging, fun ways in getting people to interact and learn about themselves, people and issues surrounding them.

In between the days of committed training, we were able to understand the importance of building bonds with the people we would be spending time with for those few days.

We also had great respect for the location chosen for the workshop, as we were in our capital and minutes away from the infamous Movie Towne. Due to these great circumstances, Damian and I were both empowered to showcase our culture and common pastimes which one can enjoy as a Trinidadian. One task we had to ensure and undergo, was educating our Caribbean friends in the art of eating a doubles, the ‘to dos’ and the ‘not to dos’.

This opportunity was one also of networking, as we got to engage with NGO representatives and even individualrepresented persons who also have the goal of creating a better way in their own unique ways. Some NGOs like CYPAN and 2 Cents Movement, which are known for having a positive impact on our communities and also being youth driven, are connections which can be beneficial to both scouting and Trinidad and Tobago. At the ‘Marketplace’, which is a space created to ‘sell’ different projects and ideas to persons, we were given the great opportunity to collaborate with another NGO in an

This experience was most influential because of its realization and motto that there is more similarities than differences.

There is much more for us to celebrate as people than there is to dispute, because of our differences in race, gender, faith and culture. It is up to us to obtain the knowledge intended to understand and respect each other.

3rd ASJA Hosts Seminar on Alcohol and Drug Awareness By: Vediah Phekoo-Seusankar, Secretary, 3rd ASJA College Sea Scouts Parents Committee The 3RD ASJA College Sea Scouts Group, in collaboration with the San Fernando District Scout Council, in an effort to educate our young minds and in so doing help to promote a better future for themselves and the nation at large, hosted an alcohol and drug awareness seminar on Saturday 3rd March, 2018 at the San Fernando District Headquarters. This seminar was pitched to Scouts and Venture Scouts of the San Fernando District and chaired by the Venture Scouts unit of the 3rd ASJA College Sea Scouts.

In attendance were representatives from the host group, as well as 1st Naparima, 3rd Trinidad and 1st Notre Dame Scout groups.

There were also some parents who were equally enthusiastic about the lecture and were actively engaged in listening to the presentation.

The keynote speaker, Mr. David Sammy, wore many hats over the course of his very illustrious career which included, Teacher, Vice Principal and Principal. He was a former scout leader of 5th Naparima Scout Group. He was also a member of the San Fernando Theatre Workshop and winner of

the best actor awards in the 80’s and 90’s.

Presently, Mr. Sammy is employed with the Ministry of Education, doing workshops on crime and drugs in schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago. His experience with working with teenagers and his knowledge of the topic made him the perfect candidate to conduct this seminar.

All participants were fully engaged in the materials and information presented. It was an interactive session in which participants were invited to read from the material, view pictures and videos, answer questions and contribute by giving their own ideas and opinions.

Participants were eager to participate, as Mr. Sammy’s presentation style allowed them to feel comfortable enough to contribute towards the discussion.

The presentation delved into the definition and identification of both legal and illegal drugs and the effects of drug abuse on the individuals involved, family and society as a whole. Startling photographs to illustrate the many and wide ranging effects were utilized. Some participants and parents were quite surprised at some of the

information imparted. Especially in learning that a new form of alcohol intake is through the use of intravenous methods. Mr. Sammy’s explanation that this method is now used to avoid failing a breathalyzer test was quite informative. Hopefully, this was not information that any of our participants would consider ‘good to know’ in the future.

In addition to Mr. Sammy, one of the scout leaders from another group did a testimony about his own personal experience as the son of an alcoholic. His testimony was quite moving as participants were given first-hand information on how alcohol abuse can affect one’s family.

It is our hope that the participants of this seminar walked away with sufficient knowledge to encourage them, and for them to influence their peers and family members to abstain from drugs and alcohol in order to have healthy lives and relationships.

Scouting For Food Returns ScoutsTT’s Annual National Food Drive returns for its third year with the hope for even more participation from its membership than last year.

START DATE: Sunday, May 20th, 2018 END OF COLLECTION: July 15th, 2018 END OF DISTRIBUTION: August 10th, 2018 Groups are asked to start scheduling its members to visit the stores in their area. More details to follow. Stay tuned...