Scouting Around - Issue 6 - May 2016

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“See things from the boy’s point of view” - Robert Baden Powell Scouting Around the World

Scouting in Sharjah - Kyle Doman Sixteen days away from home, one opportunity, one experience, all for the love of Scouting, travel and country.

ScoutsTT Launches National Food Drive:

Scouting For Food ScoutsTT is planning a national food drive called “Scouting for Food”, which we see as a programme that can be a significant step towards eradicating hunger in our country. In Trinidad and Tobago, more than twenty percent of the population lives below the poverty line while eight to eleven percent are reported to be undernourished. Scouting for Food aims to educate the public of this issue of extreme hunger and poverty, which exists among so many in our country, and engender a commitment to community, volunteerism and helping each other.

communities. This is an opportunity to do a good turn for our entire country. The food that we collect will be distributed to needy families and homes across Trinidad and Tobago. It is very important that we all get involved. You can do so by taking part in any of the following ways: 

Visit the supermarkets where bins are placed and encourage customers to make a donation Take part in a “Stuff De Bus” drive through a neighbourhood in your district, asking residents to make donations Sell tickets which will be given to the needy to purchase food items at the supermarket.

The Food Drive launched on May 22, 2016, United Way’s National Day of Caring, and will continue in the months June-August.

This programme has the potential to grow into something huge and will be a great way for us Scouts to have a positive impact in our

For more information on this programme, contact your District Commissioner or Yvan Mendoza at Scout Headquarters.

The 7th International Scout Gathering 2016 Sharjah, U.A.E, involved more than 110 scouts from over ninety National Scout Organisations (NSOs). It was a total of ten days packed with activities, tours and lectures, of which the objectives were to strengthen the ties of friendship and brotherhood across the globe and to explain the role of the Islamic culture in enhancing coexistence and tolerance among people. After approximately twenty-eight hours of tedious travel from Trinidad to London to Dubai, I breathed a sigh of relief as I was greeted by warm smiles and “As-salamu alaykuma” by the gentlemen who picked me up at the airport. They took me to Sharjah Scout Mission, Sharjah, where I finally got to rest.

I occupied a tent with two scouts, one from Guyana and the other from the Dominican Republic. Accommodation was comfortable; a bed, pillow and quilt were provided to cater for the extremely cold temperature at night. During the first few days, we be-

came acquainted with each other, broke the ice and settled in. Among the first of the activities was a briefing and introduction to the team that made the gathering possible, along with presentations on Sharjah tourism, energy conservation and Scouting. Representatives from each NSO also had to make presentations on their national culture. I became aware of countries I had never heard of and accumulated a vast amount of knowledge. Some people already knew about Trinidad and Tobago, and the few that did not are now aware of the entire Caribbean and South America. We did a lot of sightseeing during the day; visiting museums, an international light festival, a birds of prey center, an indoor aquarium, and a safari, along with tours of Dubai and some other areas in Sharjah. I vividly remember walking through the indoor aquarium and feeling like I was walking through the sea, seeing fishes and all sorts of underwater creatures swimming around me. As a person who appreciates modern architecture, my mind was blown away by the height and design of some of their buildings. One can only imagine the kind of structural engineering that it took to construct these buildings. The sight of the tallest building in the world, ‘the Burj Khalifa’, was spectacular with its outdoor water fountains dancing with the timing of the

music. Another highlight of my trip was driving in the desert. It was breathtaking, holding on to the safety bars while the driver sped through, up and down the sand, sliding at some points in the land cruisers. One of the climaxes of my experience was when we stopped atop a high peak to admire the beauty of the Arabian sun as it set that day. We were also taken to one oaf the beaches where the water was crystal clear. Though beautiful, it was also extremely cold, so I avoided it. But I didn’t hesitate to ride on the back of a camel, with its extremely soft and fluffy hair. The ride was different to anything I had ever experienced. I likened it to in-between that of a horse and a donkey. The grand opening ceremony was held two days before the closing ceremony, which was new to me. That morning, we stood in full uniform at our respective flag poles and on the command, raised our country’s flags. In the evening, we had the honor of shaking hands with the governor of Sharjah, H.E. Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohamed Al Qassimi.

and sang some songs. In that area, no one could compare with the dominating African contingent. They saved the international evening for last, on the day of the closing ceremony. Here, the Trinidad and Tobago booth was a

hit! Thanks to the Ministry of Tourism I had a variety of items to give away, including maps, magazines, post cards, souvenirs, pens and brochures all placed in a tourism bag. I also carried over some local delicacies: sugar cake, coconut fudge, tamarind balls, toolum and some bottles of pepper nuts, which everyone genuinely enjoyed. Initially, I was somewhat nervous to travel all the way to Dubai by myself but the council of my family, friends and fellow scouts made it possible. Being able to create friendships and bonds with likeminded and ambitious individuals from other regions of the world made this Scouting experience, by far, one of the best and it shall never leave my memory. Produced through the kind support of

After the meet and greet, we all rushed down to our campsite, where we showcased some gadgets and designs that we created over the preceding days. Thereafter we engaged in some camp fire activities


- Heather-Dawn Herrera Originally published in the Trinidad Express Newspaper on 23 October 2014

I blazed the trail from L’Anse Fourmi to Delaford and that was really a challenge. There was a time when I found that Mother Nature had come down at Pigeon Peak. This is one of the tallest peaks in Tobago and when these landslides happened this made my task seem hopeless. That was the period when there were widespread landslides and flooding in the north eastern area after three days of bad weather.”

trees, erected facilities and makes use of an outdoor fireside beyond the kitchen area.

JUNE

Views are spectacular from this elevated site especially at night when the lights illumine the darkness and give shape to the villages. Campers have the luxury of sleeping outside in the hammocks or indoors.

Environment Activities:

Eastman however did not let this deter him. He persisted in blazing new trails where the older ones had become impassable.

During the daytime, views as far as Pigeon Point and Buccoo Reef round to the lush hills of Castara and the hills and valleys spread below the rest of the site can be had.

“Drawing from my work and experiences in the rain forest, I think that tour guides need to do some sleuthing on their own sometimes. There is still so much to be discovered in the remote parts of the forest. In this way, they can have a first-hand education and better promote the flora and fauna of Main Ridge.

He is popularly known as ‘Bullet’. The man who revives old Amerindian trails across the rain forested terrain of Tobago is maintaining preservation status of these trails. Samuel ‘Bullet’ Eastman arms himself with rope, cutlass, tote bag, boots and hat and sets out to reopen the forgotten trails of the First Peoples all on his own. He has had a long list of successful trail cuttings including routes to the heights of Main Ridge as well as those in the more difficult Bloody Bay area that required many detours and crossings of the river. “I started out as part of a scout group but eventually discovered that I was born with a special love for Tobago. I set out to rediscover my country and open it up to share with others. I was adventurous. The Bloody Bay forest for example is rugged. There are massive tree falls all over and I had to cut fresh routes around them. Sometimes it meant going way off course for about a quarter mile because of the wild nature of the place then cutting back and finding the original passage.

Participate in activities for World Environment day on June 5th. Information can be found on the following websites:

Upcoming Activities

People don’t believe that I cut all these trails on my own until they come with me and see the way I work. It is not only my love of doing it but it is to set an example for our kids because they are the ones who must continue the work in the rain forest and benefit from it.” Eastman recently opened up a broad trail to the top of a hill where open views of the island can be had for miles around. He named the site ‘The Cottage’ and insisted that the younger ones try to walk up the hill and not sit in a vehicle and be driven up. He thought that this was one of the ways where they could learn to appreciate their natural surroundings all the more.

United Nations http://www.un.org/en/events/ environmentday/

World Environment Day www.wed2016.com

June 4— Cub Scout Leaders Meeting - St. Joseph District June 5— World Environment Day June 12— Venture Scout Challenge June 25— Totem Pole Finals - Pointe-A-Pierre District

June 25— Cub Scout Leaders Conference “This is a site where I have the opportunity of seeing people really appreciate the beauty of Tobago. It is breezy up here and you can hear the sounds of the Cocrico in several areas around the hill. I think that my years of opening trails across Main Ridge have been beneficial to the eco-tourism industry as hikes to remote waterfalls and other natural sites and additional bird watching opportunities have become possible because of the improved accessibility. I always insist on one thing though and that is for tour guides to follow my attempts to preserve these trails and the sites they lead to. Nothing should be developed or removed.

The grounds of the ‘Cottage’ include the site of an historic structure with a stone marker. Eastman has set out benches, slung hammocks between the

ACTIVITY

CORNER

Samuel ‘Bullet’ Eastman Preserves Main Ridge Trails

Generally though, Tobagonians are really very proud of their natural heritage and always go all out to protect the rain forests of this small island. Our wild life especially the bird population lives and enjoys the forests that we fight so hard to preserve and we are thankful that we can share all this with visitors.

Gone Too Soon... Karin Karla Omega Grant SUNRISE: 30 NOVEMBER, 1996 SUNSET: 2 MAY, 2016 Karin was a member of the 4th Laventille Scout Group in the Morvant/ Laventille Scout district, which she joined in February, 2012. She was one of the group’s Venture Scouts who would come when school was out to assist in the office at National Headquarters, always ready and willing to help, along with her fellow scouts. She was like a daughter to Group Scout Leader, Nigel Eustache. She was like a sister to the other members of 4th Laventille. She will be missed. Karin will be remembered for always having a big smile on her face, for getting along well with everyone and being very helpful, a true Scout. The Scout Association of Trinidad and Tobago extends condolences to her family and friends. May her soul Rest in Peace.

Scout from 13th Trinidad collecting food donation from Woodbrook resident during our “Stuff De Bus” campaign on Sunday 22nd May #ScoutingForFoodTT

PHOTO of the Month Send your photos to programme@scouts.tt to be highlighted here!


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