Fund scouting and you have patriots!
Apr 06, 2009
<b>Letter of the day</b><br><br>EDITOR—The Government’s strategy to create and fund patriotism clubs should be redirected to the scouting movement which is under- funded, becoming insignificant and ruined by corruption.
Letter of the day
EDITOR—The Government’s strategy to create and fund patriotism clubs should be redirected to the scouting movement which is under- funded, becoming insignificant and ruined by corruption.
Corruption in scouting exists mainly when the trip organisers and Scout leaders connive to mismanage the money parents pay as a way of supporting these trips and camps. This is where we need patriotism to be meaningful to all Ugandans regardless of their political homes.
Scouting is the best vehicle to drive home the patriotism campaign because it has been around; it is within us, our children, and above all, a living inspiration for us to love our country. Supporting the scouting movement to realise patriotism is a worthwhile undertaking which will not yield mixed feelings of politicians hijacking the youth to advance their political agendas.
Scouting is a voluntary, non-political movement for young people, open to all without discrimination of origin, race or creed in accordance with purpose, principles and methods as conceived by the founder, Lord Barden Powell, whose patriotism has inspired many of us from our infancy, teens and now youth. In the past, scouts and girl guides were cherished models of instilling a spirit of patriotism, love and care for the environment among other concerns.
Today, it is corruption that is thriving where scout leaders have resorted to organising training, trips and camps in the name of scouting when in fact the intention is to make a living just because of poverty.
The once cherished principles of scouting are almost extinct in our schools. We need to go back to our roots and teach the youngsters about the importance of God, a good turn, promise, the law, duty, environment, motto, whistle blowing and meaning, tying different knots, hoisting the flag at school, order in society, and other principles upon which the idea of Scouting and Girl-guiding are based.
All the above are geared to contributing to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spirit potentials as individuals who are responsible citizens and members of their local, national and international community. This is true patriotism as manifested in those who were once Scouts. Once a scout, ever a Scout. A scout is an exemplary person in all aspects.
As a responsible citizen who is law-abiding and obeys the Scout law, we were trained that, a scout’s honour is to do his duty to God and his country, to be loyal and trustworthy, helpful, friendly, respectful and kind, conserving nature and loving animals, being obedient, being cheerful and courageous in all difficulties, being thrifty and frugal, being clean in thought, word and deed.
These principles helped us to keep alert, develop self- discipline and above all, love our country regardless of political calling just because those who were training us then were not mixing up issues of uprightness with politics as is the case today.
Barden Powell’s way of training young men in smaller groups as they relied on their loyalty, honour and trust should be emulated as the best strategy to use as we champion the patriotism campaign.
It is through acceptable and unsuspicious ways that a good campaign like the teaching of patriotism can be taught to the young. One such ways is to empower the scout leaders, fund their activities and commission them to move patriotism to greater levels without fingers pointing in any direction.
Patrick Kaboyo
Kampala
EDITOR—The Government’s strategy to create and fund patriotism clubs should be redirected to the scouting movement which is under- funded, becoming insignificant and ruined by corruption.
Corruption in scouting exists mainly when the trip organisers and Scout leaders connive to mismanage the money parents pay as a way of supporting these trips and camps. This is where we need patriotism to be meaningful to all Ugandans regardless of their political homes.
Scouting is the best vehicle to drive home the patriotism campaign because it has been around; it is within us, our children, and above all, a living inspiration for us to love our country. Supporting the scouting movement to realise patriotism is a worthwhile undertaking which will not yield mixed feelings of politicians hijacking the youth to advance their political agendas.
Scouting is a voluntary, non-political movement for young people, open to all without discrimination of origin, race or creed in accordance with purpose, principles and methods as conceived by the founder, Lord Barden Powell, whose patriotism has inspired many of us from our infancy, teens and now youth. In the past, scouts and girl guides were cherished models of instilling a spirit of patriotism, love and care for the environment among other concerns.
Today, it is corruption that is thriving where scout leaders have resorted to organising training, trips and camps in the name of scouting when in fact the intention is to make a living just because of poverty.
The once cherished principles of scouting are almost extinct in our schools. We need to go back to our roots and teach the youngsters about the importance of God, a good turn, promise, the law, duty, environment, motto, whistle blowing and meaning, tying different knots, hoisting the flag at school, order in society, and other principles upon which the idea of Scouting and Girl-guiding are based.
All the above are geared to contributing to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spirit potentials as individuals who are responsible citizens and members of their local, national and international community. This is true patriotism as manifested in those who were once Scouts. Once a scout, ever a Scout. A scout is an exemplary person in all aspects.
As a responsible citizen who is law-abiding and obeys the Scout law, we were trained that, a scout’s honour is to do his duty to God and his country, to be loyal and trustworthy, helpful, friendly, respectful and kind, conserving nature and loving animals, being obedient, being cheerful and courageous in all difficulties, being thrifty and frugal, being clean in thought, word and deed.
These principles helped us to keep alert, develop self- discipline and above all, love our country regardless of political calling just because those who were training us then were not mixing up issues of uprightness with politics as is the case today.
Barden Powell’s way of training young men in smaller groups as they relied on their loyalty, honour and trust should be emulated as the best strategy to use as we champion the patriotism campaign.
It is through acceptable and unsuspicious ways that a good campaign like the teaching of patriotism can be taught to the young. One such ways is to empower the scout leaders, fund their activities and commission them to move patriotism to greater levels without fingers pointing in any direction.
Patrick Kaboyo
Kampala