Scouting: A Preparation for a Better Future

It's just 3 days more to go and we will depart from our station(school) to attend the Provincial Scout Jamborette to be held in Mati, Davao Oriental this November 12-17, 2009.

Months had passed since i've planned it in my mind that this year i will not spearhead the participation of our school's Boy Scouts of the Philippines(BSP) troop to any scouting activity. I've found it tiresome to my part because i will do a lot of preparations for the said event. It was also discouraging because there was no enough financial support coming from the school -- it was just our initiatives on how we can accumulate funds to support the participation of the scouts and scouters to the jamborette.

Last Friday, November 6, 2009, since we no longer have enough time for practice and preparation of the needed materials for the jamborette, we agreed to meet on Saturday afternoon (1:00 to 5:00) and on Sunday (from morning to afternoon). On Saturday, i decided not to go to school because i want to test the scouts' willingness to participate if they will make their best during the practice. Likewise on Sunday, though i'm already prepared to go to school to facilitate their training, i decided not to come instead i only gave instruction to the leader on what are the things they are going to do during the practice. I thought that only few will come on that practice, but to my surprise, most of them attended the practice and there are still other male students willing to join the jamborette.

With these experiences, i can recall my high school days. That was my first year in secondary life to attend the jamborette held in Lupon, Davao Oriental. It was the first and the last attendance to Jamborette because the school will no longer allow the senior scouts to attend the gathering beacause of financial constraints and there was no adult leader willing to facilitate the organization of senior scout movement in our school. Though the jamborette i've attended was the first and last during my high school life, it was really a memorable experience for me because at my young age of 13 i led the other boys older than me during the practice like knot tying and compass relay. It was an experience worth keeping for me because a good avenue for friendship and training - training that will always be applicable in my daily life. Scouting then become a powerful tool that shaped my whole personality.

Now is my time to permeate the good training scouting has done to my life. It is always true indeed that "Once a scout, always a scout". Though many years had passed, i can still clearly recall the Scout Law, Motto, and Slogan being imparted to us by adult leaders during my time. In any occasion or activity i always make it a point to be always prepared (as the motto: "Be Prepared").

Tomorrow, we have more things to prepare. We will plan how we are going to construct our camp, we will gather the necessary materials needed for our camping, we will practice for the different competitions being set in the duration of the camp, etc. Though it's a tough responsibility to lead young scouts, but i will do it with zeal and enthusiasm because i know that i become an agent in the students' personality development.

This year's theme for the Provincial Scout Jamborette: "Scouts Creating a Better World".