The executive committee of the Scout Association of Guyana (SAG) was re-elected to serve another term when the association held its 103rd Annual General Meeting last Thursday.
A release from association said that those re-elected were Ron Robinson (first vice president), Major Andy Pompey (second vice president), Nilofar Rampersaud (secretary), Navita Sahadeo (treasurer) and Gregory Glassgow, Colin Best and Golda Gaskin as committee members.
Chief Scout Ramsay Ali (serving a three-year term as President), told scout leaders that while there have been significant achievements over the last year, much more work needs to be done to move forward the oldest youth organisation in Guyana.
Ali said one of the biggest challenges that faced the association in 2012 was the cancellation of several programmes planned by the uniformed section. He said that a meeting will be convened specifically to address this in an effort to ensure that these programmes are executed.
The chief scout said preparations are underway and a fund will soon be launched to send a SAG contingent to Yamaguchi, Japan in 2015 for the 23rd World Scout Jamboree.
The release said that the World Scout Jamboree is the largest regular event organised by the World Organisation of Scout Movements. It takes place every four years in a different country. It is an educational event to promote peace and understanding among young people all over the world. The theme of the jamboree is “WA: A Spirit of Unity”. The Kanji character (WA) embraces many meanings such as unity, harmony, cooperation, friendship and peace. WA also represents Japan and its culture.
In her report, Chief Commissioner Zaida Joaquin said while much success was achieved with the association’s youth programme, more work needs to be done with the adult programme. She stated, “I beg of you to take a good look at yourself and discuss with us your problems and ways in which we can assist you in improving your scout group. If we are not equipped with the necessary skills to run our scout groups, we would be failing our children.”
Quoting the founder of the global scout movement, Lord Baden Powell, Joaquin said, “We never fail when we try to do our duty; we always fail when we neglect to do it.” She urged all to renew their approach.
The new executive body indicated their commitment to ensuring that the association continues to attract new members, and remains true to the values of the global movement.
