Scouts Help Create Better Future Generation

By Ali Imran Mohd Noordin This first of the two part series on scouts delves on the values promoted by scouts and how they could contribute to better future generation. IPOH (Perak, Malaysia), Jan 7 (Bernama) -- Aziz Ab Rahman, 59, has been a scout for the past 50 years and has never regretted a moment of it. The teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan King Edward VII (1) in Taiping, first became one at the age of 9. He has since spent countless amount of resources towards the cause. He did it all in the belief that it would help youths become trained scouts of exemplary character. “Becoming a scout is more than just collecting badges or eventually becoming a Royal Scout. What is more important is developing a good character and inculcating positive values in each scout for the rest of their lives,” he told Bernama. Knowing that he was been helping to create a better generation of youths for the nation was what prompted him to carry on, year after year. SCOUT LAW Aziz said this was because every scout would be taught the 10 Scout Laws. These laws cover a set of codes to be adhered to by every scout in the world, although laws might vary slightly according to country. In Malaysia, the laws are: 1. A Scout's honour is to be trusted. 2. A Scout is loyal to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (Malaysian King), the rulers and to his Scouters, his parents, his employers and to those under him. 3. A Scout's duty is to be useful and help others. 4. A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other scout no matter what country, class or creed the other may belong. 5. A Scout is courteous. 6. A Scout has to have compassion towards animals too. 7. A Scout obeys orders of his parents, Patrol Leader or Scout Masters without question. 8. A Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties. 9. A Scout is thrifty. 10. A Scout is clean in thought, word and action. Aziz believes that having people practice the 10 laws, or at least the last three in the list, will be enough to make the world a better place to live in. He is grateful to see that despite having successful careers, many of those whom he had taught still take their time out to help the less fortunateduring disasters and tragedies. “This is why I won’t stop. I will be retiring (from teaching duties) in a few months’ time but I will be a scout forever,” he said, spiritedly. He was met at the “Click Wisely” camp organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in Bota, Perak, recently. MATURITY IN USING THE NET While social media could easily be misused, Che Mohd Ali Omar, 37 said it could also be used to sow interest among youths in beneficial activities. The Royal Malaysian Navy Chief Petty Officer, who is also the Assistant Commissioner for the Manjung District Scouts said that Facebook was a strategic platform in promoting outdoor activities to youths. Che Mohd Ali, a scout himself since age 9, believed that photo uploads of scouting activities and camping programmes indirectly attract youths to join the fraternity. “Scouting knowledge is very important. We hope the younger generation would continue to have interest in outdoor activities. Even the basics of military training can be learned by becoming a scout,” he said. GOING OLD SCHOOL Sgt Major Zainal Azhar Ambi, the head of Communications of the Royal Malaysia Police Air Wing Unit, has been facilitating at scout camps for five years now and sees its impact on the younger generation. He believes that older communications methods should not be renounced, despite the plethora of modern communication channels available today. Many from the younger generation have never even heard of amateur radio or morse code, despite it being the two most effective modes of communications in unprecedented situations. “During natural disasters or wards, these are the two most practical modes of communications. From my years teaching at scout camps, I have noticed how enthusiastic the young people are when learning about amateur radio and morse code. Many were previously not even aware of its existence,” he said, laughing. He hopes the MCMC will continue with its Click Wisely programme as it was a strong platform in providing accurate information on the correct usage of technology to the public. -- BERNAMA