Scouting is best means of bringing ethnic groups together – says President Granger

By Leroy Smith, June 20, 2015, Source

 

 

 

PRESIDENT David Granger, while addressing members of the Scouts Association of Guyana (SAG), said he believes scouting is the best means of bringing people of various ethnic groups together and gainfully engaging young people.

The President was at the time delivering the feature address at the Annual Awards Ceremony of the organisation, which has been in existence for more than 100 years now and is regarded as the single largest and longest-standing body that engages young people.

 

At the event, the Guyanese Head of State speaking specifically to scouting in Guyana encouraged the young people and their seniors to remain and learn about their country and explore this beautiful land.

The administration of the SAG was also encouraged to move scouting beyond the coastland of Guyana and ensure that it becomes far-reaching, since this one nation is made up of 10 Administrative/Geographic Regions.
The President also re-committed the annual subvention that is given to the scouting association, something they have been receiving over the years through the former Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport by the previous Government.

That however, is likely to increase since, according to the Chief Commissioner of the SAG, Zaida Joaquin, the organisation has been receiving $120,000 annually, something that they have asked to be increased.

The chief scout explained that no request has been made to this new Administration for an increase, but the association is very optimistic that the present Government will understand that there is very little that could be done with $120,000 annually.

“I want to renew the commitment of the Administration to provide an annual subvention to the Scout Association to continue their work,” President Granger said to loud applause from the gathered scouts.

He was however quick to lightly remind the scouts: “Don’t clap too hard, I got to bail out GuySuCo…and that is real money, but we will continue to provide financial assistance because I like to see the Scouts Association, Scouts movement far beyond the coastland.”

The President congratulated the persons who received awards last evening as he expressed his personal expectation and encouragement that the award would not be seen as the end or a prize or reward, but rather an incentive to continue serving the great movement of scouting.

“There is no more difficult task in the world than to be a leader and I am glad that these awards are for leadership, because this is the time of your life when you need to be trained in leadership. A leader must make decisions; a leader must set an example; a leader must make choices; a leader must be able to accept criticisms. But a leader must learn from his mistakes; a leader has to choose; a leader has to teach and the longer training you have in leadership, the better you are to become the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana; so this is the right place to start,” the Head of State noted.

 

He reminded the audience that scouting covers the years which is perhaps the most difficult time in the lives of young people; but he was quick to point out that people make so many mistakes at this adolescent stage of their lives that sometimes their whole lives are affected.

Awards were handed out to scouts and friends of scouting for their five, 10 and 20 years of service in addition to service of exceptional nature and devotion to duty, acts of courage, endurance, initiative, suffering without risks and contributions to scouting.

 

 

By Leroy Smith

"He believes scouting is the best means of bringing people of various ethnic groups together and gainfully engaging young people."

 

So was that a diverse crowd there?

 

The Coalition was supposed to bring people together.

 

Did Granger have diversity in the MPs, Ministers and Awards list?

4 Presidential advisers announced and all Blacks.

 

You wear dark glasses banna? Go back up and see the various colours up deh, shooo shooo.

 

The history of scouts in Guyana do not reflect David Granger's statements.

Scout is a group of young people. To unite the entire nation, unity must be taught in school at every level. Granger is a poor Christian to lean onto his own understanding. That's a sign of dictatorship to refuse external advice on how to unite a divided nation.

Let me get direct with you.  Indians are few in the scouts.

 

1.  There is no money in it for them.  Most civic organizations in Guyana are dominated by non Indians.  Religion and business is the Indo focus. Be honest and admit this.

 

2.  They do not control it.  Look at your bellyaching and screaming because the coalition isn't Indian controlled.  Indians only join groups when they can dominate and convert non Indians into Sam Hinds type tokens.

 

So stop bellyaching and crying that blacks owe you something.  If Indians don't want to join, then that is their choice.  Indians are NOT special people and no one is going to beg them to join any thing if they show scant interest.