Scout Association gets 10 times higher govt grant

Last Updated on Saturday, 21 November 2015, 18:45 by GxMedia

The Scout Association of Guyana’s annual grant from government has been increased tenfold to GUY$1.2 million to aid that organisation in moulding youths into worthwhile local and global citizens.

The announcement of the increased subvention was made Saturday, November 21, 2015 by President David Granger at the Scout Association’s annual  Camporee. “I would like to see Scouting develop and grow… This is not a Christmas gift, it is an investment,” he said.

The Scout Association of Guyana usually receives an annual grant of GYD$120,000. “Your Government is willing to helping those who are willing to help themselves. The Scout Association has a proven track-record of successful mentorship of young people,” he said.

Granger was also made Patron of the Scout Association of Guyana and invested with its National Scarf. “I take this honour seriously; I shall wear this scarf with pride; I pledge to be a good patron to the Association. I accept the honour with humility,” he said.

He reiterated that adolescents undergo physical and psychological changes as they become more aware of the people, places and situations around them. Their young minds search for answers to questions about their place in this world. If they make unwise choices, the rest of their lives can be affected.

The President identified the need for youths to be advised and guided as well equipped with the skills and values to help them make correct choices and decisions.

Granger, who is a Retired Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force, hailed the Scout Association of Guyana, as an “established organisation,” for helping young people develop the right attitudes, values and skills to guide them through life’s challenges.

“The Scout Association is no flash-in-the-pan or fly-by- night organization. It has been in Guyana for one hundred and six years,” he said.

Granger, a trained historian, noted that the Scout Association of Guyana, was formed a mere two years after scouting was founded in England.

Guyana was the first country to establish the Scouts in the Caribbean, the second in South America and the ninth in the world.