The contribution of Lord Baden Powell and his sister Agnes Baden Powell can never be forgotten. Robert Baden Powell was a soldier, an artist, and a writer who founded the notion of boys scouting back in 1907. He started it with 20 boys and he aimed to bridge the gap in society. Then in 1909 some girls joined the rally of boy scouts and called themselves girl scouts. At that time Agnes Baden Powell and Lord Baden Powell thought to run a separate movement for girls as well. The girls guiding association was established in 1910 by Agnes in the UK. This chain of boy scouting and girl guiding spread throughout the world and today about 150 countries are registered with the World girls guiding and boy scouting association.
Both Pakistan Boy Scouts Association (PBSA) and Pakistan Girls Guiding Association (PGGA) started just after the independence and Quaid-i-Azam was the first chief of boy scouts and Fatima Jinnah was the patron of girls guiding. Later, Begum G.A khan was elected as Chief Commissioner or National Commissioner. After them, the rule was followed that the president of the state and his wife would be the chief commissioners of the associations. These associations are incredibly perfect to groom the youth and to make them capable differently.
PBSA and PGGA are working in different regions of Pakistan yet there is a need to improve and to make it applicable and accessible for every youth of the nation. Both the associations are one with separate names for boys and girls. The notion of these two associations is not just to build the character of the youths but it is fully functional in physical, mental, and spiritual development. It ensures to make the youths a well-disciplined, productive and good citizens. It has a great impact on the personality of the individual because it trained the youths to be responsible, humble, caring, kind, loving, and sincere. It helps to end the disparities among youths like disparity of race, ethnicity, religion, and disparity of status. Above all scouting and guiding prepare ones for difficult times.
Moreover, it has a proper setup and it enchains the whole nation into one and then connects it to the world. As the chief of the associations is the president and his wife and members can be all the youths of Pakistan. In this way, it links the poorest little child of the nation with the president of Pakistan. Chief Commissioner comes under the chief scouts and guides then the district commissioners and assistant district commissioner are allocated to work and then leaders of different areas come under the DCs and ADCs and then the group leaders work at the ground level. There are age-wise categories in scouting and guiding. Both scouts and guides can join the movement at the age of 6. The names of the categories are below;
- Shaheen Scouts and Junior Guides are from the age group between 6-11
- Boy Scouts and Girl Guides are from the age group between 11-16
- Rover Scouts and Senior Guides are from the age group between 16-21
In this way, the grooming of the youth starts from a very younger age and it leads them to be responsible individuals and then citizens. The promising words to be a scout or guide are enough for a person to hold back his/her desires throughout his/her life. Both the scouts and guides have to take the oath after entering into it. And the promise for it is this:
“I
promise to do my best,
to do my duty to Allah Taala and Pakistan,
to serve mankind and participate in nation-building
activities,
to obey the Scout/Guide Laws.”
These words are beyond self-association and work to bridge the gap in societies. It would be wonderful if the notion of scouting and guiding reach out to every individual in Pakistan and if the proper set-up becomes functional. It would not take more than few years to unite the youth of Pakistan and to hang our positive image in the gallery of the world. Being a guide I grantee the functionality of scouting and guiding. Join Scouting and Guiding and get the nation (Aik Qaum) together.
