27 July 2023
The worldwide Scouts movement worldwide is in good health, with the 25th Scouts Jamboree in South Korea set to host participants from 170 countries to “share culture, experience, and friendship and put a concrete global citizenship into practice”.
Included among the thousands of participants (estimates are as a great as 50 000) who will gather from 1 to 12 August at Saemangeum, is Glenwood grade 10 learner, Seshen Maharaj.
Saemangeum is an estuarine tidal flat on the coast of the Yellow Sea and has been prepared for the participants to explore the theme of “Draw Your Dream”.
To be selected to be part of the South African contingent, Glenwood’s Maharaj has successfully completed many tasks and interviews over a four-year period – the duration between Scouts Jamborees.
A rich history
Scouting in South Africa has a rich history. Robert Baden-Powell, a British Army officer, who led the successful defence of Mafekeng during the Second Boer War, founded the Scouts movement in the United Kingdom in 1907. The following year, the first Scout troops appeared in South Africa.
The country has since been an important contributor to World Scouting, including many traditions and symbols. Today, Scouts South Africa caters for people from ages 5 to 30, split into four sections – Meerkats, Cubs, Scouts and Rovers – and it is one of the largest youth organisations in the country.
Among its many notable achievements was a move to open Scouts South Africa to youth and adults of all races in July 1977, long before the end of apartheid.
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