Boy Scouts, Girl Guides doomed?

NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE
Correspondent | Thursday December 8, 2011 00:00

In an interview with Mmegi he said as times changed and new activities stole young people's hearts as they left the scout movement and engaged in modern activities. There are 2,075 Boy Scout and 2,432 Girl Guide members across the country.

Molefe said even though it seems like our young generation does not have much interest or knowledge about neither Boy Scouts nor Girl Guides, the movements are still there at primary, junior and secondary schools.  'We have reviewed the activities that we had and tried to develop them in order to accommodate today's youth,' Molefe explained.

'Although it seems like boy scouts and girl guides have been doomed, in rural areas scouts is said to be active and members are said to have done a lot for communities,' he said. Molefe says there are also a few scouts' movements in towns that also take part in the development of their communities. He points out that scout movements are voluntary organisation that contribute to the country and have benefited many societies as the scouts volunteer to help the destitute with back gardening as they did at Bobonong this year on April. 'The scouts have also planted trees at New Xade in March 2011. They have also trained young children First Aid at Thamaga in October 2011 not forgetting the other countless activities they have done in the communities.  Scouting is a youth movement with the aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development that they may play constructive roles in society,' he says.

He told Mmegi that the movement's main objective is to build its members into better people who will be able to depend on themselves. Molefe also said that scouting helps members to depend on themselves and be able to survive during struggles.

The association runs a two-year course on home economics for school dropouts on a national basis, mainly for girls. The participants get a certificate at the end of the year in either sewing or catering. Some of the graduates are working in local hotels.

He pointed out that BSA instills discipline, integrity, leadership and accountability.