Sri Lanka Scout Association

Infobox WorldScouting
type=organization
name=Sri Lanka Scout Association
caption = Membership badge of the Sri Lanka Scout Association


headquarterstitle=
headquarters = Colombo
country=Sri Lanka
f-date=1912/1957
members=24,982 (2004)
chiefscouttitle=Chief Scout
chiefscout=Mahinda Rajapaksa
chiefscouttitle2=President
chiefscout2=M. A. Nawaz Caffoor
chiefscouttitle3=Chief Commissioner
chiefscout3=C. Batuwangala
website= [http://www.srilankascouts.org/index.html www.srilankascouts.org]
affiliation=World Organization of the Scout MovementThe Sri Lanka Scout Association (Sinhala: Unicode|ශ්‍රී ලංකා බාළදක්ෂ සංගමය; Tamil:இலங்கைச் சாரணர்க் கழகம்), the national Scouting organization of Sri Lanka, was founded in 1912, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1953. The boys-only Sri Lanka Scout Association has 24,982 members as of 2004.

As Sri Lanka is a multi religious and multiracial country, Scouting has been a great unifying force.

There are various community development projects carried out in cooperation with the government organizations, United Nations and other service organizations.

Scouting has been introduced into the prisons. It has spread to other institutions such as certified schools. There are also Scout units for handicapped boys such as the blind and deaf and for boys in leprosy hospitals.

History

* 1912 - Scouting brought to Sri Lanka by F.G. Stevens at Christ Church Matale
* 1914 - Scouting brought to Colombo by F.G. Stevens, at Christ Church, Galle Face, Colombo
* 1916 - Western Province Rally at Havelock Park, Colombo
* 1917 - First all Ceylon Rally at Havelock Race Course, Colombo
* 1921 - B.P.'s visit to Sri Lanka with Lady Olave Baden-Powell; Scouting started in Prisons
* 1930 - Scout HQ moves to an old guardroom at Galle Face, Colombo
* 1932 - All Ceylon Scout Craft exhibition at Katugastota, Kandy
* 1952 - Ceylon Jamboree at Kombi Kele (near the present BMICH, Colombo)
* 1957 - Participation in Jubilee Jamboree in England; Scout Council Act of Incorporation passed in Parliament
* 1962 - Golden Jubilee Jamboree at Race Course
* 1977 - National HQ shifted to Chithampalan Gardiner Mawatha

Senator E.W. Kannangara served on the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1960 until 1961.

In 1973, Kingsley C. Dassanayake was awarded the "Bronze Wolf", the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting.

Scout Motto

"Sudhanamva" සූදානම්ව, Be Prepared in Sinhalese

Program sections

*Cubs-ages 7 to 11
*Scouts-ages 10.5 to 15
*Seniors-ages 15 to 18
*Rovers-ages 18 to 24

ee also

*The Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association
*World Buddhist Scout Brotherhood

External links

* [http://www.srilankascouts.org/ Sri Lanka Scout Association]
* http://scouts.elysiumgates.com/ceylon.html