Bharat Scouts and Guides
Bharat Scouts and Guides Celebrate 100 years of scouting in 2009.
The Bharat Scouts and Guides (BSG) observes its centenary on 1 Jan with commerative events in New Delhi. Centenary stamps and coins honoring the BSG will be issued. A parallel scouting movement, the right-wing-backed Hindustan Scouts and Guides Association, plans protests and its own commemoration on the same day. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports officially recognized both groups Apr 2001, but withdrew the recognition in Feb 2005 after pressure from the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).
WOSM, which recognised BSG in 1950 as the sole representative for India.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will elaborate the achievements of BSG in its first 100 years, which includes the colonial era. He will urge more youth to join the organization. The BSG is a voluntary, non-political, educational movement for young people in India, particularly targeting the youth in schools, colleges and universities.
The first Scout troop in India, consisting of Indian Boys, was formed in 1908. But the troop was disbanded in 1910. The common confirmed date; for the start of scouting in India is 1909, when three troops for British boys were started at Bangalore, Kirkee and Jabalpur.
The BGS maintains units for Indian citizens in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
News
Exhibition-on-wheels
Thiruvananthapuram: As part of the 100 years of Bharat Scouts and Guides celebrations, the Southern Railway is organising an exhibition-on-wheels, displaying posters, literature on scouting and guiding and models and crafts prepared by Scouts and Guides. The exhibition on wheels, titled Indian Scouting Centenary Express, will be open for the public in the city from 9 a.m. till 6 p.mon January 3 and 4. – Staff Reporter
Scouting Centenary Express arrives in Salem
Staff Reporter
The exhibition on wheels is set up on three rail coaches
— Photo: P. Goutham
Expo: Divisional Railway Manager P.N. Ram taking a look at the exhibits after inaugurating Scouts Exhibition on Wheels at Salem Town Railway Station on Sunday.
SALEM: The Scouts Exhibition on Wheels, organised to commemorate the centenary of scouting in India, has arrived Salem on Sunday.
Salem Divisional Railway Manager and Patron, Salem District Southern Railway Bharat Scouts and Guides, P.N. Ram declared open the exhibition, which was organised by the Southern Railway State Bharat Scouts and Guides, at the Town Railway Station here.
Named as Scouting Centenary Express, the exhibition is set up on three rail coaches.
One coach solely depicts the heritage of Indian Railways and the remaining two coaches have exhibits on the scouts and guides movement.
Posters depicting the fundamentals of scouting, the scheme of advancement, leaders who have played a significant role for the development of the scout movement at the National and State levels, types of decorations and awards in scouting, visitors to the scout training centre in Southern Railway are on display in the exhibition.
Models
Activities organised by scouts and guides in Southern Railway, involvement of scouts and guides in a wide variety of awareness projects, service rendered by scouts and guides during natural calamities, adventure activities, personality development, leadership and team building programmes, etc. too find place in the coaches.
Besides this, models of various types of towers, bridges and handicraft material prepared by the scouts and guides have been displayed.
A good number of scouting/guiding literature forms part of the display.
A large number of students from various schools and general public visited the exhibition.
Talking to media persons, Mr. Ram said that the Salem Division has submitted a proposal to the Southern Railway to introduce six new train services in 2010.
The proposed services are: Coimbatore – Bangalore, Coimbatore – Chennai, Coimbatore – Tirupathi, Coimbatore – Sengottai, Coimbatore – Salem (Passenger Train) and Coimbatore – Rameshwaram.
He further said that the Railways had completed 60 percent of the works in the Salem – Karur new railway line project. A sum of Rs. 200 crore was requested additionally for the project, he added. District Commissioner, Scouts, Salem, V.N.M. Rao, District Organising Commissioner Babu Chakravarthy and senior officials were present during the inauguration.
The express will be stationed at Erode Junction on December 28 and 29. It will reach Coimbatore on December 30.
Special cover released
Staff Reporter
For the 14th Indian Railways Jamboree
— Photo: M.Moorthy
OCCASION: K. Ramachandirann (right), Postmaster General, Mail Management, Chennai, releases the special postal cover in Tiruchi on Monday.
TIRUCHI: A special cover was released to commemorate the 14th Indian Railways Jamboree that is being organised by the Southern Railway State Bharat Scouts and Guides at the Railway Ground in Golden Rock here.
The Postmaster General, Mail Management, Chennai K. Ramachandirann released the special cover at a function on Monday.
Environmental crises
He said the world was confronted with multiple environmental crises.
He called upon the Scouts and Guides to educate the public on protecting our environment.
The release of special cover was a great day in the annals of Scouts and Guides, he added.
The Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway, and State Chief Commissioner of Southern Railway State Bharat Scouts and Guides V. Carmelus said the railways had been promoting Scouts and Guides movement.
The Indian Railway Jamboree was held once in two years. Efforts were being taken to make the Railway Jamboree at Tiruchi as a benchmark, he added.
Opportunity
The Jamboree would provide an opportunity for the participating Scouts and Guides members to interact, share their experience and go back with happy memories, he said.
Former Deputy Chief Commissioner / Guides and retired Financial Commissioner, Railway Board, Vijayalakshmi Viswanathan; State Commissioner/Guides Eausebious Carmelus; Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi S. Subramhanyan and Chief Workshop Manager, Golden Rock Railway Workshop, Tiruchi J. Digi participated in the function.
All India Railway Scouts, Guides Jamboree to be held Staff Reporter
From January 11 to 16 at Ponmalai railway ground in Tiruchi
As many as 2,500 members from various railway zones across the country will take part in it
“Protect Environment and Promote Peace” is the theme of the Jamboree this year
TIRUCHI: The 14th All India Railway Scouts and Guides Jamboree will be held at the Ponmalai railway ground here from January 11 to 16.
As many as 2,500 Scouts and Guides members from various railway zones across the country will take part in the Jamboree which will be hosted by the Southern Railway State Bharat Scouts and Guides.
The Jamboree is to be held in Tiruchi after a gap of 25 years.
“Protect Environment and Promote Peace” is the theme of the Jamboree this year.
Necessary infrastructure facilities are being created in the sprawling Golden Rock Railway ground by the Railway authorities in order to accommodate the Scouts and Guides members most of whom will be from the railway schools situated across the country.
About 225 tents would be set up to accommodate the participants in the railway ground where separate toilets and bathrooms for Scouts and Guides would also come up.
Works on creating 16 kitchens and dinning halls were currently under way at the Jamboree venue.
Apart from the regular activities of the Scouts and Guides, the Jamboree will also feature various competitions such as rangoli, food plaza craft, para-sailing, disaster management, folk songs and quiz.
A senior railway official said the Scouts and Guides members would arrive Tiruchi from various places on January 10.
The valedictory function will be organised on January 15.
The objective of the Jamboree is to foster unity, camaraderie and spirit of adventure among the participants besides emphasising on environment protection, a senior railway official here said. It will also provide an opportunity to compare the standards of Scouts and Guides and their activities of various railway zones.
The Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi S. Subramhanyan and the Chief Workshop Manager, Golden Rock Railway Workshop J. Digi accompanied by senior officials of the workshop inspected the arrangements which were being made for the forthcoming event.
Special covers on Scouting
Recently Mini National Bharat Scout & Guide Centenary Jamboree was held at Ahmedabad from 2-7 February 2009. A special cover designed by our distinguished member Mr. Ajay Agarwal of Akola and his wife Mrs Sudha Agarwal was released by Chief Justice of Gujarat, Hon. Shri Javeri to mark the event.
Special Cover-Mini National Jamboree Bharat Scouts & Guides ,2nd – 7th Feb, 2009
Indian Scouts & Guides Fellowship, 100 Years of Scouting in India
Cover depicts Sabarmati Ashram & Gujarat University plus badge on Scouting in India is also distributed.
Issued By:-Indian Scouts & Guides Fellowship
Date of Issue:-02.02.2009.