A scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens.
— Lord Robert Baden Powell
Though I have tendered an official resignation as a scout commissioner – my last post was as State Assistant Chief Scout Commissioner in-charge of Media and ITC – I have never really resigned from or left scouting completely for the simple reason that scouting is just a part of me or rather I am a part of scouting.
Scouting, which to me is ageless, really has a soft spot in my heart. And for that matter my scouting buddies have no hesitation in asking me for help, especially when it involves the media and publication.
Scouting, thanks to our founder Lord Robert Baden Powell, has introduced me to a great number of friends from across the continents, people of all class and creeds. This harmonises with the international scout law number four that a Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts.
One scouter from India – can’t recall his name – once stayed with us at our humble home in Rock Road for a few days. I took him to our Jong Crocodile Farm in Siburan together with my two kids and their mom. That was in 1996 or thereabout.
This scouting movement is available to people of all faiths as well as people who are humanist, atheist or have no affirmed faith and therefore must take account of the different religious obligations or non-religious beliefs of its members.
It was in 1969 that I passed my Tenderfoot requirements including the swimming test where we had to use our Scout uniforms – over the fast following Sebetan River despite being dammed with floating logs.
The presence of a female Canadian teacher in her swimming suit was an added impetus to pass – Miss Christine Grotefield who was nearly six feet tall was an unforgettable landmark in rural Saratok.
I remember dancing with her with my nose in between her cleavage in 1969 when I was aged 15 – in fact she was the last lady standing as the rest were already taken by the seniors and I was probably the only Form 2 boy joining the weekend dance organised by the Student Council and charging 50 cents (now sen) per person for the entrance fee.
One requested song was charged 20 cents. Years later l was the proud designer of the school hall mural and was paid RM10 for such a fine job that was completed in three days. By the time I became the school head in 1985 the hall was just a memory.
Cikgu Ahmad, our Scout master in 1969, made a fine job of training us all but by the time the Malaysian Jamboree in Melaka of 1970 came, none of us were entered in the Sarawak contingent for reasons beyond my comprehension then. I did not have the opportunity to be tested for my Second Class skills and went into scouting wilderness for the rest of my secondary school and tertiary education days.
It was only a decade later that I renewed my bond with the scouting movement when being appointed as Group Commissioner upon reporting for duty as a lecturer at Rajang Teachers College in rural Binatang, later renamed Bintangor – Mintang according to the Foochows.
This was how I came to know Richard Riot Jaem (now Datuk Seri and Serian MP as well as former Minister of Human Resources Malaysia) who was the Regional Scout Commissioner for Sarikei Division while serving as Divisional Youth and Sports Officer of the Department with the same name.
But throughout my scouting days, it was Mohd Said Bolhassan (now deceased) who became my good friend and mentor, even during the reign of the late Chief Scout Commissioner Dunstan Melling Undau who reinvigorated my scouting enthusiasm with a promise of the FOURTH bead as international trainer and in his (Melling’s) word the scouting equivalent of a PhD. But I am contented as a national trainer after getting my third bead of woodbadge after undergoing training at Kem Sardon Jubir in Cheras, Selangor in 1993.
Many probably thought that I resigned from scouting out of disillusionment for not getting decorated. But that wasn’t the case as I was awarded the Ahli Bintang Kenyalang (ABK) in Oct 2016 just five days after my 52nd birthday. I just needed a break but still helping now and then to write about scouting matters.
Earlier in 1992 I was decorated with the Scout Silver Medal the Pingat Perkhidmatan Baik ((PPB). The late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr Sulaiman Daud signed the award document.
For the record I made Kanowit and Julau as scouting districts in 1983 and 1988 respectively and became the inaugural District Commissioner for both. I also served as DC of Saratok (1985), Serian (1986-87) and Bau (1993-95).
Scout leaders should primarily concern with giving their best services and my conscience is very clear pertaining to services given.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
