India and Bhutan welcome Boy Scouts of America's team
Continuing their four-nation visit in the Asia-Pacific Region, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) team visited Bhutan on 15th March 2010 and met with the President of the Scout Council and Minister of Education and Sports Lynpo Thakur S Powdyel.
During the visit, the BSA team went to the proposed National Scout Centre in Paro which Boy Scouts of America, through the United States Fund for International Scouting, is assisting the initial phase of the construction of water sanitation and washing facilities. Before leaving Bhutan, the team met with the Rover Scouts, visited historical sites like Punakha and Wangdue, and had a dialogue with the young people accompanied with Chief Commissioner Chencho Dorji.
Previously, BSA visited the Bharat Scouts and Guides on 10th March and had a meeting on 13th March with the National Commissioner Bharat Scouts and Guides L. M. Jain, International Commissioner Mahendra Bhai Patel, State Secretary M. A. Khalid and the Director Bharat Scouts and Guides at the NHQ in Delhi. Mr. S. Prassanna represented the Asia Pacific Regional office at the meeting.
Representatives of both Scout associations had an engaging interaction and exchanged information about Scouting in their countries. Before that, Mr Jain gave an overview of the Bharat Scouts & Guides structure, membership, youth program, infrastructure, resources and special projects.
After the meeting, the BSA team visited the National Integration Camp at the National Youth Complex, about an hour drive from Delhi, where over 400 Rovers and Rangers from various parts of India were taking part in cultural integration activities. Scouts shared their arts, songs and dances. Jim Terly conferred the BSA Silver World Award to Mr. M. A. Khalid of India in recognition of his outstanding services to Scouting locally and internationally.
This is the first leg of BSA's four-nation visit to Asia Pacific Region and their first major travel to several NSOs. From India, the team will go to Bhutan, Bangladesh and then to Sri Lanka. In each country they will hold meetings with Scout executives and will visit Scout centres. In the past several years, BSA has been actively supporting various development projects within APR and have supported projects in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Bhutan. It is expected that the ties between BSA and APR will strengthen and expand.
