AKHBAAR Volume 13 - August 2019

AKHBAAR / Volume 13
50 th Annual Issa Inter Patrol Memorial Competition and Camp
The Ismaili Darkhana Boy Scouts Unit,
Karachi, organised the 50th Annual Issa Inter
Patrol Memorial Competition and Camp in
Malir. This historic event provided a unique
platform to showcase scouting philosophy.
The event’s format consisted of several
competitions and a grand trophy. For this
year’s event, 250 scouts took part and were
divided into 12 teams. The first day of the
competition, teams were tasked with building
shelters. This included building an entrance,
cupboards, a dining table, a bag and a shoe
stand, a kitchen, changing rooms, and a first
aid corner. Participants spent the first night
designing and preparing their shelters and
demonstrated their enthusiasm to win the
competition.
competition came to an end, the scouts also
cleaned up the event location.
The event, though organised at the local level,
reflects the larger mission of scouts. Trained
scouts, emerging from an event like the Issa
Inter Patrol Memorial Competition, set
themselves as leaders of the future. Rahim
Jawed, a participant echoed this idea of
leadership saying, “The competition has
inspired and transformed many individuals
since its inception. It has served as a
breeding ground for future leaders of our
Jamat.”
Next, each team was assigned a different
genre of theatre, which they presented at the
campfire night. Scouts highlighted key social
issues through these plays, which were
thoroughly appreciated by the audience. After
the trophy winners were announced and the
Camps and competitions help by building leadership skills and understand scouting philosophy
Boy Scouts Silver Jubilee Camp
Camping is a fundamental learning
experience for scouts. Sir Robert Baden
Powell said, “A week of camp life is worth six
months of theoretical teaching in the meeting
room.” The Ismaili District Boy Scouts
Association of Karachi organised a camp
named Silver Jubilee Celebration 1994-2019
for 300 participants from Karachi and Sindh.
The camp focused on developing four
aspects of an individual: one’s personality,
physical capabilities, spiritual enlightenment
and intellectual and social capacity, as
outlined in the National Youth Programme
policy of the Pakistan Boy Scouts
Association. The camp emphasised the
importance of having goals, developing a
sense of direction and achieving higher ranks
and badges in the Boy Scouts. Moreover, it
inculcated a sense of personal responsibility
towards the community and promoted peace
and commitment towards spiritual life. A
participant stated, “This camp was a
life-changing experience, which young people
cannot get anywhere else.”
Jamati leadership also visited the camp to
motivate the scouts in their endeavour of
serving the community. These guests
included Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, Provincial
Commissioner and Chief Secretary of the
Government of Sindh, Amin Lakhani, former
President Ismaili District Boy Scouts
Association and Southern Council, Syed
A scout member during an adventure trail
Akhter Meer, Provincial Secretary and senior
leader of the Sindh Boy Scouts Association,
Karim Morani, Scouting Portfolio Member of
the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board for
Pakistan, and finally, Shamez Mukhi, former
Chairman of the Aga Khan Youth and Sports
Board for Pakistan. Wahab Jockey, District
Scout Commissioner said, “Experiences
beyond the classroom teach life skills and
holistically nourish the personality of the
scout. Scouting raises the confidence of the
individual by exploring their untapped
potential. It also builds self-esteem and
team-building skills and encourages the
pursuit of outdoor adventure.”
Scouts applying practical solutions during the camp
Page - 08