President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of March 5, in his capacity as the President of the General Association of the Scouts of China, attended a celebration marking Scout's Day as well as the Centennial of the Scouts of China (Taiwan). The president expressed his strong support for the efforts and contributions made by the Association in promoting the scouting movement here.
The president remarked that he is delighted to join the scouts in celebrating the 100th year of their organization's existence during what also happens to be the centenary of the ROC. Scouting, which is both education-oriented and a social movement, was founded in 1907 by Lord Robert Baden-Powell, a lieutenant general in the British army. The scouting movement first began in the ROC in 1912, and the local scouts quickly became part of the worldwide movement.
The president noted that the scouting movement emphasizes young people’s moral, intellectual, physical, social, and aesthetic development. In particular, it provides them with outstanding lessons in life education and teaches how to live in the wild as well as how to help others. Even more important, he said, is the opportunity for scouts to learn how to train themselves and show concern for others. The president stated that incidents of bullying have been seen in local schools recently. If the scouting movement could channel the extra energy of youth into helping others and doing a good turn daily, emphasizing wisdom, benevolence, and bravery instead of violence, our nation would become a better place, the president explained.
President Ma mentioned that the Scouts of China have participated in the international scouting movement for years and have taken part in world scouting camps many times. Most recently, 481 members of the Scouts of China attended a World Scout Jamboree held in the Netherlands, and the large size of contingent showed the vibrancy of the scouting movement here.
President Ma praised the outstanding performance of the Scouts of China, and encouraged the scouts to use their participation in scouting activities to enable scouts the world over to understand that a society based on freedom, democracy, human rights, rule of law, and prosperity has been achieved by the ROC in Taiwan. He also called on everyone to work together in spreading the scouting movement throughout the nation. This will enable the philosophy of doing a good turn daily and spreading wisdom, benevolence, and bravery throughout each household, school, and society as a whole to take root, he commented.