President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of October 21 with representatives attending the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee meeting. In addition to presenting the International Honor Award from the Scouts of China to the visitors in recognition of their longstanding contributions to the scouting movement in the Asia-Pacific region and throughout the world, the president also commented on the importance of scouting to the physical and mental development of youth, as well as to the development of character.
In remarks, President Ma expressed delight to be acting in his dual capacity as ROC president and president of the General Association of the Scouts of China in welcoming the participants in the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee meeting to Taiwan to discuss further promotion of the scout movement in the Asia-Pacific region and the global scout activities.
The president stated that the 24 Asia-Pacific member nations and areas of the World Organization of the Scout Movement include the ROC, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and so forth. The number of registered scouts throughout the region is about 15 million, he said, giving the region the largest number of scouts of any region in the world.
President Ma stated that the origins of the scout movement in the ROC can be traced to the first year of the Republic of China. Consequently, both the ROC and its scout movement have histories dating back over 100 years. The scouts of the ROC have always abided by the three virtues of "wisdom, charity and courage," as well as the spirit of "a good turn daily." Even though these values have been around for a very long time, the president said, they still play a necessary role in modern society.
President Ma stated that 50 years ago he joined the scouts when he attended Daan Junior High School in Taipei. At the time, he said, all the students at the school were scouts, and the scoutmaster was a physical education teacher at the school, Mr. Huang Ke-jen (黃克仁), who was extremely passionate about the scout movement. Mr. Huang later served as the secretary general of the General Association of the Scouts of China, he said. The president recalled that he and the other scouts went camping during the summer in the Waishuangxi area on the outskirts of Taipei, where he learned to make knots and cook. After returning home he went into the kitchen and prepared a braised eggplant dish for his family, which moved his mother deeply.
President Ma also mentioned that after he became president in 2008, former Chief Commissioner of the General Association of the Scouts of China Chao Shou-Po (趙守博) invited him to serve as president of the organization. The president said that he did not hesitate for a moment in accepting this extremely meaningful job, adding that in March 2011 he attended a large celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the organization's founding. President Ma commented he was doubly pleased to see the excellent training of the scouts in a variety of skills. In addition, the president noted, in July of the same year, he presented the flag of the ROC to representatives of the local scout movement right before they departed Taiwan to participate in the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in 2011 in Sweden. Just as expected, he remarked, the scouts of the ROC put in an outstanding performance at the event.
With respect to the state of scouting education here, President Ma explained, Taiwan has enjoyed considerable success in its economic development over the past several decades, so the younger generation faces fewer challenges in today's relatively prosperous environment. In response, the government has clearly stated that elementary school students should have experience in mountain climbing, and junior high school students should take part in overnight camping and other outdoors education to cultivate a spirit of "experiencing nature and learning from it" and "acting in society and serving the community," he said. At the same time, students are expected to acquire such positive habits as protecting the environment, conserving energy, and reducing carbon emissions. This, the president noted, conforms to the oath taken by members of the General Association of the Scouts of China, namely: to do my duty to God and be a righteous citizen of my country, to help other people at all times and serve the public, and to be an intellectual individual who endeavors to be honorable and vigorous."
President Ma further stated that the General Association of the Scouts of China each year holds over 50 activities, encouraging scouts from throughout the nation to get socially involved by serving the needs of underprivileged households and the physically and mentally challenged. He remarked that scouting activities help teach how to become a member of a civil society, adding that through these activities young people have the opportunity at an early age to come in contact with people from different ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds, and learn the virtue of tolerance and how to appreciate others. At the same time, he added, this cultivates the values of "training oneself and showing concern for others," and expands their world view.
Included in the delegation were World Scout Committee Chairman Simon Hang Bock Rhee, World Organization of the Scout Movement Secretary General Scott Teare, Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee Chairman Chao Shou-Po, and the General Association of the Scouts of China Chief Commissioner Lin Junq-tzer (林政則). The group was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Political Deputy Minister of Education Pi-twan Huang (黃碧端) to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Jacob Chang (張大同).