Kiunga scouting revived

SAINT Gabriel’s Technical Secondary School in Kiunga, Western, organised a two-day scout training camp for its students recently.
The aim of the camp held on July 4-5 was to provide life skills training for a group of 30 students – 16 boy scouts and 14 girls – to add to their physical, intellectual and social development.
The training was based on scouts’ law.
It included learning through interesting and practical activities guided by scout master Brother Lucianus Lakra ALT with assistance from Sister Selvarani and Betina Potabu.
The 30 students learnt scout skills and protocols such as the marching, saluting, hand shake, tying knots, lashing and setting up tents using scouting equipment, making camp fires, hand signalling, first aid, fighting fires and safety and learning songs and dances.
The students were divided into five patrols, all the activities were performed following the Scouts’ patrol system.
St Gabriel’s principal Br Johnson Chako was the camp’s special guest on the first day and Catholic district education coordinator Melchoir Dabuna had the honour on the second day of the camp.
Dabuna thanked the school administration and scout leaders for organising the programme.
Other guests included the Catholic education secretary for Daru and Kiunga Diocese, Kevin Joseph, Seva Missionary Sisters of Mary (SMSM) and the school teachers.
The campsite was also visited by Charlie Buia, the education coordinator, who commended the organisers for the effort to revive the boy scouts in the province.
He spoke about his own experience as a scout and on the importance of the boy scouts and girl guides movements.
The camp ended with an inter-faith prayer service in which the scouts prayed along with representatives for different Christian denominations.
All 30 students were given participation certificates.