Scout leader credits honesty, discipline for recognition

OUT of seven siblings including four brothers and three sisters, James Loka Masia, never thought that he would make his way to be the field commissioner for Morobe Provincial Scouts Association and also receive a Queen’s Honours award.
For Masia, 52, his strong Christian upbringing was the vehicle that drove him to live a life of service. He said the purpose he was called for was to serve as the Word of God in the book of Jeremiah says: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV).
The last child of the Masia family from Lambutina village in Sio ward 2 of the Wasu local level government, Tewae-Siassi district in Morobe, Masia was born on Aug 10, 1970, to father Masia Solomon and mother Mikaile Jonah and did his grade one to six at Sio community school.
After community school, Masia made his way to Lae where he settled at Bumbu Compound in 1983 and did his grade seven to 10 through the College of Distance Education (Code) now known as Flexible, Open and Distant Education (Fode).

“ In receiving this award words cannot express how humble I am in receiving the medal. Looking at my age at 52 years, I should not be receiving such award as it should be for people around 70-80 years old. But when receiving the news I am thankful to Anutu (God) for it.

The Lambutina villager is married to Mary Gamong Masia of Kamkumung village in Ahi and together they have five children (two boys and three girls) and five grandchildren.
Living at Bumbu and attending class at Code, Masia was urged by late Roy Buaki Singeri to join the junior scouts that was established in 1983 at the compound.
“From a junior scout I moved up to a scout then to senior scout leader and from there I was promoted to field commissioner in 2019. The journey that I came through the scout programme took me 39 years,” he said. “For scouts in Morobe I am the provincial field commissioner and at the back end of my line of duty I have served the youths under the scout programme to help the community within the districts of the province. Not only in Papua New Guinea did I serve the scouts but also traveling abroad to countries like Japan, Australia, Indonesia and other countries through the scouting programme.”
Looking at the scout side of life the man from Sio told The National that it was a platform that had built self-respect, self-discipline, self-reliance and honesty in his life to take him to where he was now.
Masia’s dedication in serving the scout movement in PNG did not go unnoticed as he was bestowed with the British Empire Medal (BEM) on Oct 21, 2021, by the Queen through her representative Governor General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae who is also the chief scout in the country during the Queens Honours Awards in Port Moresby.
“To be the recipient of the British Empire Medal, I say thank you. The award was through the efforts of working with the youths, working with the scouts in the country and the world under the 27 countries in Asia-Pacific and the service to the community.
“In receiving this award, words cannot express how humble I am in receiving the medal. Looking at my age at 52 years I should not be receiving such award as it should be for people around 70-80 years old. But when receiving the news I am thankful to Anutu (God) for it.
“I am excited that in 249 countries of the Commonwealth I’m one of the recipient that the Queen has recognised for efforts in serving the community, the young people and the scout movement locally and globally. It’s a big achievement that encourages me to push on what I’m doing to serve the community and the youths and it comes through self-respect, self-discipline, self-reliance and honesty.”