Penang Scouts Association To Form Special Task Force

Story taken from The Star:

Scouts to form task force

THE Penang Scouts Association will form a special task force and scout affairs committee by the end of the year to provide voluntary service and promote scouting.

It will comprise about 200 selected scouts who will be trained to respond immediately to emergency situations.

Penang State Scout Commissioner Haji Zulkafli Kamaruddin said the association was in the midst of improving its administration and the task force and committee were its first step to achieving the aim.

The number of scouts in the state had dropped badly and scouts were not active as before, he said.

The association would conduct a roadshow at seven scouting districts on the island and mainland in the coming months to promote the movement and to recruit new student members, he said at the King Scouts 2005 badge presentation ceremony at the association's headquarters recently.

Zulkafli said last year, only five King Scouts were from the state.

"We have already identified potential King Scout candidates. We want to make sure at least 20 scouts are awarded the honour next year," he said.

The scouts who received their badges were Chong Loo Jun, Goh Jih Aik, Tan Kok How, Ang Chen Siang and Chuah Wen Qi.

"We registered to take the King Scout tests when we were in Form One. There are 27 badges to collect before one can qualify as a King Scout, and to get the badges, there are many tests along the way," Chong, 18, said.

Asked about the most difficult test, Chong said it was the five-day 80km walk which required them to set up camp at various checkpoints around the island.

"We had to carry tents and cooking utensils around in our bags as we made our way around Penang."

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