Scouting adventure

Boys delight in the adventure of a hike into the woods. They love to explore and climb hills, to wander through and spy out unknown territories.

"Adventure, learning, challenge, responsibility – the promise of scouting is all this and much more," says Ray Mitchell, the leader of the Boy Scouts of America Group in Dubai. "We are all awaiting the Jamboree on the Trail to be held at Safa Park on Saturday. This will be a nice chance for the children to get to know some scouts and guides from other groups."

A geologist by profession, Mitchell fondly recollected his teenage years when he too was a boy scout. According to him, scouting promises a whole lot of things – friendship, the opportunity to work together towards positive goals and follow routes to achieve them, experiences and duties that help you to mature into a strong and wise adult, and the tools to help you make the most of your family and community.

At present, he heads the Boy Scout's of America Group comprises around 50 young boys between the ages of 11 and 17. They meet once a week for the smooth functioning of the group and organise outings once a month. Last month, they went camping in Ras Al Khaimah and had fun with the youths camping on the beach, shopping for their needs, cooking and cleaning their own dishes.

Why did Mitchell take up a liking for the Boy Scouts? Says he: "For all the good things that scouting teaches, I have never forgotten them since my teenage years. Besides providing many opportunities for one to learn skills and take part in terrific operations, I wanted my four sons to enjoy the scouting adventure and be a part of the excitement that I felt in my youth." But he misses out on the support of the scouting organisation as found in America.