Message from Chief Commissioner Gary Pienaar
Heritage Day will be celebrated across our country on Sunday 24th September, with colourful sights, sounds, flavours. and delights, as we come together to share what it means to be proudly South African. Our late President, Statesman and Patron of SCOUTS South Africa, Tata Madiba once said that ‘our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our nation’.
As fellow citizens and Scouts, we all bring our own unique heritage into our shared Scouting spaces, either through our Scout Groups, Districts and Regional structures. Scouting’s values, expressed through our Scout Promise and Law, encourage us to build an environment that is inclusive and creates a sense of belonging, that respects our individual differences, and where we recognise the talent and ability of those around us. By sharing our heritage with each other, we are not only contributing to our own personal growth as individuals, but also encouraging the growth and cohesiveness of Scouting as a whole. And … in some small way, contributing to nation building and creating a better world for all.
It is also important that over this Heritage Day long weekend, SCOUTS South Africa will be hosting it’s second in person Lekgotla under the theme ‘Growing Together’. This will be an opportunity for leaders from all over the country to gather and connect with each other. We will be sharing some of our success stories, the highlights and achievements, as well as some of the key challenges we have experienced over the past few years. Through dialogue and the sharing of ideas, we hope to map out the strategic priorities and actions that are required to take the Movement forward over the next few years, to deliver on the promise of Scouting for the youth of our country.
Look out for the feedback that will be shared after this important gathering.
Finally, in closing, please continue striving in all your efforts to be the difference that makes the difference in your Groups and communities. #scoutssouthafrica #scouting #scouts