At 63, Am I Old Enough for Scouting?

by Gil Camporazo

TL Malihan and me

I am recalling my unforgettable experiences when I attended the recent 5-day 75th Diamond Jubilee Jamborette of Negros Occidental Council of Boy Scout of the Philippines held at the Gawahon Eco-Park, Victorias City, Negros Occidental, Philippines.

More than 6,000 boy scouts and troop leaders were registered attending. They came from all Boy Scout councils all over the towns and cities of Negros Occidental.

A day before the formal opening of the jamborette, the camp site was heavily soaked by a whole day downpour, making the place muddy, slippery and not conducive for outdoor camping especially for the kids and for the inexperience.

However, in any scouting activities especially outdoor camping, it is not complete without rain. Veteran scouters, scouts are already used to that kind of inconveniences. Whatever matters, they've to survive. That’s the life of a true-blooded scout.

Why I Love Scouting?

by Gil Camporazo

"I love scouting. I love scouting. Hail. I love scouting all the way." There goes the community singing led by Institutional Head (IH) Alejandro Ticao, Scout Course Leader and at the same time the Scout Field Commissioner of the Division of La Carlota as the 3rd Patrol Leader Training Course (PLTC) and Crew Leader Training Course (CLTC) in its opening ceremony.

BSP Logo

As one of the members of the support staff and discussants, it starts refreshing my 54 years in scouting. It reverberates in mind the scouting ideals, oath and law, its history, its founder, its role in character and nation building.

And it also freshens my unforgettable experiences in various scouting activities like outdoor camping, hiking, orienteering, stargazing, knot tying, cooking without utensil, putting up of the tent, and scouting games, songs and yells.

My elementary scouting days and how my mother permitted me to participate in my first out-of-town outdoor camping as far as Cadiz City in the north, noted as city of whales and as far as Himamaylan in the south, and as far as Alibunan, Calinog, Iloilo Province in Panay Island, across Guimaras Strait. And the farthest place in the country which I attended as far as national scouting jamboree is concerned was in Subic, Pampanga in Luzon.