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APR Regional Director at Opening of Matale District Scout Headquarters

Mr. Abdullah Rasheed – the Regional Director of the Asia Pacific Region of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement declared open the renovated building of the Matale District Scout Headquarters at Matale on 20^th November 2011 while he was on a visit to Sri Lanka for the APR Workshop on” Innovative Leadership and Effective Communication.”

Mr. Abdullah Rasheed , Regional Director declared open by cutting the ribbon and Chief Commissioner Mr. C Batuwangala unveiled the plaque to mark the occasion.

Trees were planted at the premises as a remembrance of the function

Matale being the birthplace of Scouting in Sri Lanka and on the eve of the centenary, the Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Scout Association, Mr. C. Batuwangala took steps to revive and develop scouting in the Matale District. The District Headquarters which was in a dilapidated state was renovated with the assistance of the APR and the Sri Lanka Scout Association.

The District Commissioner Mr. Niroshan Karunatilleke gave the welcome address and said that it was a special day for scouting in Matale with the Regional Director of APR and the Chief Commissioner and other National Headquarters’ officials being present for this occasion and welcomed everyone and said that it was a great source of encouragement to the scouts of Matale.

The Chief Commissioner in his address stated that the Headquarters took steps to put things in order to enable the scout officials at Matale to carry on their work in an efficient manner, and it was because of the initiative of Mr. Gamini Seneviratne former District Secretary who helped Mr. Muheed former Asst. Chief Commissioner who was appointed to overlook the District to come back to this situation today after reviving the District Association.

Mr. Abdullah Rasheed said that he was happy to be associated with this event being a historical occasion as scouting was started in Matale. He also traced the friendly relations between the Sri Lanka Scout Association and the Maldivian Scout Association And tanked Sri Lanka Scout Association for helping Maldives to start scouting. He said that APR came forward to support this project especially because of the centenary of scouting Sri Lanka. He thanked all officials of the Matale District Scout Association for their hard work to bring this headquarters to a stable condition.

The Matale District Scout website was also launched on this day.

The gathering was well attended by all lay members, former District Commissioners of Matale Mr. Wilson, Mr. Navaratne, Mr. Sahabdeen, ADCs, Scout Leaders, Scouts and their parents.

The Regional Director along with the Chief Commissioner and other officials of the NHQ and District visited the Christ Church College where the first scout troop was started in 1912 by Mr. F.G.Stevens.

M F S Muheed

Honorary Correspondent APR