Features
Be Prepared
The Scout Movement of Sri Lanka originated in Christ Church English school, Matale in 1913, but the real Pioneer College in the movement was Mahinda College Galle, where Gordon Pearce carried on successful work. From there it soon spread to Dharmaraja College, Kandy, Ananda College, Colombo and Sri Sumangala Collage, Panadura and thereafter throughout the Island.
In those colleges where the Scout Movement was thoroughly established, the masters soon realized its immense benefits. Below are some pioneers of the Scout Movement in Sri Lanka.
F.L Woodward
The principal of Mahinda College, Galle, took a keen interest in the Scout Movement. And, in 1916 he wrote a letter to Sir Baden Powell and received the following reply:
116, Victoria Street, London, S.W., October 10th, 1916.
Dear Mr. Woodward,
I was delighted to get your letter and the copy of your College Magazine, giving the interesting details of the progress of your Scouts. I am very glad to hear that they are getting on so well and have so readily grasped the spirit of the movement, which seems to be taking a hold on the rising generation all over the British Empire. This bond of the right spirit of adventure and good fellowship will, I am sure, make them all the stronger in their loyalty to the Crown and to each other, if only they have the strength of mind to stick to their promise as Scouts.
I only hope that some day I may be able to avail myself of your kind invitation and enjoy a visit to the Scouts in Ceylon.
As regards your question as to the origin of the motto “Be Prepared”, I must say that it was originally adopted by the South African Constabulary, of which I was the organiser, on their own initiative, as a good aim to act up to, and as being based on my own initials. Finding that it was a motto which actually conveyed a meaning, I carried it on in the Scouts.
It is of course quite right to alter the tests for the different subjects for badges, to suit the country and customs, since, so long as the spirit of Scouting is carried out, the actual letter and detail does not matter, but this is a matter for arrangement with the Boy Scouts Commissioner for Ceylon, F.G. Stevens Esq, P.W.D.
With cordial good wishes for your further success,
Believe me yours truly,
Robert Baden Powell
Gordon Pearce
On October 23, 1913, he reached Sri Lanka in the S.S. ‘Mate’ to assume duties as the vice-principal of Mahinda. He was a member of the Theosophical Society, a graduate in honours of London University, a young man of great keenness and ability, who was also a boy-scout officer and cricketer.
In 1916 he was a District Commissioner. In the same year he wrote a poem tiled “The path of heroes”. An extract of it is below:
Like royal Asoka, masterful but kind,
Ardent of heart and courage, meek of mind,
Who gaining by the arts of war his sway,
Held it in honour by a better way, –
Using his genius in the arts of peace,
To make his people glad, to bring release
From sickness and from poverty and pain,
Till through his lands, by city and by plain,
His name was bless’d by every son of toil
As Dharmasoka, King of Duty Royal.
Unto this path all heroes’ steps have lead,
This path the Scouts of Lanka too shall tread.
Vincent Mendis
In the year 1916, Vincent Mendis the Scoutmaster of Richmond College, Galle and his Scout Troop visited Jaffna. What the Government Agent of Jaffna B. Horsburg told Mendis was reported in the Morning Leader thus:
“The visit of you and your Scouts to Jaffna has been most helpful. Most of our boys had never seen a Scout before and your appearance has made a great impression. The keen clever way, you and your Scouts went about the performance of the various examples of Scout duties, that you showed us will, I am sure have an excellent effect.”
The ‘Morning Leader’ added: The progress thus made in the work of the movement and the beneficial results attained are a clear manifestation of the value of the system of training devised by Sir Robert Baden-Powell and it is to be hoped that before long the Baden Powell Boy Scouts will become a recognized branch of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Mendis formed a Local Association in Jaffna and organized Scout Troops at St. Johns, Central, Jaffna, St. Patrick and Hindu Colleges.
He also functioned as a Colonial Commissioner in 1917. In later years he served as the Scout Commissioner in Madras. And, in still later years, he was the Chairman of the Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia Urban Council.
J.H de Saram
J.H. de Saram, the Scoutmaster of the Dharmaraja College Troops and Secretary of the Kandy, Local Boy Scouts Association by his keenness and work had been largely responsible for the development of a very successful branch of the movement in the Central Province. He organized W Baden-Powell Troops at Trinity and St. Anthony’s Colleges, at St. Andrew’s School at Nawalapitiya and Galagedera School. In 1917 he functioned as a Colonial Commissioner.
T.S Seliah
T.S. Seliah of Badulla, when at the Training College in Colombo, came in touch with the work of the Colombo Troops and on his return to Badulla, he soon set to work, with the result of Uva Colligate School and the Buddhist School there, both having promising troops at work.
Some early dates
1913 – The Boy Scout Association of Ceylon was formed on September 30.
1914 – The 1st Galle (Mahinda) Troop was formed. It was one of the oldest in Sri Lanka.
1915 – Produced the first King’s Scout of Mahinda – S. Tennyson de Silva.
1916 – (I). F.G Stevens the Scout Commissioner for Ceylon paid an official visit to Galle.
(A Scout of Dharmaraja College, Kandy served as his orderly).
(II). E.D Denham, the Director of Education inspected a Galled Troops Rally. And, he expressed himself as greatly in favour of the Baden-Powell system of Scout training, and was desirous of encouraging it in schools.
(III). P/L Bagot of 2 nd Colombo received the Silver Cross for Gallantry.
(IV). G.P. Ariyarathna, an old Mahinda Scout, started the 1st Troop of Indian Scouts in India,
(V). The Scout Troops were at work in about 20 schools in the Island.
(VI). Dharmaraja College had 19 King’s Scouts.
Its 1916 College Magazine had the following comment: “The tone of the school has been a decided improvement. A wave of energy, good discipline and a will to work have spread from class to class. It is clear that the Boy Scout Movement is in no small measure responsible for these results and it is time that the shirkers and grumblers realized their mistake and joined the Corps.”
1917 – Dr. S.A Wickramasingha the Communist leader who was a keen Scout of the 1St Galle (Mahinda) Troop won the following proficiency Badges: All Round Cord, First – Class Badge, Missioner, Basket – Worker and Fireman.
1919 – At the age of 13, Prof. Lyn Ludowyk, then a student of Richmond College, Galle, was the youngest King’s Scout in the British Empire.
1940 – A group Scouts of St. Aloysius College, Galle, scaled 14,700 feet of the Himalayan Mountain Range.
It was reported that not a single Scout, past or present, took part in the Youth Uprising in 1971.
The Scout Maxim ‘Once a Scout always a Scout’ had come to stay.
The last message of Lord Robert Baden Powell to the Scouts the world over, written just a few days before his demise, almost 80 years ago is:
“Dear Scouts, I believe God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness doesn’t come from being rich nor merely from being successful in our career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so enjoy life when you are a man.
Nature Study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made in the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look at the bright said of things instead of the gloomy one. But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave the world a little better than you found it when it comes to your turn to die. You can die happy in feeling that, at any rate, you have not wasted your time but that you have done your best.
“Be Prepared” in this way to live happy and to die happy. Stick to your Scout Promise always: even after you have ceased to be a boy. May God help you do it.”