Sierra Leone Scouts’ Association Pays Courtesy Call on Tourism Minister

Sierra Leone Scouts’ Association has on Monday 30th November, 2020 paid a courtesy visit to the Hon. Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs at her Kingharman Road office in Freetown.

Giving a precise chronicle of the Sierra Leone Scouts’ Association (SLSA), the Association’s President, Sheikh Fomba A. Swaray,   said the Association was founded in 1909 at the CMS Grammar School by the then Principal, Rt. Rev. Garret Garrick with the aim of contributing to the development and education of young people ranging from becoming self-reliant, practicing good citizenry to acquiring better leadership skills. The Scouts Association, he went on, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and currently has membership of over 20,000.

 

The SLSA President told the Hon. Tourism Minister that the Association is one of the largest youth-based organizations in the culturally diversed Former British West African Nation, that has produced barrage of hardworking and successful people  the world over including the President Elect of America (Joe Biden). Mr.  Swaray  explained that the Scout Organization is a unique and utilitarian body focused on training and transforming young individuals to become useful in society.

He continued that even the historic Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston, contributed immensely to the development of the Sierra Leone Scouts for which, he said, he expressed appreciation.

Mr. Swaray further mentioned that the purpose of their visit was on two key objectives:

 

firstly, to officially Decorate her (Dr. Memunatu B. Pratt) as their Permanent Live Patron  for the Sierra Leone Scouts’ Association and to Officially give her a honorary certificate for  her diligent and selfless service to the nation.

 

He appealed to Dr. Pratt to kindly grant them permission to be cleaning the beach frequently to always keep it tidy and attractive to visitors who may want to have good time on the beach,

In her response, the Hon. Minister  expressed profound gratitude for the bold taken by the Scouts Association to recognize her transformative contributions so far to the Tourism sector in the nation at large, and also for giving her that prestigious opportunity to serve as one of their Life Patrons in the Scouts Association.

“Scouting is a beautiful place to be as I could still remember that at the age of 3/4, I was a member of the Brownie for which I was so happy, and enjoyed being in that uniform though I did not continue it when I entered secondary school. Yet, those days for me was a memorable moment”, Minister Pratt told the visitors.

 

She informed her guests that the reason why she still  appreciates every activities of the scouts’ Association is centered on discipline,  selflessness, sacrifice, commitment, resilience, service to ones friends, family, society and even the country. She assured them of giving her support by partnering with them in cleaning the beaches, decentralizing development out of Freetown, giving public education on the Tourism heritage they have, about Eco-Tourism, Biodiversity, protecting wild life and even raising more awareness to the people of Sierra Leone.

 

The Hon. Minister further told them that over the years she has been looking for serious and reliable organization to partner with, but unfortunately, she said, she has never had any because some groups focused more on money which is not what she expects of them. She added that since the SLSA  has decided to work with the Tourism sector she is also ready to give her best in working with them as she believes in service delivery or doing remarkable things any where she finds herself.

Hon. Memunatu B. Pratt encouraged the Scouts Association to be involved in the training of all youth groups to instill discipline, patriotism, nationalism, and selflessness in everything they do. As for her, she added, her motto in the office is ‘BE PREPARED’ which she said, even all her staff are aware of,  as she can call on them at any time or any hour to work. She also informed them that she believes in humanitarian work which is a necessity to the society, but doesn’t necessarily mean to only be giving out food to people in the street, rather to showcase service delivery and patriotism. That is why she went on; during two years of her service to the nation she has received many accolades, certificates, medals, Honorary awards and many more.

Dr. Pratt concluded by assuring them of officially providing an MOU between the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and  the Sierra Leone Scouts Association which they will work on.

MTCA MEDIA TEAM