You are the hope of this nation, Princess Basma tells young Arab scouts

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Princess Basma on Sunday attended the 31st Arab Scouts Camp celebration.

Held under the theme “United We Remain”, the two-week camp provided the opportunity to strengthen bonds and exchange experiences between regional scout organisations, and helped spread the scout movement in the Arab world, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Speaking at the celebration, Princess Basma said the slogan of the camp was manifested through the wide participation in the camp, which included scouts from the UAE, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.

“You are the hope of this nation and the source of our pride and optimism for a better future. The noble scout principles you adopted and believe in are a source of strength for you and your communities in the present and the future,” she told the participants.

The princess said the values of integrity and self-respect are in honesty, loyalty and respect for others, while the principle of concern and cooperation is represented in supporting others and effecting positive change in the world.

She called on the scouts to keep embracing these values under all circumstances, according to Petra.

For his part, Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji welcomed the activities of the camp in Jordan, which has always supported joint Arab action and provided a model for a modern country that enjoys stability and security.

A total of 600 scouts participated in the camp, including 250 from Jordan.

Hammam Tous, a scout from Jordan, noted that the Jordanian scouts will continue to give back to their country and remain loyal soldiers for their King and homeland to realise Princess Basma’s vision and aspirations for the boy scout and girl guides movements.

Atef Abdul Majid, secretary general of the Arab Scouting Organisation, underlined the significance of the camp in uniting young Arabs.

Heads of the participating delegations spoke about the importance of the scouting movement.

The Jordanian Association of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality, organised on Saturday a parade through the old city of Amman, from downtown to the Roman Theatre, where Sunday’s celebration also took place.

Scouting was founded in Jordan in 1954, and the country became a member of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement in 1955. Guiding started in 1938 and Jordan became a member of the World Organisation of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1978.

Princess Basma’s association with the scouting movement began in the early day of her schooling, when she joined as a Brownie and then became a girl guide.

She headed the parade in the first Boy Scout and Girl Guide festival in Jordan which took place in the late 1950s.

Today, she leads the movement in her capacity as president of the Jordanian Association of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.