SCOUTING AND SPORTING PASSION

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my Country,
The Republic of the Philippines
And to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. 

A Scout is:
Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

That's the Scout Oath and Law.  I was able to memorize it at the age of four before my kindergarten year.  My aunt who was a teacher and a Scout adult leader in Merida, Leyte taught me how to recite the Scout Oath and Law.

Of course during those childhood years, I delivered these lines like parrot, not knowing what the words really meant.  When I became a boy scout, I understood the essence of the promise which to me is a perfect covenant of service.

You can just imagine if all the people in all countries would follow these tenets of Scouting then the world will be a perfect place to live.

According to boyscouttrail.com the Scout Oath is "a solemn, formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling on God as witness."  It invokes high respect and esteem when the pledge starts with "On my honor."

To do the "best" is to perform the most outstanding and excellent action you could ever accomplish.  Especially in the three-fold duty to God and country, duty to others and duty to self.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." - Mark 12:30.

The Supreme Being, The Almighty, The Divine Providence, God Himself is the Giver and Doer of all things.  He is the foremost center of our life. We must fulfill our religious obligations for ultimately all of us will be reunited with Him after this earthly existence.  That is if we follow His commandments and His teachings.

“Surely, Allah will fully compensate you for your deeds. Indeed, He is Aware of all that you do.” - The Quran 11:111 (Surah Hud).

Allah is the Arabic word of God. Christian Scouts and Muslim Scouts pray to one God.

"Character counts" to be morally straight as a scout.  All these are reflected in the Scout Law especially being reverent.  Reverence is a deep feeling or commitment to one's religious beliefs.

We show our patriotism by following the laws of the land, getting involved in the community and preserving the environment.  We show our concern by helping our government officials in their responsibilities not just criticizing them negatively.

"Love your neighbor as yourself." - Mark 12:31.

The Scout Slogan is "Do a good turn daily" and it requires us to "help other people at all times."  This is a helpful or friendly act or a favor for somebody.  Everyday find some little ways to make your neighbor happy.

Finally caring for ourselves which comes last.  We must keep our body physically fit staying away from vices like smoking, alcoholism and illegal drugs.

The Scout Motto is "Be Prepared" and according to Boy Scouts founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell it means "You are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your Duty."

"Mens sana in corpore sano" means "a healthy mind in a healthy body."  This is the favorite slogan of the then Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) now named only Department of Education (DepEd).

Sports and wellness help us to be mentally awake.  Scouting involves lots of physical activities to keep our body strengthened and our mind awakened.

Thus my scouting passion goes with my sporting passion.

Sports is associated with good health and vitality if you personally engage yourself in games and exercises.  As Roman poet Virgil wrote "The greatest wealth is health." It started to popularize the favorite slogan "Health is wealth."

Sports provide fun and entertainment if you play or just watch the competition.  It promotes tourism as in the case of athletic meets, tournaments, Asian Games and the Olympics.  These games advocate peace and camaraderie.

I was in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, the site of the 2015 Palarong Pambansa that time.  On May 20-22, 2015, I was with the Scouting leaders all over the country to attend the Annual National Council Meeting led by Vice President Jejomar Binay,  President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

I was chosen as Most Outstanding Council Chairman and received the award from VP Binay and Members of the BSP National Executive Board.

I met Hon. Ariel Anghay, City Councilor of Iligan and Scout Executive of Iligan Council. He told me he was an avid fan of Philboxing.com of which I am a contributor and he read it everyday.

City Councilor Venerando Rea and former Vice Mayor of Tayabas, Quezon was also there. He is the incumbent ABAP Regional President of Southern Luzon. A former City Vice Mayor, he is a licensed ABAP referee/judge.  ABAP is Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines.

There were several scouting and sporting officials whom I met there who shared the same passion.

Mayor Allan Rellon, the host Tagum City Mayor, is both a sporting and scouting enthusiast, and is planning to host the National Boy Scouts Jamboree in October 2015.

VP Binay himself is a fitness buff and he kept jogging/walking several kilometers everyday and played badminton to keep him physically fit.

"Scouting is a game for boys under the leadership of boys under the direction of a man," a quote from Lord Baden Powell.

The Cub Scouts Sports and Academic Program of the Boy Scouts of America is one method of addressing the third aim of Scouting: the development of physical, mental and emotional fitness.

Sports is a merit badge for advancement in the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. The list of merit badges in the Sports Group include Archery, Athletics, Boating, Cycling, Horsemanship, Marksmanship, Physical Fitness, Snorkeling, Swimming and Team Sports.

In Team Sports, the boy is required to explain sportsmanship and give several examples of good sportsmanship in sports.  He will relate these to everyday applications on citizenship outside the sports competition.

According to Joel Fish and Susan Magee in 101 Ways To Be A Terrific Sports Parent:  "Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors."

In my speeches to young athletes in meets and tournaments, I always give emphasis on playing the games in the spirit of true sportsmanship and advocate teamwork among colleagues.

The scout sportsman is obliged to take part for one full season as a member of an organized team in one of the following sports: baseball, basketball, bowling, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball or any other recognized team sport.

The boy is also directed to compete in one of the following sports in two organized meets or tournaments: archery, badminton, bowling, cycling, judo, orienteering, swimming, table tennis, lawn tennis, track and field or any other recognized sport.

The scout will also make a set of training rules for the sport selected, explain the importance of following these rules and apply them.  He is also required to design exercises for these sports and show how he will do these in the chosen sport in one season and how did his game progressed with these exercises.

The sporting scout will also show proper techniques in the two sports selected and will be able to draw diagrams of their playing areas.  He will explain the rules and etiquette of the two selected sports, and describe the protective equipment needed.

More importantly, the boy should explain the attributes of a good team leader and good team player.  This will train him for future team building as a professional and as a worker someday.

According to basketball great Michael Jordan: "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."