RIYADH: Saudi scouts taking part in the Third International Muslim Scouts Jamboree in the US have stood out in science, technology, engineering and mathematics proficiency, a Saudi Press Agency report said on Friday.
A delegation from the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association is attending the week-long summer camp being held at Camp Strake in Houston, Texas, which runs from June 30-July 6. The jamboree is organized by the National Islamic Committee on Scouting under the supervision of the Boy Scouts of America.
Camp Strake in Houston, where scouting summer camps are held, has 20 campsites with pavilions, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) center, a 28-acre lake, and first class facilities for scouts. (Boy Scouts of America photo)
On Thursday, activities included a competition in the basics of electrical and electronic engineering and designing robots using specialized software and hardware, including automatically and logically controlling a robot’s movements.
Aside from showing their skills in STEM activities, the Saudi scouts also displayed their research and innovation skills, the report said.
One of the scouts, Bassam Al-Ajmani, told Arab News: “It was a successful experience where we gained new scouting and scientific skills, made new friends, showcased aspects of Saudi culture to the participants, learned about other cultures, and discovered many techniques that can enhance our scouting work without compromising the authenticity of the scouting experience.”
Mubarak bin Awad Al-Dosari, the Saudi scouts media officer, said: “The camp features a high-quality program designed to provide each participant with opportunities for research and adventure. Among the most notable activities are visiting NASA in Houston, conducting workshops, and engaging in outdoor pursuits such as canoeing, swimming, fishing, and climbing.
Al-Dosari added that the association’s participation in this camp reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to promoting values of love and peace and its aim to showcase the progress of the nation and its youth.
Scouts taking part in the jamboree also received training on the best way to safely drive motorcycles. They will compete in scouting leadership and ways to build gates, flagpoles, fences and bridges using wood, along with the correct use of knots, ties and loops, as well as building cooking ovens and safely lighting fires.
Other activities listed in the summer camp include visiting NASA in Houston, workshops, and canoeing, swimming and climbing. Leaders of the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association said that the group is taking part in the global camp “to highlight the Kingdom’s role in the Islamic world, promote values of love and peace, showcase the Kingdom and its progress, and facilitate cultural exchange and learning about civilizations.”
Saudi scouts taking part in the jamboree get a briefing from their leader at Camp Strake in Houston. (SPA)
On Tuesday, scout leader Syed Ehtesham Naqvi, president of the US National Islamic Committee on Scouting, commended the services provided by the Saudi government to serve Muslim pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
He made the remarks during a meeting with the Saudi scouting delegation, led by SASA Vice President Abdurrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Mudaires, on the third day of the jamboree at Camp Strake, the SPA said in a separate report.
Naqvi also commended the Saudi scouts for their role in serving pilgrims.
While scouting was officially founded in Saudi Arabia in 1961, scouting activities in the Kingdom started as early as 1943, according to literature on the international movement.
