Marco Carvalho
The Lusophone Scouts Group of Macau (GELMac) resumed operations on October 8
by joining in the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist at the Our Lady of Carmel Church, on Taipa island.
Contrary to what has been a regular feature in recent years, the group – a dynamic, affiliated member of the Portuguese National Scouts Corps – didn’t start off its activities on Saturday afternoon, but on Sunday morning. A new school year means a brand new cycle of activities for scouts of all ages and Sunday’s get-together was an opportunity for the young members of the group to reunite after the end of summer break. The reopening of the Pioneers section, after one year in which it remained inactive, is the most significant change comparing to last year.
“We welcomed back our members and we held some group activities, like songs and games. The group then proceeded to the Church of Our Lady of Carmel, where we joined the Eucharist,” Nelson António told O Clarim.
“This year we will have three sections operating once again. We will reopen the Pioneer section, so we hope to have a slight increase in the number of scouts enrolled, compared to those we had last year. I would say that’s really the major piece of news for this year. Once again, we won’t be able to enrol any new members in the Cubs and Explorer units. We will only open registrations for candidates aged 14 or above,” the head of GELMac adds.
The Lusophone Scouts Group of Macau starts the new year with 28 children enrolled in the Cubs section, 24 in the Explorers and the desire to consolidate the Pioneers section, the only one where new recruits are expected.
“We are trying to engage young people older than our usual targets. Last year, we didn’t have enough scouts to constitute the Pioneers section. It was the first time in 25 years that we had to make such a decision. This year, we have enough children to reopen this section. There are a few who transfer from the Explorers and some others who had been on standby since last year. We decided to bring them together and re-establish the Pioneers,” António explains.
The group also aims to reinforce the cooperation with the Scout Association of Macau and other scouting organizations in the neighbouring regions. Such an endeavour will allow the Lusophone Scouts Group to carry on some of its activities outside of Macau.
“Later this month, we will have our first major event. It’s a particular kind of event, where we don’t set up a camp, we don’t set up tents and we will, instead, stay in an indoor space, where we will spend the night. We will carry out our usual activities, as if we were camping, but we will be confined. It will allow to prepare for the Winter camp which we will organize in Hong Kong from December 8 to December 10,” the head of the Lusophone Scouts Group of Macau concludes.
Follow
