Dharmaraja College Cubs celebrate their centenary with ‘Genrac’
View(s):Dharmaraja College Cubs celebrated 100 years of their existence. ‘Genrac’ – the centenary celebrations of Rajan Cubs were held at Lake view Park International Scout Centre situated at Dharmaraja College for two days, with 25 Districts participating.
Dharamarja commenced its ‘Cub’ troop in 1917, 3 years after the movement was organised by the Boys Scout Association in England, which was 9 years after the founding of the Boys Scouts by Robert Baden Powell who wanted to cater to the younger boys. Hence, the ‘Wolf Cubs’. In 1916, articles in the Headquarters Gazette issued by the Association outlined official ‘Junior Scout’ and then ‘Wolf Cub’ schemes. Robert Baden Powell the founder wanted something that is different from Boy Scouts, with distinct name, uniform and other identity and programes.
Baden Powell outlined his own scheme and called it ‘Wolf Cub’ and asked his friend Rudyard Kipling for the set of his Jungle Book history and Universe as a motivational frame for the Wold Cub Scheme The launch was at Imperial Headquarters on Buckingham Palace Road, Westminster on Saturday, 24 June 24, 1916. A year later, Dharmaraja adopted the scheme in 1917. The First Kandy Scout Troop was inaugurated 4 years later.
From the 1960s, many organisations varied or abandoned the Wolf Cub Jungle Book theme. Some changed the name to Cubs, Cub Scout or something similar, but retained the Jungle Stories and Cub ceremony as tradition. Cub Scouting has ideals of spiritual and character growth, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Cub Scouting provides a positive, encouraging peer group, carefully selected leaders who provide good role models and a group setting where values are taught to reinforce positive qualities of character. The Cubs have 2-finger salutes, but some Cub troops in the world have a 3-finger salute like the Scouts.
Dharmaraja’s ‘Genrac’ was inaugurated by the Scout Chief Commissioner Meryl Gunathilake, at the invitation of its Chief Organiser, Principal Dhampiya Wanasinghe, assisted by Dr Jagath Herath and Lower School Deputy Principal Ms H.B.N.R. Panamaldeniya Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake also graced the occasion.
Dharmaraja College’s Scout Troop has the reputation of winning the ‘King’s Flag’, presented to Scout Troops worldwide, for 3 consecutive years, and then the Scout Organisation Headquartered in England withdrew the award, so that, the last winners of the ‘King’s Flag’ keep it. At present the Flag’s location is not known.
- L.B. Senaratne