THE SCOUTS LEAVE THEIR MARK ON SOCIETY: IS IT OUR TURN TO DO THE SAME?

ISSUE 1                                                                   BY SHAAN JASSAL

Scouts. What do you think when you here this noun? Maybe you immediately think of a group  of pranksters who do nothing but mess around? Or perhaps you think of them as hardworking individuals trying to better themselves and help the community around them? That is certainly what I thought on the 9th of September 2017 when my dad and I went shopping at Waitrose. As you can probably quess, there were scout groups standing at the tills helping people to pack their bags and collecting money for charity. This took them all morning and afternoon, and yet they still perservered. I was amazed at their helpful act of kindness to the community, so I decided to interview someone who had a first hand experience.

Anand Jassal, 12, has been a part of the scout’s community for just over two years, and kindly agreed to answering a few questions about what being a scout means to him and how it has encouraged him to make positive contributions to society. “I love being a part of it [the scout community]. It has made me feel so welcome since the very first time I stepped into the hut. I’ve been hooked ever since.” When asked about helping pack bags at the local Waitrose, he seemed shocked that it was the main topic of my article. “It was really nothing,” he said without hesitation. “I actually enjoyed helping other people and can’t wait to do it again soon.”

After carrying out this interview, I couldn’t get it out of my head. How could someone undermime carrying out such a heart-warming gesture that hepled the people around them? How could someone talk about contributing to society as if it was nothing? And why don’t other people do the same? This interview made me realise how selfish society has become. At supermarkets, for example, most people wouldn’t think twice about pushing in front of someone to get to the till if the opportunity arised. We should learn from Anand’s story and so many other before and after him, and try to carry out even the simplest acts of kindness to make the world a better place.

By Shaan Jassal, William Perkin CofE High School