The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Rare honour for Wakf Board CEO in Scouts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 27, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Rare honour for Wakf Board CEO in Scouts

T.S. Ranganna

M.A. Khalid

BANGALORE: M.A. Khalid, chief executive officer of the Karnataka State Wakfs Board, has been elected senior vice-chairman of the Regional Scout Committee of the Asia Pacific Region at its conference held in Tokyo recently.

This is the first time that an Indian has been elected to one of the highest positions in the international Scout movement in 100 years. Of the six regions of the World Organisation, Asia Pacific region is the largest with a membership of 28 million scouts.

The others are: Arab, African, Inter-American, European and Eurasian regions. The region has 25 countries.

Of the 10 members in the region, five are elected by turn to various posts every three years.

Mr. Khalid, who functions from Manila, headquarters of the region, said the national Scout organisations would be revitalised with an emphasis on youths and valued-based education.

He said he was introducing a review of the implementation of the policies and programmes.

At least two members would visit two countries for three days.

To bring in more girls and women into the movement on par with boys and men and sex ratio in all the associations of the Scouts, a membership drive would be conducted in all the 25 countries.

Mr. Khalid, recipient of the Silver Elephant in scouting and Rajyotsava award, told The Hindu over telephone that he would address the issue of disaster management by increasing participation and help equip the organisation to tackle disasters/calamities.

It would train the scouts and acquire resources to respond to the needs of the affected people during disasters.

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