The Terra Sancta Scout Troop group concludes its annual scout camp, “We Keep Giving”
On Monday evening, 7/15/2024, The Terra Sancta Scout Troop group concluded its annual scout camp, which was held on the grounds of the YMCA in Beit Sahour, and continued for twelve days.
The closing ceremony was attended by priests, nuns, and representatives from the Bethlehem Governorate, the Beit Sahour Municipality, the security services, institutions and associations in the Bethlehem Governorate, in addition to the families of the participants.
The ceremony began with the entry of more than two hundred participants into the camp, followed by a reading from the Holy Bible read by George Salibi, a minute of silence for the souls of the martyrs of Palestine, followed by the Palestinian national anthem played by the group’s bagpipe band.
In his speech, the leader of the group, George Kanawati, welcomed those present at the closing ceremony, and touched on the conditions in Palestine that are reflected in all areas of life. He emphasized the group’s role in building people, a role they never deviate from, and creating leaders who serve their church, their community, and their country as a whole.
He pointed to some of the achievements that the group achieved in the past four years, and the activities and events that were implemented in the camp, all of which were directed to developing the capabilities of individuals and developing their talents, and then thanked all those in charge of the camp and its supporters.
The closing ceremony included two speeches by the Vice President of the Palestinian Scout Association, Commander Muhammad Jamil Masalmeh, and the spiritual guide of the Palestinian Scout Foundation of Saint John the Baptist, Father Issa Hijazin, during which they touched on the role of the Palestinian Scout Movement and its importance in establishing us in our land, as individuals work during the camp on the land, which increases their connection to it. Thus, relying on them for the future of Palestine, stressing that the Scouting movement is the safe environment, warm embrace, and creative school that preserves them.
As for the speech given by the camp participants, Al-Kashef Maxim Al-Ali, he referred to the activities that were carried out in the camp and that contributed to refining the participants’ personalities and development, including the field that they called “The Orchard.”
The ceremony also included a popular Dabke segment, the anthem “Shadul Al Rahal,” and a segment of lowering an injured person from a high place.
During the ceremony, the winners were distributed in the following badges: Observer, Musician, Speaker, Camp and General Culture, Best Sextet and Vanguard, as well as the best among the participants in each section and the reason for the choice, as well as shields of thanks were distributed to all supporters of the camp.
At the end of the ceremony, everyone stopped around the flagpole to lower it for the last time during the camp and hand it over to the group leader, and the anthem “Let’s meet together” was sung.
It is noteworthy that the camp began on 7/4/2024 and continued in two periods until 7/15/2024. The first period lasted for four days for the Cubs and Flowers sections, and the second period for the rest of the group’s sections and continued for eight days. The camp included various activities and events, both inside and outside the camp. Outside, these include outdoor trips, first aid training, scouting lectures, and other topics, as well as outdoor and field cooking, and pioneering work.
