SINGAPORE – Thirteen years on, Dr Sunil Ravinder Gill  still regards a camping trip gone wrong as one of the key highlights of his scouting experience.

During a three-day, two-night stay on Pulau Ubin, Dr Ravinder Gill’s scout unit members found themselves caught in a thunderstorm that raged on for a day and night.

“Some of the emptier tents went flying and we had to chase them down... Mud was flowing into tents and bags were being soaked,” the 30-year-old medical doctor said.

As the senior scout in charge of the outing, Dr Ravinder Gill , then a student at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), witnessed his fellow scouts’ efforts in lugging all their camping equipment from mainland Singapore.

He made the tough call to cancel the camp early for the safety of his fellow scouts.

Still, experiences like these spurred Dr Ravinder Gill to continue scouting even after he left formal schooling. He now serves as the Singapore Scout Association’s (SSA) national commissioner and assistant international commissioner, focusing on enhancing the scouting experience.

Another scout, Mr Songguang Han, a senior education officer at the Ministry of Education, said he was influenced by his family members and joined the youth movement in primary school. He has not looked back since.

For being late on one occasion, he remembers being asked to run and touch a tree at the end of his school field repeatedly, as a punishment doled out by his seniors to instil the value of being punctual in the young scouts.

While Mr Han, now 44, said this kind of punishment no longer happens, he noted that the values of teamwork and community spirit remain part of the scouting experience.

Dr Ravinder Gill and Mr Han are among 115 recipients of a commemorative medallion, awarded in appreciation of their contributions to scouting, in conjunction with the SSA’s 115th anniversary and Singapore’s 60th birthday.

The awardees are role models within the scouting community with more than 15 years of service in areas such as governance, community outreach, training or administrative leadership.

The medallions were presented at an award ceremony attended by guest of honour and former president Halimah Yacob at the association’s headquarters in Bishan on July 2.

Former president Halimah Yacob unveiling a specially designed badge at the Singapore Scout Association headquarters on July 2.

ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

During the ceremony, Madam Halimah also unveiled a new badge specially designed to mark SG60 and SSA’s 115th anniversary. All Scouts will wear this on their uniform from July 2025 to December 2026.

Madam Halimah said that scouting has played a pivotal role in shaping future leaders, through its training and mentorship of young people.

Many of its alumni, including all four of Singapore’s prime ministers, have gone on to contribute significantly to society, she added.

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Mr Desmond Chong, chief commissioner of the SSA, said other notable alumni include several Cabinet ministers, such as Minister for Law Edwin Tong, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing.

Madam Halimah, who is chancellor of the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said: “Scouting in Singapore has always been at the forefront of promoting inclusivity and gender equality – we are the first and only uniformed youth group in Singapore to have a special needs programme and we have close to 2,000 girls in scouting despite starting off as the Boy Scouts Association.”

She was referring to the special needs programme set up in the 1980s by the SSA to provide a modified scouting experience for youth with special needs.

It has allowed 11 units from different special education schools to have the same experience regular scouts do.

Former president Halimah Yacob touring a gallery at the Singapore Scout Association headquarters on July 2.

ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

For example, one of the scout campsites has specially designed high element adventure activity equipment for those who use wheelchairs.

SSA dates back to 1910 and is one of the earliest scouting movements in Asia.

Looking ahead, Mr Chong said that the association wants to expand its reach and impact by engaging more young people from diverse backgrounds.

“In recent years, we have seen the incorporation of digital and Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)-based activities into our programmes, reflecting the growing importance of these fields in our world today. Our Scouts are now not only adept at traditional scouting skills, but also proficient in digital literacy, robotics and environmental stewardship,” he said.

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