SINGAPORE – A total of 2,902 scouts from the Singapore Scout Association (SSA) gathered at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on March 2 to make a human formation of the scout emblem, or fleur-de-lis.
Among them was President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
In recognition of their effort, the SSA received a certificate from the Singapore Book of Records for setting a new Singapore record.
The gathering was part of Adiji (Welcome) Chief Scout, a welcome event at which more than 3,000 scouts welcomed Mr Tharman as Singapore’s 9th Chief Scout. By tradition, the head of state of Singapore is also the Chief Scout.
The fleur-de-lis is an important symbol for scouting around the world. It has been used to denote the north point of the compass on a map, and shows that a scout knows the way towards creating a better world.
The welcome event was held in conjunction with the annual Founder’s Day celebrations, in which scouts worldwide commemorate the birthday of the founder of scouting, Lord Baden-Powell, on Feb 22.
In addition to the setting of a Singapore record, there were other activities such as scouts displaying their scouting skills and a carnival with activity and game booths.
The SSA is a youth movement dating back to 1910. It is a full member of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement, which has approximately 57 million scouts worldwide.
SSA national communications commissioner Jacky Chong, 29, was among the scouts in the formation with Mr Tharman.
“Everyone was very excited, and the weather was kind to us,” he said. “It was a memorable moment and showed our sense of unity.”
