More than 1,000 Girls Scouts, leaders join 38th nat’l encampment in Davao

More than 1,000 Girls Scouts, leaders  join 38th nat’l encampment in Davao

TORIL,  Davao City, April 13 (PIA)--- Some 1,300  Girl Scouts and adult leaders from various Girl Scouts councils nationwide waved red, blue, yellow and pink flaglets as they converged at the ground of Alano Regional  Program and Training Center  during the opening last Saturday of the 38th National Encampment of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP).

                Grouped according to sub-camp names:  Agila, Mt. Apo, Durian and Waling-waling, they came marching, waving flaglets while singing with all their hearts the “Girl Scout Ignite”, a song which delivers the message of friendship, discovery and pursuit of a dream to make a difference in this world.

                The 38th National Encampment coincides with Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP’s) 75th Anniversary which will fall on May 26, bringing in  more exciting events for the girls to experience, have fun, make friends as well as develop their potential.

                Bannering the theme, “I Imagine. I Achieve. I  Serve.”, this year’s encampment takes the participants outside of Camp Alano for offsite adventures dubbed as “A Walk through  my World” which features  their visit  to SM Lanang Premiere Science Discovery Center.

                “They will also be  performing Dance Mob and watch Imax 3D movie at SM Lanang,”GSP National President Salud Bagalso revealed in a statement.

                The “Eden Nature’s Park Experience” and the “Race Around the Park” are other off-site activities that participants will be undertaking to explore nature  and have fun while developing teamwork.

                Bagalso  also revealed that the 38th  Encampment includes activities to prepare the girls  for disaster occurrence through  the “Rope Challenges DRRM Training” which is an in-camp training designed to prepare for adverse global effects of climate change.

                Meanwhile, Bagalso said that the “Free Being Me” global partnership project with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGS) will also be launched in this year’s encampment “for the girls to fully develop their self-esteem and body confidence”.

                Through such activity, the girls will learn that body confidence and self-esteem can be developed through “valuing their bodies, standing up to social pressures and supporting others to be more confident”.

                Participants of this year’s GS encampment come from 79 councils of the 96 Girl Scouts councils from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

                Davao del Norte Girl Scout Council in cooperation with Eastern Mindanao Region plays host to this year’s 38th GS National Encampment supported by the provincial governments of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley and the city governments of Tagum and Davao.  (PIA 11/ Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)