The 5th of December has been for 35 years now the International Volunteer Day.  This is a concept that is in the very heart of Scouting and that we value very much.  

For more than 100 years, millions of women and men have invested their time, talent and service for the Scout Movement and are playing this important role of contributing to the education of young people.  Scouting provides a learning environment for young people in which Adult Volunteer Leaders (Leaders) play an important role as they enable the right conditions for meaningful and unforgettable experiences to happen.  This was very visible recently during the curfew in Mauritius.  We saw them engaging young people in amazing activities and we also saw them on online meetings, smiling, dancing and being very helpful.  As usual Leaders gave relentless efforts in serving the community despite all challenges.

The spirit of volunteering is also important as an educational tool and we should use it extensively in Scouting.  We start small with a good deed and we end up with impactful service projects like planting of trees or developing service projects where young Scouts open up to the needs of others, develop a number of skills and acquire a sense of belonging to the world they live in.  In this we will make them to be better citizens and potentially remain available to contribute as volunteers.  It is clear that volunteering benefits the individual and the wider community.

The Mauritius Council of Youth Leaders (MCYL) is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) involved in various humanitarian and philanthropic activities since 1980.  In honour of volunteers and NGOs across the country who have sacrificed their precious time, the MCYL pay homage to them officially by organising the Life Time Achievement Award.  This year, the Mauritius Scouts Association (MSA) has been awarded as the best NGO in Mauritius.

The MSA won the first prize thanks to the Leaders, who have contributed enormously and have been dedicated, perseverant, committed and above all honestly create a better World.

I know that around the world Scouting are making a difference under the voluntary service of remarkble Ieaders and i have no words to express my gratitude sufficiently for the dedication spirit of service and positive attitudes of all Leaders in Scouting and that fill us with hope for the future of our movement.