Introduction
Praise Be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. May Allah raise the rank of the beloved Prophet, the righteous Leader and the last of the Messengers of God, Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and upon his virtuous and honorable kin and companions, and upon all those who follow in their path until the Day of Doom.
The verse from the Holy Qur’an says what means: “Be righteous and work with piety; If you do, Allah Sees you and Knows about your deeds”.
In order to spread and propagate goodness amongst all, and in order to guide the community’s youths towards self-betterment and reform away from corruption and evil, the Islamic Charity Projects Association has placed great emphasize on scouting activities, seeing it as a means to recruit the youths and to direct them away from the streets. The youths who are in need of guidance and direction are taught manners, discipline and interpersonal skills. This allows them to reach their potential, boost their self esteem and confidence, and give them a ‘fair go’ as well as a chance to face the burdens and hardships of life.
Here we are displaying the history of the launch of ICPA’s 5th Bankstown Scout Group web site and presenting you with their greatest achievements since the early days. Asking God for the strength and support so we can continue serving our community and its youths.
The Early Beginning in Sydney
It began in 1994 when the Islamic Charity Projects Association laid the foundations for the launch of the first Islamic scouting Group in Australia. A group of enthused young men and women set out to serve their country and their immediate community by putting themselves on a scouting training program, from which they graduated in 1995 as qualified scouting Group leaders.
Despite its simple beginnings the Scouting Group was able to develop the efforts and commitment of a few people into a community wide acceptance, resulting in the recruitment of a large number of motivated male and female youths. That was the beginning of the 5th Bankstown Scout Group, which included males and females between the ages of six and sixteen. The first activity organized by the Group was the renowned Nowra Camp on the South Coast; where the group discovered the tree in the shape of a man bowing in the near direction of Islamic prayer. From there, the events and group activities increased to include regular summer camps that trained and skilled future group leaders.
The activities of the 5th Bankstown Scout Group help promote a sense of community structure and fabric that safeguard and preserve the community’s people, land and environment.
Scouting Activities
Weekly Activities
Group leaders meet with their troop and unit members once a week every 2nd Sunday from 10:00 AM to 01:00 PM at the Georges Hall Scouting Base. Weekly Activities center around the following:
• Teaching scouting members how to take precautions, and training them on First Aid procedures.
• Teaching scouting members safety protective measures.
• Teaching scouting members good morals and ethics as well as helping them learn about Islam.
• Running recreational activities and leisure games aiming at entertaining and amusing the youths.
• Running sporting activities to help maintain their health and fitness.
The 5th Bankstown Scout Group also holds general outings and excursions outside their immediate environment in order to bring happiness and exhilaration into the hearts of its members. The tours and excursions include the following:
• A trip to Bankstown Airport.
• A trip to Old Sydney Town.
• A trip to a learning center.
• A day at the Bowling Club.
• And a day trip to the drag races.
Yearly Activities
The 5th Bankstown Scout Group holds a Biannual Recreational Camp in order to achieve the following objectives:
• To make Joeys, Cubs and Venturers aware about nature and the environment by conducting orienteering evenings.
• To build within the young members a sense of confidence and high self esteem.
• To help them raise their self-awareness levels and promote amongst them values of forgiveness towards one another, encouraging positive social interaction.
• To encourage an atmosphere of positive competition and enthusiasm helping them set out the foundations of a kind and spirited character. This includes the memorizing of important religious expressions, as well as being alert to matters of cleanliness, tidiness, volunteering, and good manners.
• To organize a number of recreational activities and leisure games with the help of Scouts Australia. Participants are trained by Scouts Australia qualified instructors on how to use the bow and arrow in Archery. Other activities include Hiking Expeditions through untracked terrain by the aid of Scouts Australia maps. Activities also include Rock Climbing, Caving, and water sports such as Canoeing, Rafting and Water Skiing.
• The last of the Biannual Camp objectives is to award prizes to activity winners and to those with an outstanding effort in memorizing important religious expressions, as well as to those who exhibit an exceptional commitment towards fulfilling their five daily prayers in time.
Miscellaneous Activities
The 5th Bankstown Scout Group participates in many activities all year round, including the following:
• The First Aid Training Course where the participants are informed and trained on First Aid procedures to be practiced in case of accidents or injuries. Scouting is involved with activities all the time, whether indoor or outdoors, and so it is desirable that all group members especially group leaders are fully aware of first aid procedures. Camping in rugged and challenging country can result in unexpected cuts and grazes, insect bites and stings as well as burns and scalds treating the injured and reassuring him can be vital for recovery, and the technique can make a difference.
• Participating in the Clean Australia Day Campaign is a national activity where the scout members vigorously get down to the streets, with the support of the Bankstown City Council, in order to cooperatively make our city a cleaner and more beautiful place.
• The Australia Day Celebrations.
• The Children’s Festival at Paul Keating Park where the 5th Bankstown Scout Group helps with planning and organizing the day. Contribution to the festival is also made in the form of on-stage scouting appearances and performances in both the Arabic and the English languages.
• The Scouts Australia Jamboree Camp.
• The Multicultural Eid Festival (MEF) in Fairfield.
• The biannual hospital visits by scout members on the occasions of the religious festivals of ^Idul-Adha and ^Idul-Fitr.
• In addition to the assistance in organizing the Islamic Charity Project Association’s Annual Ramadan Dinner and its annual Celebration of the Birth of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Conclusion
Looking after the needs of our community’s youths, allowing them to reach their full potential and realize their talents, has been the main objective of ICPA’s Scouting Association (5th Bankstown Scout Group). This Group continues to provide all that it can, in order to see its noble objectives and goals met. The continuous recreational and scouting activities remain its vital means of appeal to the Arab Australian youths, to get them off the streets and into safe hands.
Project after project and accomplishment after another, this is how we strive to continue to serve and to empower our community. We strive for the sake of reward from the Lord, spreading goodness and disseminating the true word of Islam. We work towards raising the standard of society and the family, we strive by our love for this country. We build civil institutions on earth, working for the everlasting dwelling in Paradise. We will continue, marching forward, learning from the past, evaluating the present and planning for the future. Our full reliance is on our Lord, the One, the Sustainer…
