dhanapalascout: UCAPAN TERIMA KASIH DARI PAPA NEIL ROSS, BOY SCOUT OF AMERICA

November 25, 2012

Professor Azrul Azwar

National Executive

Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia

Dear Kak Azrul

My wife and I returned home last weekend very exhausted from the trip but filled with many wonderful memories of our visit to Indonesia and many people we met.

I want to personally express my great pleasure, satisfaction and thanks with the excellent manner that you and your staff treated me. Starting with meeting you again, after four years, this time in your national office. Your enthusiasm, positive spirit, and program cooperation have made preparing for our upcoming visit of Scout leaders from Narragansett Council, BSA much easier. Clearly our group will have a wonderful welcome and active Scouting program.

I commend you your excellent staff that made me feel very welcome and showed me every courtesy. Please thank them all. It was great to have opportunity to also interact with your BSA camp alumni meeting several for the first time. I had fun with some of the alumni and your staff on the three trips to Scout facilities and meetings.

The size, facilities and range of activities at your national camp impressed me. I know our group will be pleased with the dorm accommodations. The seafood restaurant where we ate lunch was superior. Your staffs there were very friendly and hospitable.

It is hard to describe my welcomes at the two schools. Both were very different and exciting for me. I never expected to see so many Scouts and leaders waiting in full uniforms. The different presentations were extremely well done. They demonstrated a range of performances I’ve never seen in any BSA program. But most important was the fun and warmth your Scouts shared with me. They made me feel like a VIP indeed. The second Scout group overwhelmed me by having at least 100+ Scouts lining the walkway into the school waving both Indonesian and American flags. Then to enter the schoolyard and see all around me and up on different school floors 800 uniformed Scouts and leaders was overwhelming. Both groups convinced me that Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia not only has the world’s largest Scout membership but also well organized and trained youth being prepared to become good citizens and future national leaders.

Your staff photographer must have taken hundreds of photos making me feel like a movie star. I really appreciate the photo albums and DVD collection that he gave me. Many of those photos will be shared next Saturday when our group meets for a planning meeting. You can be assured that I will share my wonderful experiences with the same enthusiasm that was given to me by your Scouts.

At this point I can confirm that our group will arrive with 10 to 12 adult leaders, age range from 18 to 73, including several professional Scout executive staff, outstanding volunteer leaders, and young university students who together have over 200 years Scouting experience. They each are very eager to arrive to arrive to build friendship bonds with Indonesian Scouts and leaders. The group will include one female professional executive from Massachusetts.

One senior volunteer wrote that, “I do feel that Scouting can offer a lot of opportunity for the world to come together and solve common problems on this planet. Involving the world’s youth and adults in international experiences can only leave the world a better place.” A younger team member expressed his interest this way, “I want to travel to any foreign country I am able to, and a scout trip makes for many exciting opportunities that a tourist would not have. The fact that this is a groundbreaking international event is pretty great too.”

I am very sure you will be pleased with the individuals you will meet. Each brings unique Scouting skills and experiences and an eagerness to begin what we all hope will become a long-term relationship between and for the benefit of both our programs.

Thank you for all your interest, initiative and generous hospitality given to me during my visit. You can count of me to be a strong advocate for us all to work together for the benefit of world Scouting and peace.

Warm personal regards.