By: Charlie Ni
On August 26th 2012, Brandon Ma, President (2011/2012), reported that for the first time in the history of the 180th Pacific Coast Scout Group, the Crew completed all of its objectives that were set at the beginning of the year. Brandon, with the help of the Advisors and department heads, successfully guided us in changing our perception on what we think is possible. Through my experiences this year, I know that, collectively as a Crew, we can achieve anything we set out to do. With that being said, we were very excited to hear about what challenges and projects were coming our way this coming Scouting year.
The meeting held on August 26th marked the last meeting for the Crew in the 2011-12 Scouting year. Not only was it a celebration of all of the accomplishments the Crew had over the past year, but also was a reminder that we were just starting on the journey of reinventing our future with much of the work yet to come. The meeting opened with Brandon and the department heads from the past year reporting on the Crew’s objectives and how we achieved every single one of them. Fellow Crew members Anthony Lam and Eli Chan provided fun perspectives on our accomplishments such as how members in the Crew received over 400 hours of personal development mentorship during the year.
After the annual report, it was time for the presentation of the PERSIST Award. PERSIST stands for our Crew’s core values; passion, excellence, respect, Scouting principles, integrity, support and trust. The PERSIST award is a monthly award made to recognize one Rover that has exemplified those values in that particular month. Brandon was awarded the PERSIST award by Scouter John Chow, Head Advisor and Group Commissioner, for all the hard work and dedication Brandon has put into the Crew over the past 5 years. It was an unexpected twist as Brandon thought he had already approved the August PERSIST winner to be another deserving Rover!
As our outgoing President, Brandon ended off his presentation with two powerful words to our Rovers: “Carpe diem” – seize the day. You can only gain and achieve from anything you do if you proactively involve yourself. Time goes by quickly, so regardless of whether you are young or old, you should always try and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.
The meeting was interrupted when an undercover Crispy Rovers Authentication and Presentation (“C.R.A.P.”) agent announced that not one, but two crispy Rovers were among us. The C.R.A.P agent told us how to identify these crispy Rovers – those over the age of 26. Brandon and Abby Syyong were singled out as the crispy Rovers in the group and would be joining past Rovers who have committed to volunteering as alumni Advisors, including past Presidents Kevin Li and Clarice Fu. This was our take on a “graduation ceremony,” since all Rovers have to age out sooner or later and it was capped off with Brandon and Abby being presented with their PERSIST graduation rings.
Next up was Sophia Yip, our incoming President for the 2012-13 Scouting year. Sophia talked about her vision for the Crew in the upcoming year as well as introduced all the new department heads. The department heads for the 6 new departments talked about their objectives for the year, as well as their contribution to the overall goals and priorities of the Crew. Please refer to Sophia’s Presidential Message to find out more about what’s happening this coming year!
After listening in on next year’s plans, I am excited to be able to be part of and contribute to our cause for next year. In following our Mission to contribute to the success of Scouts Canada, I am confident that the Crew is well on its path to reinventing the future of Scouting, and what we do from within the Crew will not only positively impact our own personal development, but also impact our communities and youths within the Scouting Movement with an enriching experience.