Sri Lanka Scout Association (SLSA)

Sri Lanka Scout Association (SLSA)

Scouting was started in Si Lanka in 1912, initiated by a British Colonial civil engineer Mr.Fransis.G.Stevans then residing in the Matale Administrative District in the Central Province.Within a few years  the movement spread to other parts of the island more particularly to the administrative districts of kandy,Colombo,Galle and Jaffna.

At the time of Mr.Stevans’ departure in 1945 from the island, branch associations had been opened in several other districts making a total of 20 branches.

The first Jamboree was held in Sri Lanka in the district of Colombo in the year 1917.This was followed by eight other jamborees held in Colombo (1962) ,Anuradapura (1983) ,Kurunagala (1992) , Kandy (1998) , Galle(Balapitiya 2002), Nuwara Eliya (2006), Hambantota (2010)  and Jaffna (2016)

In addition to these national Jamborees held at intervals of around four years, the association also staged a SAARC Jamboree in 1990 with the participation of several National Associations in the Indian sub-continent, known as the First SAARC Jamboree. It also hosted one friendship camp for SAARC participants sponsored by Mr.Madanjeet singh.

Then in 2012 Sri Lanka Scouting Celebrated its centenary year and hosted 29 asia pacific regional jumboree in kandalama, Dabulla in North western province of sri lanka and many several countries in the APR region took part in the jumboree.

This national Organization was open only to boys until 2007.In that year the National Committee decided to open the movement to girls on a proposal made by then chief Commissioner Mr.C Batuwangala. This was achieved by making an amendment to the Sri Lanka Scout Council Act & Rules in 1999. This was a new opening for the organization and the proposal was cautiously implemented in stages with the first girl recruits being in the cub section. In 2009 the stage was set for bringing girls for the scout section in the age group of 12 to 17. By the time the of planning APR Jamboree in 2012,Girls in scouting had a membership of 5500 including  Scout Leaders and had by then enjoyed camping experience having attended two national Jamborees and also taken pat in 3 foreign friendship camps in Bhutan, Bangladesh and India.

On 2nd September 2009 the Foundation Stone was laid for a 6 stories building with a basement car park and on 22 December 2015 His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Chief Scout declared open the New Scout Headquarters Building.

By 2016 the year that the National Organization reached 104 years the Scouting Population in Sri Lanka had increased to 55,078  the growth taking place against  the year 2015  was 29% which was a great achievement by the SLSA.

Vision Of Sri Lanka Scouting

- Sri Lanka Scout Association will advanced their programme activities as a dynamic youth organization for developing leadership qualities through a value based non-formal.Co-education system.

- Focusing towards the need and aspirations of young people to become good citizens

Mission Of Sri Lanka Scout

The Mission of scouting is to contribute to the education of young people,through a value system based on the scout promise & Law,to help build a better world where people are self fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.

This is achieved by ,

- Involving them throughout their formative years in a non-formal educational process.

- Using a specific method that makes each individual the principal agent in his or her development as a self-relient, supportive, responsible and a committed person

- Assisting them to establish a value system based upon Spiritual, Social and Personal principles as expressed in the Promise & Law