Free scout membership set for school children

Fortifying Davao del Norte’s bid as a scouting capital, Governor Rodolfo Del Rosario provided over P2 million for the free scout membership of elementary pupils in the municipalities of the province.
The amount is earmarked for the membership fee and medical insurance of more than 53,000 pupils in grades 1 to 6 being registered in both the Davao del Norte boy and girls scout councils.
The governor recently released the check amounting to P1,127,850 for the scout membership of 22,557 girls and another check worth P1,237,400 for the registration of some 30,935 boys in the scouting movement.
Gov. Del Rosario recently turned over the ceremonial check for the registration of girl scout at the Tahanan  ng Punong Lalawigan in Mankilam, Tagum City.
The amount was received by Davao del Norte GSP Council President Providencia Nuñez, in the presence of other provincial officials and council officers. 
It can be recalled that membership to the scouting movement has drastically dwindled when the Department of Education issued a circular banning the mandatory collection of school fees during enrolment time. 
Education officials scrapped the compulsory collection of school fees during enrolment since it significantly contributed to the decrease of yearly enrolment, as it also caused the rise in the drop out rate in the country.
Under the new guide-lines, pupils from preschool up to fourth grade are encouraged to join the scouting movement, they are not required to register anymore. It is in grades 5 to 6 that membership is required but collection of fees will only be done starting the second month of the school year.
Del Rosario cited the important role of scouting in molding the school children to become well-rounded, morally upright and values-oriented citizens.
“I have been a boy scout myself and it is there where my early leadership skills were honed. So, I pity these school children who were not given the opportunity to join the scouting movement because of this new policy from the DepEd,” he said in a previous meeting with the members of the local school board. 
The fund for the scout membership of school chil-dren is besides the regular funds that the provincial government is providing for the operation of the GSP and BSP councils in Davao del Norte.