Rajans International Scout Gathering of Centennial 2013 in February

President and Chief Scout of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the chief guest at the Rajans International Scout Gathering of Centennial 2013 (RISGO 2013), the largest-ever scout jamboree  in Sri Lanka to be held from 18 to 22 February 2013 at the Lake View Park International Scout Centre, Kandy.

President Rajapaksa will grace the occasion at the main rally on 22 February.

There are 161 countries from all six regions in this category and there will be representatives from each of these regions with over 6,000 scouts and girl guides including Sri Lankan participants from all districts.

President Rajapaksa met the officials of the RISGO Organising Committee recently at President’s House in Kandy. The first RISGO Badge was pinned and the scarf was garlanded on President by RISGO Chief and Dharmaraja College Principal S.M. Keerthiratne.

The President has extended his fullest support and cooperation to hold the jamboree at highest international level and advised the committee to take necessary steps with the relevant Government institutions and authorities to obtain the infrastructure facilities needed for all participants, comprising over 6,000 local and overseas scouts.

RISGO 2013 will be a historical event organised by the 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group and Old Rajans Scout Association with the Sri Lanka Scout Association to commemorate 100 years of scouting at Dharmaraja College, which was started in 1913 by late J.H. De Saram. The memorial statue of the founder will be unveiled by his son Henri de Saram at the RISGO.

The jamboree’s theme is ‘Towards Global Leadership’ and it will feature attractive and adventurous events such as hiking, water activities, sightseeing, forest expeditions, adventure activities, leadership building activities, campfires, cultural presentations, and colourful opening and closing ceremonies.

The tour organised for the foreign participants to witness the Sri Lanka’s development projects and historical values will be a main feature in the RISGO program.

Asia Pacific Region Scout Commissioner Abdullah Rasheed will open the RISGO World Jamboree on 18 February and MP Namal Rajapaksa will be the Chief Guest at International Night to be held with all the overseas participants on 20 February.