Sikhs Big Hit At National Boy Scouts Jamboree in USA

New Yourk : The American Sikh Council (ASC) participated in the National Scout Jamboree held by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia from July 19 – July 28, 2017. The National Jamboree is held every four years. This year over 40,000 Boy Scouts and over 6,000 adult volunteers and organizers participated in the event. Ten Sikh volunteers, two Sikh Boy Scouts and eight Sikh youngsters volunteered at the event. The ASC actively invited Sikh American youngsters to participate and volunteer at the Sikh exhibit so that they could have a immersive experience and not only join Scouting but also inform others within the community about the awesome experience. Over 11,000 brochures were given out and every Sikh volunteer was completely engaged with the Scouts, while answering questions and having discussions.
The Sikh exhibit at the Jamboree presented a number of posters that highlighted the basic principles of the Sikh Faith, such as ‘Ik-Onkar’; and the ‘Khanda’. There were posters of the three main principles of the Sikh Faith, Sikh soldiers in World War I & II, and two Sikh Eagle Scouts. A few short documentaries explaining the salient aspects of the Sikh principles were presented including, the Sikh martial art of ‘Gatka’, showcasing the first Sikh American idol – Gurpreet Singh, the first Sikh American officer from West Point – Captain Simratpal Singh was run constantly in a loop. Several types of brochures were distributed to the participants. These included a brochure on ‘Sikhs and Scouts’, which is now regularly printed by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Brochures such as ‘Sikh Faith’, ‘History of Sikh Americans’, ‘Bullying of Sikh American Children – Through the Eyes of a Sikh American High School Student’, ‘Sikh Genocide 1984-1998’, ‘Sikhs in Scouting’, ‘Sikh Scouting Initiative’ were some of the other brochures disseminated to thousands of Boy Scouts and Scout leaders.The Sikh exhibit at the National Boy Scouts Jamboree attracted tremendous attention, with constant lines of participants waiting for an hour or more to learn about the Sikhs and tie turbans. There was a stream of Scouts asking questions, and groups of Scouts gathering around Sikh volunteers who fearlessly answered their queries. The Scouts waited patiently and enthusiastically in lines, for their turn to have a turban tied on their heads, which many wore with pride around the event grounds throughout the day.
Over 2,300 turbans were tied by the end of the 4th day and after wearing the turbans on their head through the day, most scouts took their turbans with them as souvenirs.