"At a time when Sri Lanka was a colony of the British Empire, an English engineer by the name F.G. Stevens was posted at Christ Church, Matale, a town approx. 100 kilometres North East of Colombo. His residence being right next door to the Christ Church Missionary School, he faced many problems as the students made full of his garden and everything there. After many problems including missing fruits and the constant disturbance of his much needed rest, he decided to do something about putting the boy's "spare time" to better use. Thus he came up with the idea starting a "Boy Scout Core" already a major success in England.”
The Sri Lanka Scout Association, the national Scouting organisation of Sri Lanka, is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The SLSA provides a program for young people that builds character and discipline, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. The ‘Boy Scout Core’ founded in 1912 with the only purpose of ‘putting the boy's “spare time” to better use’ became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1953. In 1921 Lord Baden Powell (the founder of the Boy Scout and Girl Guide movements) and Lady Olave Baden Powell (the World Chief Guide) were rejuvenated by the visit to Sri Lanka. With over 50,000 boys and girls, the Boy Scout and the Girl Guide associations have become the most popular youth movements in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Scout Association (SLSA) with over 35,000 boy scouts have active companies all over the country spread around 35 Districts. Sri Lanka is a multi religious and multiracial country, Thus Scouting has been a great unifying force. There are various community development projects carried out in cooperation with the government organizations, United Nations and other service organizations. It has spread to other institutions such as certified government schools and International schools. There are also Scout units for handicapped boys such as the blind and deaf and for boys in leprosy hospitals. For nearly a century, the SLSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. We believe - and, through nearly a century of experience, knows - that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible and productive society.
