RI SCOUTS CONTINGENT SENT OFF TO AUSTRALIAN EVENT

Jakarta, Dec 28 (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng said Indonesian scouts who are to participate in an international scouts event in Australia must be able to act as good representatives of their country.

"The Indonesian contingent to the Subcamp 22nd Australian Scout Jamboree 2010 should show Indonesian youths' achievements to their peers from other countries," Mallarangeng said when sending off the contingent here Monday.

The jamboree is to be held in the Cataract Park, Sydney, New South Wales, on January 4-14, 2010.

Earlier, an Indonesian scout contingent had also left for Los Banos Philippines, to participate in the "26th Asia Pacific Regional Scout Jamboree 2009" on December 27,2009- January 3, 2010.

Mallarangeng said that the Indonesian scout contingents to the international jamborees in the Philippines and Australia were expected to share their experiences with and pass on the knowledge they gained with other members of the Scouts Movement in Indonesia after their return home.

On the occasion, Mallarangeng also called on school students in Indonesia to actively follow scouting activities at their respective schools or at a higher level.

"A lot of positive experiences can be obtained from scout activities that make a positive attitude to every scout's member of the Boy Scouts," he said.

Chairman of the Indonesian contingent to the international jamboree in Australia, H Hasmi said that Indonesian wold send 61 scouts that consist of 59 Boy Scouts members of Jakarta's Regional Quarter and two scouts from West Java Regional quarter to Australia.

The Indonesian scouts contingent will also carry a cultural mission in the international scouts activities, and they had been trained for some traditional dance and arts to be performed, Mallarangeng said.