Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala presented prizes certificates and medals to scouts from different districts in recognition of their outstanding services to the scouting movement at a programme organised Thursday.
Koirala decorated Shankar Prasad Pandey, secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports as well as national instructor Hari Mohan Jyoti with the “Golden Rhino Award,” the highest adornment of the Nepal Scout. Jyoti received the award for his five decade long affiliation to scouting.
Pandey was chosen for the award in recognition of his special contributions to popularise Nepal by naming one of the peaks as ‘Lord Baden Powel Peak (B.P. Peak). Powel is the founder of the world’s scouting movement.
Similarly, Gautam Adhikari, Director of Nepal Scout was given the “Good Service Medal” for his 24 year long service to the scouting movement in Nepal.
National Trainer Hari Bahadur Shrestha and Scout Teacher Dipesh K.C were awarded “Good Service Medal” for promoting the scouting movement by encouraging urchins to become scouts.
Likewise Koirala conferred the ‘Nepal Scout Journalism Award 2064 BS” to senior journalist and coordinator of “Kopila”, a children’s publication of Kantipur National Daily for his contributions of popularising scouting through different articles and news.
‘The Nepal News National Weekly’ also bagged the award, which carries a purse of Rs 10,000.
Scout teacher, Naresh Maharjan was decorated with the “Award of Gallantry-third rank” for scaling the Mt; B.P for the first time, and recording a feat in the history of Nepal Scout.
Umesh Nepali received a citation for his role in assisting in the publication of postal stamps of Nepal Scout on different celebrations and ceremonies.
The teachers of different districts who completed 15 years of service with the Nepal Scouts— Kamala Lamsal-Dang, Bimala Shrestha and Revratna Bajracharya-Kathmandu, Ganesh Kumar Adhikari- Bara, Bir Bahadur Chand, Laxmi Joshi, Kusum Mahata, Chandra Kala Pant, Laxmi Pujari –Kanchanpur and Chandu Kumari Shrestha, Purna Bahadur K.C and Shiva Bahadur Rana-Salyan were honored with the “Long Service Award.”
Koirala who is the chief and patron of Nepal Scouts also hoisted the national flag at the programme.
Scouts representing different districts — Lamjung, Chitwan, Gorkha, Palpa, Baglung, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Nawalparasi, Syangja, Kapilbastu, Kaski and Kathmandu were present at the programme.
Koirala also awarded the winners of different cultural programmes organised to mark the 56th anniversary of Nepal Scout.
(2008 June 19, Source : The Rising Nepal, Click here to read original news)