SINGAPORE: Don’t be surprised if you see a scout knocking on your door, offering to clean your room.
Starting on Saturday March 10, more than 10,000 scouts will scour the island for jobs, in return for cash donations. Job Week is an annual affair to raise funds for the Singapore Scout Association. The launch ceremony saw scout members performing a series of household chores at the Istana compound(it is an official residence of the President). And for the first time, girls in scouting will be joining their male counterparts in the job hunt.

President SR Nathan, who is also the Chief Scout of Singapore, signed the first donation card on 6th March.

To see a picture:

JOB WEEK 2007

10 MARCH - 16 MARCH
Scouts from all over Singapore will begin their Job Week which commences on 10 March and continue till 16 March. During this period, more than 10,000 Scouts, ranging from 8 to 18 years, will fan out throughout the island and knock on doors of residences and offices to seek jobs from generous-hearted Singaporeans in return for a cash donation to raise funds for their individual Units and for the Association.

The basic objective of this annual exercise is character training.

We want to train our Scouts from a young age to realize that there is dignity in labour, that honest work is a definite virtue.

Scouting provides fundamental and foundational training in the inculcation of these intangibles. In addition to other core values, dignity in labour and honest work, no doubt, will train the Scouts to be better leaders and citizens of tomorrow in our affluent society.

Job Week helps the Scouts to understand the need to render service before they go out to earn money for their Units and for the Association.

The concept of service before self; service to the community and the nation is an important aspect and an integral part of the Scout training.

In our appeal to generous Singaporeans, the association reminded the public not to give the Scouts an outright donation. Scouts must perform a job in order to earn the funds they need.

The funds raised will be used to finance a programme of multifarious activities that provide Training for Citizenship and Education for Life for the boys.