OCTOGENARIAN SCOUT
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| Chevaliar P.V. Paulose |
Scouting is a way of living for Chevaliar P.V. Paulose and his figure and health at 88 shows it. Voluntarily should one become a scout and must learn to live adapting to circumstances where one lands by chance.
Long is the list of his achievements and honours conferred on him. To cap it all the President of India honoured him in 1994 with ‘Silver Elephant’, the highest honour in the legion, for his outstanding services.
His most memorable period was during 1965-69 when as the State Organising Commissioner he pioneered in streamlining and uplifting Kerala cadre.
Paulose started his career as a school teacher. Later, on account of his excellent services in the scouts, he was inducted into Government service as a Physical Education Teacher. From then onwards his was an unceasing service to the scouts.
He took Wood Badge in scouting, cubbing and rovering in 1942. During 1944-47, he served as District Commissioner for Ernakulam. In 159 he was appointed a member of training team at Gilwell, London, the Mecca of scouts. Though that was the most important assignment to come his way, he could not take it up due to domestic reasons. From 1987 to 1997 he served Kerala State Scouts Council as its Vice President.
During his leisure time he has written a variety of books on scouts. Among his 12 books is the translation of Baden Powel’s ‘Scouting for Boys’.
He is now sad that students need ‘incentives and grace marks’ to be scouts. But he is proud that we are a nation that has no gender division in scouts.
“I am still a scout, living with the environment and drinking natural water and bathing in it. My windows are always open, allowing the fresh air to come in. And I don’t insist on anything”, he says with a smile.
For the younger generation? “They should not come to scouts for profit. Rather they should consider it as a service to themselves and the nation”, he concluded.
Courtesy: Vinod Nedumudy, The New Indian Express
Contributed by: Administrator
