Scotiabank, through its Brighter Future Programme, has donated 12 computers to the T&T Scouts Association. The presentation took place yesterday at the association's headquarters, St Ann's. The bank's public and corporate affairs manager, Adrian Raymond, said Scotiabank recognised the importance of technology in engaging youths and was happy and honoured to perform the bank's corporate social responsibility by assisting the Scouts Association with computers.
Raymond said as a past scout member he could see the value of the scout organisation. He said, too, there was a positive difference in the lives of former scouts. "They (scouts) seem to continue life with the basic principles of always being prepared, disciplined and focused." he added. National Scout Commissioner for T&T, Azamuddin Khan, said scouts made better citizens and described a scout as one who was appreciative of the law, patriotic and who wanted to be part of a better T&T.
"Men are at risk, through crime and school dropouts, so we are upgrading our programmes to meet the shortcomings in society," said Khan. He explained the computers would be used to provide online training to scout leaders as well as to engage scouts. "Young people today are using computers and in order to speak their language we need to upgrade our programmes." Khan said there were over 700 scouts in T&T and stressed the Scout Association's importance in educating young people to play a constructive role in society.