Dear Sir,
I would like to start this letter by taking my stand on scouts. Scouting, was never a choice of CCA for me. It was allocated to me by the shcool upon rejection from the cricket team. Upon joining scouts the first few months, i took things in my stride. It was nothign more than a platform to meet other people and spend my saturdays. However as the activities became more and more straining, as time went along, i grew to realise my own capabilities as a scout, and i became interested in the scout training scheme. It was only after this i started working hard and tryin my best to impress at scout meetings. To acheive something which i knew i was capable of. That was the limit of my love in scouting. Though often inspired by images of being SPL or venture or perhaps returning as an adult leader, these thoughts have always been fleeting and short-lived.
However the nature of the scout training scheme made it such that it was impossible to be selfish. Or at least they way the sheme was run in St Patrick's. If forced us to give back to our seniors and juniors and call upon their help likewise. This benefitted me, as it felt good helping others. The experience of working as a team helped me grow as a person and as a leader. However this is not to say, I could not have learnt this else where. The prefectorial board is particular had given me much more of a conducive environment to develop my leadership and individuality. Nontheless the scouting experience helped me, and i would gladly recommend it for those not as forunate as me, to gain the same experience else where. Scouting is a great way for normal, uncontributive citizens to make somethign of their lives. Somethign meaningful and sustaining. The scheme how ever no longer applies to me. I believe my interest in scouting has been long dead, and no more learning can come from it. It is useless for me to remain in scouts.
Recently however I was offered a chance to become a pre-venture, and continue my scouting experience in the form of venturing. I quickly gained interest in the venture training scheme as it struck me that the venture training scheme was easily attainable, with the amount of activities i was already doing in school and in my community. It became very clear to me i could easily and surely attain the President's Scout Award; the highest possible award for a venture scout. Something of high prestige in the scouting community. This was motvation enough for me to remain in venturing. Along the way however i understand people were not happy with my incentive for wanting to become a venture. They wished for me to have a interest in venturing or perhaps a need to give back to the scout troop. The earlier need no longer exists and the later need had been killed by the disgust i had with the earlier need. I was not going to become a hypocrit and teach skills which i felt had no use or were unbenefficial. This left me with no other reason to remain in venturing but the PSA.
However the talk you gave me today has changed my feelings. Not on scouting but on the PSA. I know i can acheive it. That is consolation enough for me. There is no longer any need to go through with the motion and actually get it. There is no relevance of what anyone else thinks of my ability to attain the PSA. And more importantly there is no need to get caught up in a paper chase. For helping me see this I thank you sir. And it is now i give my request to remove my affiliation from the St Patrick's Pajigwad Venture Crew. There is no need for me to be a pre-venture nor a fell-fledged venture for that matter. I thank them for the experience they had shared with me whilst i was a scout, and I assure them i would come back and help out;Just not as a venture.
I would like to end this letter hopefully doing you proud. I will pursue things which i am passionate about, and i will make a difference where i can. And no more, shall i associate myself with things that I do not feel any emotion for. I am in no way restricting myself from trying new things. I will just no longer continue to do things for the sake of it. And most proudly of all, I have completed your task of getting to know and meeting an elderly person.
Thank you. Vidyarishik Vijayadas Menon.
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