Teacher inspires top scout to teach

A teacher, who overcame his height disadvantage, helped train his student to become one of the Top Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts of the Philippines in 2011.

Rudolph S. Paqueo, 43,  Boys Scout of the Philippines’ outfit advisor of the Cebu City National Science High School (CCNSHS) since 1994,  became a member of the national training team of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, after his ward, Ezekiel A. Majan, won the top BSP search.

Majan, a senior student of CCNSHS, said that it was his school’s scout master Paqueo who encouraged him to join the search for the outstanding BSP.

Majan, a scout leader, said that he had been active in the BSP under his scout master Paqueo for three years.

“As a Boy Scout, it is my duty and passion to help others,” Majan said.

“It’s very overwhelming and at the same time, pressure because you have many obligations, many things to prove. Some people raise their expectations so high but above that, there’s pride inside,” Majan told Cebu Daily News.

AWARD

Majan received his award last Oct. 1 at the Makati City Hall in Metro Manila.

There were 25 finalists nationwide. Ten  winners   were chosen.

A plaque of recognition, a Boy Scout pin, a two-year college scholarship from Coca-Cola and P10,000 cash were given to the winners.

The categories for the search included leadership, excellence, community service and character among others.

Paqueo said the finalists “served the Boy Scouts to the best of their abilities.”

“They (finalists) were active in camping, leadership training and participation in activities in the city and national level,” Paqueo said.

Majan explained that a committee in charge of the the selection  conducted   the interviews and scrutinized the documents of the finalists.

NOT ACTIVE

Aside from being the scout master, Paqueo of Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, is also the master teacher in social studies and values education in the science high school.

Paqueo, however, wasn’t active as a Boy Scout when he was young because of his height.

“I was not active before (in the BSP) when I was young because of my physical defect (height). My mother said that I might be left out if the boys are running,” Paqueo recalled.

Paqueo said he cried when he was unable to attend the Boy Scout Jamboree.

COMMITMENT

His commitment to teach, however, changed all that when his students asked him to be their scout master.

He was hesitant at first but he eventually accepted to be his students’ trainer.

“There is really a need to train our boys to be more responsible individuals in our society,” Paqueo said.

Paqueo said that the only difficulty that he has is his “physical body” but his parents, students and the school administration gave him full support.

OUTSTANDING

Since then he became the Outstanding Scout Master in the Philippines in 2008 and before  that in 1997 he was  Outstanding Teacher of the Cebu City Division and an Outstanding teacher in Central Visayas in 1998.

Paqueo said he was inspired by his school principal, Nicanora P. Creus, then to continue teaching the youth.

He said that he had at least 100 Boy Scouts under his wing.

Majan, for his part, advised his fellow Boy Scouts that one didn’t have to win an award to serve others.

scout oath

Majan, the youngest child in a brood of three, said that as a Boy Scout, he had to live by  the “scout oath and the law.”

“People look up to  Boy Scouts. Sometimes it’s hard having many eyes look up to you,” Majan said.

He said he had to learn self-control and timing as he embarked on joining the search.

“As a Boy Scout, it is our duty and passion to help others,” Majan said.

Majan said that his boy scout experience included camping, the national jamboree, council jamboree, flag-raising, parades, advancement, and community service.

“As Boy Scout leaders, we organize camping in school,” Majan said.

Majan said that community service includes cleaning the streets, the campus  and conducting feeding programs.

youth forum

Majan said that one of the activities that he enjoyed the most was  the yearly youth forum.

“Lingaw kaayo kay maka-interact mo ug lain-laing mga scouts. We gather their ideas,” Majan said.

Majan said that one of his qualities as  a Boy Scout is  “creativity” and being able to see  things from a  different perspective and decide.

Majan said that one of his project proposals in school was about promoting sex education in the family.

“It is an awareness campaign which is conservative in a way. Why not at home?” Majan explained.

Majan said  the awareness campaign gained popularity in Facebook.

education

Majan said he plans  to take up an education degree in college because he wanted to become a high school teacher like Paqueo.

“I also believe in the youth so much,” Majan said.

Yesterday, Paqueo and Majan attended the 65th Annual Cebu Council Metting of the BSP at the DepEd Ecotect Pavilion in Lahug, Cebu City.

streegan

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and BSP Council chairman Hernando O. Streegan were also present in the meeting.

Streegan was given a plaque of recognition for his undying support for the BSP.

Streegan  said that  BSP membership increased from 81,135 in 2011 to 88,333 in 2012.

The BSP theme this year is “Scouting builds communities.”

scout’s aim

Fr. Roderick Salazar, SVD, who also attended the meeting, said that the aim of every Boy Scout was  to develop “character with a purpose.”

Fr. Salazar said that “scouting builds a community but is not the only element of the community.”

“A living community is a challenge to build. To build a community, we must have respect,” Salazar said.