"Today, Gerakan Pramuka continues to serve as a platform for building national character, teaching moral values, solidarity, and responsibility," he said in an Instagram post marking Pramuka Day on Thursday.
Since its inception, Prabowo noted, Gerakan Pramuka has instilled discipline in young people, nurtured a spirit of unity, and shaped individuals of noble character who are independent and ready to defend the nation.
He expressed confidence that these efforts have strengthened the belief that Indonesia's future lies in the hands of a generation imbued with integrity and the spirit of service.
Prabowo also expressed hope that Pramuka will continue to nurture strong and principled youngsters who are ready to lead the nation toward progress.
"Happy 64th Pramuka Day. Long live Indonesia's young generation. Long live Indonesian scouts," he said.
The global scouting movement traces its origins to British national Robert Baden-Powell, who held the first camp with 22 young participants on Brownsea Island, England, on July 25, 1907. The eight-day camp marked the birth of the scouting movement worldwide. Baden-Powell’s military background — marked by discipline, skill, and firmness — shaped the character of the movement.
Scouting reached Indonesia through the Dutch during the colonial era. The Dutch established the first scouting organization in the country, the Nederland Indische Padvinders Vereeniging (NIPV), or Dutch East Indies Scout Association. The term Padvinders referred to scout organizations in the Netherlands.
In 1916, Dutch teacher J. J. van Dalen founded the Javaansche Padvinders Organisatie (JPO), the first scouting organization for native Indonesians.
Over time, several scouting groups emerged, founded by both indigenous communities and other ethnic groups such as Chinese and Arab Indonesians.
These organizations united after Indonesia's independence. In 1961, Gerakan Pramuka was officially established through Presidential Decree No. 238 of 1961. President Soekarno inaugurated the movement on August 14, 1961, which has since been celebrated annually as Scout Day.
"Pramuka" is an acronym for Praja Muda Karana, meaning "young people who like to work."
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Translator: Fathur Rochman, Primayanti
Editor: Anton Santoso
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