Chathura Mataraarachchi, most outstanding scout
by Ananda Melpitiya
Nineteen-year-old Chathura
Deshapriya Mataraarachchi of the 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group has
won the most prestigious Asia Pacific Region Award for the “Most
Outstanding Scout”.
Young Chathura became the winner, by beating the four finalists from
Australia, Hong Kong, Maldives and Philippines out of the first round
competitors from 28th Asia Pacific countries. During the tour Chathura
also attended the 6th Asia Pacific Youth Forum held in Kuala Lumpur,
representing Sri Lanka.
Chathura Deshapriya was born on April 25, 1990 and entered Dharmaraja
College, Kandy in 1996 and later became a member of the 1st Kandy
Dharmaraja Scout Group in 1998 and while being a cub scout he secured
the highest honour by getting the ‘Gold Star’. In the same year he was
awarded the Best Cub Scout Award of the Group and again in 2004 he
reached another milestone by winning the ‘Best Junior Scout’ award of
the College and was appointed as a Troop Leader.
The same year Dharmaraja Scouts won the Island Merit Flag. In 2007 he
was selected as a `President Scout’ and was appointed Secretary of the
Patrol Leaders’ Council and in 2008 was granted the ‘Best Senior Scout
Award’. He participated in the 6th National Cuboree, the 6th National
Scout Jamboree in 2002, as well as 7th National Jamboree and the
National Youth Forum.
In addition, he was in the under 12, 14 and 17 school badminton teams
and also excelled in athletics in the track and field events. He was the
leader of the Primary Section band and was a member of under 13, 14 and
15 cricket teams.
Chathura won the first and second places at the national level as a
member of the College Explorer’s Club and represented the Adventure Club
from 2005 to 2009. In 2006, Chathura participated in the Asia Pacific
Region Jamboree in Thailand and the World Jamboree to mark the Centenary
Year of World Scouting, held in England in 2007. He attended the SAARC
Highschool Student Invitation Programme held in Japan in 2008.
Chathura is a talented artist and debater and an active member of
several societies and associations of the school. He was appointed as a
Prefect of the Primary Section in 2000 and in 2004 nominated the Head
Prefect of the Junior Section and later the Deputy Head Prefect of the
School in 2008 and 2009.
He excelled in academics by getting nine `A’s and one `B’ at the
Ordinary Level Examination. He was a member of the 1st Kandy Cuboree
Organising Committee as Chairman of the District Patrol Leaders Council,
organised at international level which was held in 2007 and was an
active member of the “Mahanuwara Baladakshaya” newspaper editorial. He
is the son of Kandy District Scout Commissioner Sarath Mataraarachchi
and Mrs. Mallika Mataraarachchi. |
