A century is a fete in itself. Hence, it is celebration time for Karnataka as it marks the World scouts and guides movement’s 100 years, on Wednesday. The theme for 2007 is ‘One World One Promise.’  
Among the many programmes planned by the Karnataka unit, the main function will be held at Shikshakara Bhavan, where Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will kick off  the centenary celebrations in the presence of nearly 200 Scout commissioners from 30 Scout districts and thousands of scouts and guides from different parts of the State.
Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will release a special souvenir, said N Srinivasan, Joint Secretary of Scouts.
On August 2 and 3, a workshop will be held at Dr Annie Besant Park, Doddaballapur in Bangalore Rural District for the Scout commissioners, on the various events to be conducted in the districts through the centenary year. The State government has sanctioned Rs 15 lakh for the year-long jamboree.
Renewing the pledge
At 7:30 am on Wednesday, Scouts and Guides across the globe will renew the Scouting pledge.
Olympics to showcase cubs and bulbuls, recreation of Brownsea island camp at an island in Dakshina Kannada, special centenary meet of trainers and a centenary conference are some of the events on the anvil, said Mr Srinivasan.
"I am thrilled to witness Scouting movement complete a 100 years. It is a wonderful human resource development movement that stands for peace, sacrifice and integrity…. Scouting is very relevant today because it stands for basic human values, which is pertinent in the present world," said Kondajji B Shanmukhappa, State Chief Commissioner, The Bharat Scouts and Guides, Karnataka, an untiring patron of the movement.
Scouts and Guides from five different parts of the State, including Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bellary, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Gadag, Haveri and Davangere, arrived at the Shikshakara Bhavan on Tuesday at 7.30 pm with the Jyothi (torch) as part of the World Peace Rally, said Mr Shanmukhappa.
Exactly 100 years ago, Lord Baden Powell blew the kudu horn on Brownsea Island in England  to open his experimental Scout camp for 20 boys.
Today, there are more than 280 million Scouts & Guides in 216 countries and territories.
“It is a priceless feeling to be a part of the centenary celebrations of the Scouting movement. I joined Scouting in 1941, as a boy of 12 years, the same year when Lord Baden Powell passed away on January 8,” recounts Mr Lucas (79), retired principal of  HAL High School, Bangalore, who was awarded the Silver Elephant in 1993, the highest honour of the movement, by the then President, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma.