The troop was founded in the Syriac schools of Qamishli in 1936, thanks to the dedication of the esteemed educator, Malfono Shukri Jermokli, and a group of his colleagues who were active in the fields of education and the church.
With great determination, the early founders worked to maintain this institution despite the limited resources available at the time. In 1952, the Ministry of Education and the Higher Executive Committee for Scouting in Syria approved the formation of a scout troop under the number (4) at the Qamishli School in the Jazira region, "Qamishli."
Since then, the troop has been committed to expanding its activities, introducing new initiatives to raise young people capable of self-reliance and nurturing their talents. This vision became a reality as the scouting family in Qamishli grew into multiple troops, each specializing in its age group, excelling in their fields, and participating in scout training courses led by many leaders inside and outside Syria. These leaders played a significant role in passing down this treasured knowledge, which we still benefit from to this day. The troop eventually formed packs of Cubs, groups of Brownies, Junior Scouts, Senior Scouts, and Rover Scouts, along with a core unit that has always been a beacon of pride for us—the band. This musical unit serves as a cornerstone for our troop, embodying Syriac heritage through its melodies and compositions, which resonate deeply with both the young and the old during national, religious, and social occasions.
When we speak of eighty-eight years since the troop’s establishment, it is clear that we would need many pages and days to list all the names and dates of those members and leaders who have held the reins of leadership and guided us to where we are today. These individuals have consistently demonstrated loyalty, discipline, and dedication. Our troop has produced doctors, engineers, lawyers, athletes, artists, and professionals in many fields, and our archives proudly document our participation in various events and activities across most Syrian provinces. We have even extended beyond the borders to Turkey, Lebanon, and Sweden. If we were to open the pages of our archived history, we would find numerous names, such as (Kareem Sarkis, Jean Shammas, Okin Shammas, Korya Shukri, artist Jean Karat, Dr. Jean Daoud, Gabriel Neumann, engineer George Amsih, Dr. Gabriel Shamoun, George Koryaks, Sami Safar, Anton Korya, Bassam Eshou, Rami Qash Shamoun).
These names are mentioned here only as examples, without any intent to diminish the work of any other leader entrusted with a scouting mission. All of them represented this troop honorably within Syria. Today, we take great pride in seeing the sons of this troop establishing and opening new scout troops in various countries of the diaspora, tirelessly and with great dedication.
Today, our troop consists of approximately 200 members distributed among different scout units. This number is only a fraction of the large numbers that once gathered under the banner of our esteemed troop. However, the crisis the country has been experiencing has also impacted our troop, leading to a gradual decrease in numbers. Yet, this has not stopped us from fulfilling our mission. Despite all the challenges, we have rebuilt bridges of communication with various Syriac troops that we have been able to reach, organizing scout and recreational camps in the provinces of Aleppo, Homs, and Hama after several years of interruption. We remain hopeful that our beloved homeland, Syria, will recover from its crisis, and that we will continue carrying our mission in the service of God, our nation, our church, and all those in need.
