“And when you go home tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow we gave our today
Our gift was great, but you must now give a greater gift
We died. Now you must nobly live
To complete the plan
And make man brother unto man.”

~ Soldier’s Prayer

This Sunday I trust many of our Groups will be marking Remembrance Day, or Poppy Day, which is observed annually on 11 November or the nearest Sunday to that date. On this Day we honour all those who have died in the line of duty since the First World War.

I know that some Scouters have questioned why we continue to mark Remembrance Day, noting that many of our young members seem uninterested. But if their hearts do not yet understand, it falls to us, with compassion and care, to help them feel the weight and meaning of this day.

We must gently teach them, choosing stories and language that resonate with their age and experience—stories that reveal the deep cultural ties that bind us to those who came before, and stories of courage and loss from any conflict since the First World War. Lest we forget, our country lost soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2025.

Our Region marks Remembrance Day not to celebrate or glorify war. We are not indoctrinating our youth to be cannon-fodder for the next war with false notions of glory. By remembering, we are honouring not just the lives lost, but the hopes and dreams they left behind. In reflecting on this struggle and grief, we plant seeds of gratitude and hope in the next generation’s hearts, reminding them—and ourselves—that remembrance is not just about the past. It is a solemn promise to never let such pain repeat, and a call to live with purpose and gratitude for the peace so dearly won.

In conclusion, the Remembrance Prayer:

“They shall not grow old
As we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them
Nor the years condemn them
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM”