Scout leader Günaltay Durmuş who founded the SOS Children’s Village Scout Club in 2001, was remembered in a ceremony on Sunday.
His widow, and current SOS Children’s Village Scout Club Leader, Besime Durmuş held the ceremony at her husband’s grave side in Zeytinlik Cemetery in Kyrenia, with SOS Youth Facility youth leaders and SOS Children’s Village scouts.
After a minute’s silence, she made a speech, also marking “Scout World Thinking Day”.
SOS Youth Facility youth leader Rabia Özcömert said:
“Our enthusiastic youngsters from the SOS Youth Facility joined the SOS Children’s Village scouts who, with their tiny hands, laid flowers on the grave in memory of their founding leader.”
Following the ceremony, members of the SOS Youth Facility Günaltay Durmuş Scout Club were joined by officials from the Lefkoşa branch of the Forestry Department in planting trees in a plot near the Hamitköy ring road.
They planted 50 eucalyptus trees, 50 cypress trees, and 25 pine trees. Rabia Özcömert added:
“By planting the trees our youngsters invested in their future, as well as learned about the environment.”
Günaltay Durmuş died on 6th April 2009.
