Sobhi still has a passion for scouting and volunteer work even though he is now in his seventies and has been doing this for 40 years. He said he has never considered retirement. He has had “the honor” of being a boy scout for more than four decades and has not missed a single Haj during that time. “In scouting everyone can be involved,” he said. “It does not matter if you are the fastest runner in the world or the strongest person, everyone plays a role. It does not matter who you are.” He said scouting is designed to “develop good character”. People learn to work together to achieve a goal. They become better adults. Learning by doing, is the natural way for children and young people to learn new skills. Proper scouting takes place through action, he said. Al-Sobhi described his relationship with scouting as “exceptional”. He has developed a love for the work over the many years he has spent with the Saudi Arabian Scouts Society at its public service camps. He said there are no words to describe his feelings when, for instance, he can help a lost and terrified little child find his family during the Haj. “I cannot imagine what life would be like without the scouts after so many years. When I dress in this scout uniform and head towards Makkah to provide voluntary work during Haj, I feel that I am still living,” he said.
