The Association and Scouts of the Orthodox "Soldiers of Faith" (Junud Al-Iman)

The orthodox Assembly of Faith was founded in Tripoli in 1946, and Kousba branch emerged in 1958 with the help of some villagers Its purposes:
- Inciting youths to practice religious duties
- Avoiding political parties
- Social service and society development
- Developing the conditions of cultural, social and religious communication
- Taking care of youths and fighting all kinds of heresies
- Collaborating with assemblies and clubs and be opened to each other
Actually, there are more than 150 Mr and Mrs members in the assembly, and it is headed by a committee formed of 9 people and it is elected once every two years.

The assembly activities and works:

A- The kinder garden of the Orthodox Soldiers of Faith:
It has been active since the foundation of the assembly in Kousba. It used to take care of children and their education. First, it was launched in the hall of the church of Holy Mary. Later on, the committees that headed the assembly in succession have worked to build the kindergarten project near the monastery of Saint Dimitrius. With the relief of God and the help of the Metropolitan of Tripoli and Al koura Elias Kourban, 45 children from the village frequent actually the kindergarten where they get all the care they need: education, nursing and mother care.

B- The troops of the Orthodox Scout Soldiers of Faith:
These troops e formed from more than 350 boys and girls from all ages. They all work under the slogan "be ready", and the readiness should be corporal, spiritual, and intellectual. They are distributed in branches as the following:

1 - The Cub Scout branch: the preparatory (from 3 to 6 years)
The cubs (from7 to 11 years)

2 - The Scout Branch: the preparatory (from 11 to 13 years)
The scout (from 13 to 16)

3 - The Rovers Branch: the rovers (from17 to 21 years)
The advanced rovers (from 21 to unlimited)

The scout groups meet in the house of the scout family (the old club building) where they hold study and analysis sessions concerning all subjects aiming to develop the individuals and instruct them good manners and define their personalities and belongings as well as developing the sense of social work and public service and love, starting from the spirit of the big scout family arriving to the society and country.
Then comes the stage of the practical application that takes place in the part newly added to the kindergarten building. It contains rooms for every branch and one common stadium where scouts can practice their sportive and artistic hobbies as well as their military scouting activities.

C- In sports:
Since the scout leaders care for developing talents, they founded a volleyball team and legalized it under the name of the sportive club "al meshaal".
This team is trained and supervised by an academic professor. There are also teams from scouts for basketball, foot ball and ping pong.

D- In music:
Since music has a great educational role in developing good manners, the leaders have renewed the musical hand and equipped it with some musical instruments. A professor licenced in music trains the band.

E- In social life:
The assembly helps many poor individuals in the village. It contributes in part of their medical treatment and hospitalizing as well as their alimentation, their school fees and some moral help.

F- In social activities:
The scout troops organize many activities in the aim of activating and animating the social life of Kousba. From these activities we list the following:

1- Processions in these occasions: Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and the Dormancy of the Virgin.

2- Scout parade in the Independence Day.

3- Boiling wheat and singing songs and anthems at the evening of Saint Barbara anniversary in the village square, during which they distribute the biography of Saint Barbara and disguise.

4- At Christmas evening, the scout troops tour the village streets while singing Christmas anthems in many languages and distributing gifts.

5- The annual celebration of the Mother's and Child's Day held at the kindergarten theater.
In this celebration, the scout members present plays, folklore dances composed by themselves.

6- The country food day held annually in the village square after the mass where villagers gather around the food table on the melodies of the scout band.

7- Sports tournaments in the summer in the kindergarten stadium.

8- Family gathering in the kindergarten building during which they organize games and offer gifts.

9- An annual dancing dinner

10- A series of conferences and seminars treating medical, social, religious and cultural subjects in the kindergarten hall.

11- Seasonal exhibitions: book exhibition, exhibition of manual and handicrafts works, various theatrical shows in the kindergarten hall.

G- In the environment:
The scout troops organize continual campaigns of property and tree planting. They plant trees in the arid places of the village.

H- Camps:

a. The scout camp organized by the scout leadership every year in various Lebanese regions.

b. The summer entertaining camp that lasts from the end of June till the middle of august in the kindergarten building.

c. Sessions for learning Arabic for emigrant villagers during their visits to the country and for acquaintance.

Purposes to achieve:

- A project for closing the stadium to use it in winter.
- A project for equipping the kindergarten
- A project for installing a sound system to the theater
- A project for applying the recycling program
- Computer learning sessions
- Program for abolishing illiteracy
- Founding a club for villagers to meet continually
- Equipping the musical band

Sources of income:

- The donations of humanitarian people
- The annual calendar
- The annual dancing dinner
- The contributions of the assembly members