Lee Currie caught up with 1st Glenashley Journey’s End Scout Group to find out the secret behind why, 60 years on, their group is still thriving.
Worldwide there has been a steep decline in scouting membership, South Africa included. But not so for 1st Glenashley Journey’s End Scout Group where the movement recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.
“We are fortunate in that our Scouters are able to keep the youth engaged online during lockdown, when we’re not able to meet at our hall. The key is a strong group of parents and adult volunteers which we are blessed to have,” explains Heather Theron, an uMhlanga general practitioner and Scouter (adult leader). Husband Phil is also a Scouter while all three of their children are in the group which is currently made up of Meerkats (5-6 years), Cubs (7-10 years) and Scouts (11-18 years) – both boys and girls.
Apart from learning new skills, the Scouts community projects and activities are wide-ranging: feeding schemes, beach clean-ups, recycling and many others. They may have differed over time in terms of today’s technology, but the ethos remains essentially the same – to make the youth aware of current issues and foster care for the environment and for others.
“The more I get to see and know about scouting, the more impressed I am with the movement. It’s one of the few places children are still able to learn and practice skills such as independence, leadership, obedience, honour and teamwork. Our world has become so ‘self-centred’ and this encourages them to look beyond themselves to see where they can be of service to another. All this is done in a fun and interactive way while developing a sense of belonging to their group,” comments Heather.
To commemorate the first cub group which was formed in August 1961, a firepit and amphitheatre are in the pipeline, with the ground-breaking and levelling of the land scheduled in August (as we were going to press). “One of the activities we always enjoy is our campfire evenings which become a family affair. A section of the scout hall grounds was cleared away for us by the new owner of the house next door, leaving us with more space, so the idea of installing the firepit was born,” comments Karin Ellis, an eager parent.
This group’s history goes back to the late 30s, when the Journey’s End MOTHs (Memorable Order of Tin Hats) started a Scouts Group in their basement, where the Durban North post office is today. Over the years Durban North Scout Groups and 1st Glenashley amalgamated becoming 1st Glenashley Journey’s End, now housed in Glenashley. The Scouts black and gold scarf was Journey’s End MOTHs colours and is still worn today.
Michael Gill, whose first day as a cub was in 1960 and who later became a Scouter had this to say: “I remember having BP Sunday (celebrating the birthday of Lord Robert Baden-Powell) at Northlands Boys High School and the cubs and scouts on parade filled the rugby field. Nowadays the groups have dwindled to a point that there are only two groups in the district. So as Glenashley now celebrate their 60th anniversary I would like to wish them all the best in Scouting and may they stay strong for a long time to come.”
Any wishlist going forward? “Community members are needed to lead or assist with running our groups. Also, those who have a particular skill that may be interesting or useful to the Scouts would be most welcome to share their knowledge. Funds towards projects are also welcome,” comments Heather.
FOR MORE INFO:
- Email: hgtheron@gmail.com or karin.ellis@iclould.com;
- www.facebook.com/1stglenashleydurban/