While February is highlighted the world over for celebrating romantic love, there are other types of love to celebrate too, such as friendship, community, mentorship and volunteering. Incidentally, these are some of the types of love that are experienced and shared in Scouting, which celebrates its founder’s birthday each year on 22 February.
Who is Scouts South Africa
Scouts South Africa, with more than 34,000 members, is the biggest youth organisation in the country, teaching leadership, teamwork, self-motivation, commitment, perseverance, environmental and cultural awareness, along with strong values. Scouts South Africa is part of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement, which is home to 50 million Scouts across 216 countries and territories.
So, to answer the question I’m most often asked, yes, Scouting is still going after being founded in 1907, and it now includes Meerkats (5 and 6 year olds), Cubs (7 to 11 year olds), Scouts (11 to 18 year olds) and Rovers (18 – 30 years old) and its for boys and girls too!
What’s there to love in Scouting
I’ll admit, when I joined the movement as an adult volunteer when my older son joined Cubs in 2013, I also thought that he’d be playing a few games, and maybe going on a camp or two. However, the more I learned about Scouting, the more I’ve come to love what it teaches – and the more I’ve benefited from being involved.
Cubs (ages 7-10) learn by doing and playing, gaining important life skills like first aid, home safety, and conservation values in the process, while Scouts (ages 11-18) build on these, along with learning more about citizenship, community, leadership, and awareness of the world around them. Each age group works to a thoughtfully created and curated advancement path, with each child measured on their own effort and input.
Each year, we follow a theme outlined by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals too.
Ever met a Springbok Scout? Heres what Scouting has taught him/her
The advancements are many, and culminate in the highest honour of Springbok Scout. If you encounter a Springbok Scout, know that you have met someone who, before the age of 18, could plan and build a moving structure of at least four meters high, from scratch, out of ropes and poles, including safety and engineering considerations.
That same person conceptualised, planned and brought to life a community service project of at least 40 hours, and they likely also planned a whole camping and hiking weekend away for at least 10 other people, including food and activities. What’s more, they’ve had to compile detailed reports on their planning and outcomes, and how they brought their team members along for the journey, making sure that each person’s dietary, emotional, and physical considerations were taken into account. Once they’ve completed those tasks, and others, they have to stand up and present their journey to a panel of adults, confident that they’ve taken every possible precaution, and delivered on every goal
This is just one growth opportunity that Scouts can access – there are so many programmes and events that have been carefully designed for each child to stretch themselves, in a safe environment, to achieve their potential. This is so much more than any child will learn in a school environment, and Scouts’ basis as a non-profit organisation means that it’s teaching these skills to children from all backgrounds and income groups.
The movement is also partnering with the Department of Social Development to open up more Scout Groups across the country, as the Department sees and appreciates the value the movement brings in teaching life skills and building the country’s future leaders.
Scouting is close to my heart, building future leaders
I’m aware that this piece must by now feel like a bit of an advert – but I’m sharing this information to try and capture succinctly why I love Scouting so much. I’ve been a volunteer for more than 12 years now, and yes, it’s more than a two-hours-a-week commitment.
However, it’s one of those funny things – even with raising my own family, working full time, running a household, and all the other things that keep us busy, I do believe that there’s always time for investing some of my time, my effort, and my heart into our country’s future leaders. What’s more, I’ve made great friendships, and have experienced the heartfelt joy of watching children that I met as little wide-eyed seven year olds grow into strong, confident, and multiskilled young adults.
It all came together for me so beautifully on one of the adult training programmes, where the mottos of the four sections of the movement came together:
Stand Tall (Meerkats) to Do Your Best (Cubs) to Be Prepared (Scouts) to Be of Service (Rovers).
I live in hope that teaching these values to our children and the children in our communities will better position our country to achieve its full potential. If we all gave a little more of ourselves, for just a few hours of the week, just imagine what we could achieve together!
Find Scouting in South Africa
To find Scout Groups in Gauteng, click here. or find more on Jozikids.co.za
To find out more about volunteering as an Adult Leader, click here
Note that potential Adult Leaders need to supply a recent police clearance certificate, personal references, and will be interviewed by others in the movement before joining. Scouting is guided by the Child Protection Act, and holds the safety of children as its greatest priority.
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