Local Cubs and Scouts aiming for a better world

by Liz Campbell and Tom Kay

District Commissioner of Northern Plains Scouts NSW, Tom Kay has been the acting group leader for 1st Narrabri West Scout Group for 32 years.

He is assisted by Carole Davis who runs the Cubs section and also helps out with other age groups within the club.

Tom and Carole are nationally accredited leaders and are ably assisted by local parents who volunteer to help with activity supervision and safety.

“For the group to grow, we do need more qualified leaders”, adds Tom.

Training can take anything from 12 months to three years to complete, with participants choosing a section in which they may have a particular interest.

For example, Tom looks after the north-west area water activities, and keeps up to date with the relevant training and safety regulations as required.

As long ago as August 1938, the Narrabri West Scout Group was founded with the Cub Scouts following suit in May 1939.

Today, the Narrabri West Scout group is still going strong, with various age-groups meeting every week.

These age groups encompass Joeys (5-8 years), Cubs (8-11 years), Scouts (11-15 years) and Venturers (15-18 years).

The focus of the club has been nurturing children to become skilled in many different areas, emphasising goals in practicality, self-sufficiency, and encouraging an awareness in looking after the environment and creating a better world.

Special interest projects are taken up by the club and as well as providing a learning environment in safe conditions, offer the opportunity to work towards goals which are acknowledged on completion of the projects with badges and awards allocated to each division.

Last week all age-groups gathered to embark on an environmental project which involved tree-planting along the Narrabri West Lake walk behind the Narrabri Rugby Club.

The children braved the cold and completed a stellar job with a total of 15 trees planted.

Cubs and Scouts across Australia, and indeed the world, benefit greatly from ‘learning by doing’ through the global scouting movement.

Instead of learning in a formal way, children have been taking part in adventures and challenges, getting their hands dirty, independently solving problems, and learning from their mistakes.

The different age groups’ focus is as follows:

Joeys (5-8 years old)

Learn to share and work together.
Learn about their local community.
Learn about the environment.
Activities can include canoeing, abseiling, flying fox, bushwalking and bushcraft. Bushcraft involves constructing items out of timber and what is known as bush poles.
The aim to receive a ‘Joey’s Promise Challenge Badge’.

Cub Scouts (8-11 years old)

Learn to be independent.
Encouragement to venture out of comfort zones.
Learn to make mistakes, and learn from these mistakes in a safe environment.
Activities as for Joeys but at a more advanced level.
The aim to receive a ‘Grey Wolf’ award.

Scouts (11-15 years old)

Learn to ‘Plan – do – review’ a structured approach to tasks.
Split into task groups and allocate a patrol leader for the group.
Teaching leadership skills.
Adventure activities encompassing the learning of the importance of safety. An example of this is caving skills undertaken at Timor Caves in Murrurundi with training instructors, which included crawling through sections too small to stand, and abseiling down drops in the caves.
The aim to receive an ‘Australian Scout Medallion’.

Venturer Scouts (15-18 years old)

Venturer Scouts have usually completed their previous age group goals and activities and their role becomes similar to the same training that Scout group leaders undertake, running activities and supervising the younger groups.

Learning life skills such as independent thinking, leadership, social interaction and responsibility has become the pinnacle of the cub scouts movement.

Scouting encourages children to gain a strong sense of belonging in the local community, and through active involvement, contributing to the betterment of the environment, the community and themselves.

Scouting has its own Registered Training Organisation (RTO), which offers a range of qualifications.

Venturers and leaders training is acknowledged, offering the opportunity to receive a qualification that is recognised by employers across Australia.

Many parents participate in leadership training that can broaden personal and professional opportunities.

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