It has been almost 13 years since First Eagle Scout was formed in 2002 after the amalgamation of First Pioneers and Three Ways from Krugersdorp and Roodepoort.
The Witpoortjie based scouts, who are preparing for Competition Camp in Florida later this month, are keen to let the community know that they are not all about tying knots and they don’t go door to door selling cookies.
“Youngsters have outdoor activities which are fun for them but they are unaware that while they are having fun they are learning new skills like leadership, being prepared, survival skills and how to work well under pressure. With these skills they can help their community and this is a positive from the parents point of view,” said Paul Hoenselaar, the Group Scout Leader.
In the scouts, one starts of as a cub, which range from ages seven to 11. Here the cubs are taught the basics of survival. Then from 11 to 18 years of age they are called scouts where they learn more advanced skills. From 18 to 35 years of age they are called Rovers.
First Eagle form part of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and there are different badges to identify from which country, province and district a scout is from. There are also badges for every level of advancement starting from pathfinder for basic skills such as camping and first aid, adventurer for advanced skills, first class for leadership skills. Explorer and Springbok are the highest badges one can attain.
A Scout is required to complete all the requirements for the Springbok award before their 18th birthday.
Scout troops are divided into patrols of between four and ten scouts. The patrol leader and assistant patrol leader have many responsibilities in training younger scouts and helping plan and run the programme.
First Eagle Scouts currently has three patrols, the Leopards made of girls only and the Buffalo and Rhino for the boys. Each patrol has a patrol leader and an assistant troop leader. Chloe Jansen van Vuuren is the patrol leader of the Leopards and the 18-year-old spoke passionately about how much of an impact the scouts have made on her life.
“Being a scout made me the person I am today. I have learnt skills that I could not have learnt anywhere else. It has brought me out of my shell and made me more adventurous in trying everything. Here I have come to realise my potential and have grown up a bit more,” she said.
Every official meeting starts with the raising of the troop flag followed by a short prayer, the scouts then greet each other before inspection. Each patrol is given ten plastic triangles before an inspection, one triangle is taken away for each penalty and by year end, the patrol with the most triangles are awarded a prize. Each patrol leader inspects the uniform of another troop to see if they are wearing the correct shoes, whether the buttons and badges are worn correctly.
The scouts are located at Jan van Rooyen Street, Witpoortjie. For more information, contact Paul Hoenselaar on 071-639-8013.
