Awards aplenty as scouts celebrate achievements

SCOUTS from across the wider Ballarat district gathered last Sunday for their annual report and awards presentation.

The event took place the Pax Hill Scout Camp in Canadian and celebrated the achievements of Scouting youth and leaders throughout the region.

“Their dedication, hard work, and community spirit are truly commendable,” Scouts Victoria Ballarat District Commissioner Shane Hall said as awards presented over the past 12 months were formally acknowledged.

Federal Member for Ballarat Catherine King and Member for Eureka Michaela Settle attended along with Scouting hierarchy, many local Scouts and their families, and representatives of emergency services

It was an opportunity for the scouts to also celebrate the allocation of $300,000 in the last round of the state budget toward refurbishing their Lake Wendouree boat shed.

“We use the Lake Wendouree shed mainly for canoeing and kayaking and the guides also use it,” Mr Hall said.

The shed is also used for sail-ability courses, with the refurbishment expected to be done over the Christmas break ready for the new year.

“Right now we have about 414 scouts and they go from five to 26 years old. Our district has 10 groups from Dereel to Maryborough and from Creswick to Beaufort,” Mr Hall said.

“Scouting is great for youth development and very complementary to school programs.

“It’s not just about being outdoors and it provides opportunities to participate in things you might not participate in otherwise.”

Illustrating this, local scout venturers aged 15 to 18 are preparing to head off to New Zealand in December where outdoor adventures will include things like caving, canyoning, hiking on glaciers and ocean canoeing.

But Mr Hall said that while the number of local kids joining the scouts has been enjoying an increase lately, more adult volunteers are currently needed.

“While our numbers in youth have been going up our numbers of volunteers has not,” the District Commissioner said.

“Scouts is also about the adults and the benefits they get in terms of giving back to the community, and also about what they learn.

“You don’t have to be a parent to be a volunteer. and you can volunteer as a scout leader, a committee member, or for things like maintenance and fundraising.”