The Shrine of Remembrance holds a Boer War commemoration each year. This is a significant event in Scouting due to Baden-Powell’s involvements in the Boer War. This year Joeys and Cubs attended to earn the “Their Service, Our Heritage” badge. We were lucky enough to meet BP’s grandson, Michael.
A new highlight of the Scouting year is Family Camp. This (late) winter 86 people descended on Gilwell Park in Gembrook to enjoy 2 nights of socialising, adventurous activities, bushcraft and camping. All sections and their families took part.
The Joey Scouts met at the top of Royal Park for a bike ride down through Royal Park to the Royal Children’s Hospital playground. At the playground we had time for a long play and met 4th Brunswick Cubs. 4th Brunswick Cubs organised a fantastic scavenger hunt where the Joeys joined the Cubs’ sixes. A fun night!
As part of the Adventure Challenge badge, we visited the Koorie Heritage Trust at Federation Square and Birrarung Marr. We saw an exhibition called “Stitching Together the Songlines” which included possum and kangaroo skin cloaks. At Birrarung Marr we saw various art installations celebrating Aboriginal Australian heritage described in the book Melbourne Dreaming.
Getting hands-on with the displays | 5 shields representing groups of the Kulin nation | Carvings in the play space
Rolling down the giant hill | Detail of the eel trap work on the ground | Listening to the giant grass sway in the wind
Heading back to Flinders Street station
It was a chilly but atmospheric outing to Whittlesea for the annual Plenty Valley Region campfire.
Joey Scouts learned about the global Scouting program “Messengers of Peace“.
Joey Scouts do good turns and help others because it is part of the Joey Scout Promise and Law. It is nice to help others, even if it is only a small action. Whenever we are kind to people we send a message of love and peace, making a difference to the others and also ourselves.
Requirements
We had Jen come and speak to us from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and spent the term collecting food for their Food Bank.
We were delighted to plant habitat for the Helmeted Honeyeater for the second year in a row. Last year there were less than 100 birds left in the wild but this year they have seen more than 200.
About 30 Joeys, siblings and parents – plus our wonderful family with a Cub and a Scout – planted 500 indigenous “mid storey” plants such as kangaroo apple, woolly tea tree, prickly currant bush and Victorian Christmas bush, to name a few.
The undoubted highlight was seeing birds in the wild! We were lucky enough to see – very close – about half a dozen birds. Because some of the population bred at Healesville Sanctuary were released into the reserve, these birds are used to people and came to see if we might have some food for them.
Thanks again to Friends of the Helmeted Honeyater, helping to rescue Victoria’s bird emblem from extinction.
We saw a number of birds – and there are only 200 left!
Planting a tricky area on a slope | New seedling | Whole family getting in the action
Our pot snake with half the planting done – we planted 2 * this amount!
Satisfied with our efforts | Our mascot, Flying Fox, likes to come too
Kangaree 2019 saw 740 Joeys and over a thousand people in all, descent on Lardner Park in Warragul for a jam-packed weekend of fun and activities. Another first for our Mob!
Our mascot, Flying Fox, is award each week to the Joey Scout who has been nominated as doing something caring or sharing that week. Here are some of her adventures!
And something you may not know about flying foxes: Why bats don’t get get sick from the deadly diseases they carry
Most people think of camping, when they think of Scouts. But we also try to enjoy the natural beauty of our local urban environment, such as our recent pre-Kangaree sleepover and “urban hike”.