Scouts get active

Penola Scouts  TBW Newsgroup
LIFE LESSONS: Penola venturer scout Will Goodes, scout leader Nathan Stanley and scouts Shelly Crawford, Ebony Wurst, Blake Perry and Jack Hogg during a meeting last week.

Penola Scouts TBW Newsgroup
LIFE LESSONS: Penola venturer scout Will Goodes, scout leader Nathan Stanley and scouts Shelly Crawford, Ebony Wurst, Blake Perry and Jack Hogg during a meeting last week.

EVERY three years, scouts from across Australia converge on one location for the Australian Scout Jamboree.

This year, over 10,000 members spent almost two weeks at Tailem Bend for the event.

Two members of the Penola Scout Group travelled the jamboree and embarked on exciting adventures with their companions from across the globe.

Ebony Wurst and Blake Perry attended this year’s jamboree, with the pair agreeing the event was a worthwhile experience.

“We got to meet lots of other scouts,” Ebony said.

“I think my favourite part was rock climbing and abseiling, but we did heaps of cool things.

“The biggest challenge I think was working together as a team and remembering it is not just what we want that matters but what everyone wants as a group.”

Scout leader Nathan Stanley said the event was an important experience for young scouts.

“They’re a great way to get to know other young kids doing the same things as you and making new friends,” he said.

“The kids also get to do some pretty exciting stuff while there.”

The Penola Scout Group is gearing up for two important events this year.

During the school holidays, members of the group will spend time at Monarto Zoo as “zookeepers” for the day.

The children will camp over night at the zoo and complete a full tour the next day.

“We will get to clean out their pens and spend time with the real zookeepers which will be really cool,” Ebony said.

The group will also host the district rally, which will see scout groups from around the region camp in Penola for an intergroup competition.

“We have based the rally on bush craft, so the kids will light a fire, cook a meal and build a shelter for themselves,” Mr Stanley said.

“It is a bit of a competition but also a lot of fun and a great way to get the scouts around the region together.

“We are always doing something fun in scouts and it gets kids away from their computers and out in the real world learning lifelong skills.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested in what scouts are all about to get in contact.”