By Mikayla van Loon
Scouting in Montrose has returned after a long hiatus in the suburb and is off to a flying start, seeing many little people take up the challenge.
Having originally had its own scouting group many years ago, it had to fold due to low participation numbers.
Merging with Mount Evelyn for a time helped keep the scout hall in Montrose alive but Mount Dandenong region assistant commissioner Tim Whitehead said throughout the pandemic the property sat vacant for a few years.
“Coming out of Covid and late last year, I suppose the wheels got turning on what we could do and how we could do it to create the Montrose Scout Group,” he said.
“It was a really simple decision that we had a scout hall in Montrose with no scouts in it and that needed to change because every other scout hall we have around the state is full of kids taking part in the adventurous, fun, challenging and inclusive program.”
With the help of a State government, Mr Whitehead said the hall was able to be renovated to ensure the facilities were up to standard and then all that was needed were the children.
“Mid August was our launch date and we gathered enough interest to start both Joey’s and Cubs, with five or six kids starting in each, which was fantastic,” Mr Whitehead said.
“Since then, we’ve had lots of interest. We’ve got four brand new leaders who have joined.. We’ve got about 15 kids on the book now with more kids interested in coming along in the next few weeks for a trial and it’s all systems go.”
Deciding to just offer Joeys for ages five to eight and Cubs for ages eight to 11 at this stage, Mr Whitehead said over the next few years there are hopes of growing to offer Scouts, Venturers and Rovers.
Over the first few weeks of sessions, Mr Whitehead said there’s been science experiments, learning about flight and fire, as well as an official ceremony to induct the kids as part of Scouts.
“We’ve had a fire night where all the kids learnt fire safety, how to strike a match, how to create the perfect campfire, how to roast marshmallow, but also how to be safe around out what to do if something goes wrong with fire at home,
“We’ve had bush walks around the local community in the Montrose Recreation Reserves, which has been fantastic and we’ve also had a session on the history of scouting, which has been really good for the kids to understand why scouts do what we do.”
The resurgence of scouting in Montrose and its popularity Mr Whitehead said he expects comes from a mix of things, particularly post-pandemic with parents and children looking to socialise but also build resilience.
In May 2020 Scouts Australia facilitated a survey to better understand resilience among its participants and found scouts are more likely to enjoy school, have better social skills and be able to solve problems rather than quit.
“They’re also more likely to feel they want to make a positive contribution to their community as opposed to others so there’s a range of reasons why Scouts is still popular.
“Even though it’s been around for 100 years, it’s still relevant in the community, the adventurous activities from canoeing to rock climbing and abseiling or even camping, they’re still relevant.
“If it’s 1907 when Scouts started, or 2023, the community is still there, there’s still people in the community that need help and there’s still the want of the kids who want to be involved and active members of their local community.”
Looking to grow, Mr Whitehead said “there’s not really any limitations” on numbers as long leaders keep coming on board.
“We would love to see anyone and everyone, we’re a fully inclusive organisation so it doesn’t matter what your abilities or your previous knowledge is,
“We will take anyone who has a history of being a scout, has a history of being in the outdoor recreation area, but also people in the community who are just interested in being involved.”
Anyone interested in joining or finding out more can contact gl.montrose@scoutsvictoria.com.au
