The 1st Kirstenhof Sea Scout Group are the new kids on the scouting block. The group is just four years old but rapidly expanding. They are on the look out for new adult volunteers.
Image: supplied
The 1st Kirstenhof Sea Scout Group is expanding its adult leadership team and is looking for volunteers eager to make a positive impact by helping young cubs and scouts build life skills through outdoor adventures.
Founded in 2021, the scout group is the newest team to enter Kon-Tiki in over a decade but they are already making great strides.
Kon-Tiki is an annual raft-building competition for Scout and Guide groups held at Zandvlei. Teams build large rafts (6m x 4m) with cabins and compete to spend 24 hours on them, completing challenges, showing off skills they learnt through scouting.
The 1st Kirstenhof Sea Scouts shared 1st place in the cooking category, 10th in the Construction category and 17th overall, coming in only 41 points short of the top 10 standings.
It's a massive achievement for such a new troop, says Scout group leader Neil Kohler.
Realising there was a high demand for scouting in the suburb, the 1st Kirstenhof Sea Scout Group started with a small cub pack for ages 7 to 11. A year later, it welcomed ages 11 to 18 to join their scout troop. Today, just four years on, the group boasts a total of 21 cubs and 27 scouts.
“When the 1st Muizenberg Scout group put out a notice that it couldn’t accommodate the Kirstenhof children anymore, a few parents got together and despite having no scouting experience we started a scouts group.”
To support their growth, the scout group is currently recruiting for more adult leadership, who can volunteer their time and contribute to the community-run initiative. The 1st Kirstenhof Sea Scouts are in need of one Cub Pack leader, two assistant Cub Pack leaders, and two assistant Scout Troop leaders.
No scouting experience is needed, however, practical skills are helpful and a willingness to learn and care for kids are essentials required in a new scouting leader, says Mr Kohler
“What we are looking for is somebody who cares about the cubs and scouts’ well-being. That will provide a healthy alternative to screens, get them outdoors, to learn life skills that keeps them out of trouble and develops their self confidence so they thrive into valuable members of society.”
“Ultimately this is a volunteer organisation. Join us, learn the rope so we can pass on the baton to these new community leaders. As a community we all need to share that responsibility. The 1st Muizenberg Sea Scouts, for example, has been going on for more than a 100 years and that has been achieved by volunteers taking over the responsibility.”
Mr Kohler says the rewards not only included being of service to the community by playing a leadership role in the lives of young people but volunteering with the scouts is a great opportunity for growth and development.
“From first aid, cooking , map and navigation, building, roping to sailing, there are lots of courses to go on. The group pays for all the expenses of uniform, going on camps, events and training. We are very big on developing our scout and cub leaders. There are also lots of opportunities to network and be part of a vast network of current and former scouts.”
Gerhard Jeppe, whose family has been part of the scout group since its inception, says their daughter Emma has had wonderful experiences and adventures in which she was able to make lots of good friends. “We are so grateful to the leaders who volunteer so much of their time for the benefit of our children. Through them the experience, adventures and growth are possible.”
A view of all the rafts at Kon-Tiki this year at Zandvlei, which took place in April. Participating scouts build their rafts, compete in challenges for 24 hours on them.
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Part of the 1st Kirstenhof Sea Scout Group team, from left, Ieremia Oliver, Harrison Palmer, Daxdon Oliver, Colin Sharpley, Emma Jeppe, Carla Joubert, stand in front of the raft they built during Kon-Tiki at Zandvlei.
Image: supplied