Lord Baden-Powel’s 165th birthday is on February 22 and the local scouts will be meeting at the Democratic Club to celebrate with old scout stories and a cake.
Scouts were very popular in town after WWII with five scout groups running in Broken Hill.
The Sea Scouts are the 3rd Scout Troop and are still flying the flag in Iodide Street.
The Naval Mens’ Association donated the funds after WWII to build the Sea Scouts Hall and whilst it is a little unusual to have Sea Scouts in the desert, they have remained a popular troop.
Daniel Kennedy was a Sea Cub Scout in the late 90s and said he really loved it.
“I really enjoyed going on camps, using a compass and learning to read maps.
I met lots of people who weren’t at my school who I’m still friends with today,“ he said.
He said he has been trying to join his boys up but there’s a waiting list for the Joeys and COVID-19 has seen the scouts start delayed.
Lord Baden-Powell originally began by writing a manual for boys groups in Britain after the Boer War, this led to a seven day experimental camp with boys from privileged and underprivileged groups.
It was a success.
The ideas he espoused grew till the scouts were formed and finally became the international organisation it is today.
B-P, as he was known to scouts all over the world, left the organisation with his final message on dying which was “Try and leave the world a little better than you found it.”
He died on January 8 , 1941, at the age of 83.
The Old Scouts and Scout Leaders will be meeting for lunch at the Democratic Club on February 22.
