Old fashioned values stand firm in a high tech world

[fgoodwin 23]

Old fashioned values stand firm in a high tech world

 

 

http://tinyurl.com/34qcm3

 

Source: Village Voice Balmain

Author: Nicole Hasham

Posted: Mon 6 Aug, 2007

 

In an era when pitching a tent generally means clipping plastic poles to a dome-shaped piece of nylon, knowing how to tie a knot may seem a little quaint.

 

But for the young members of the Leichhardt 1st Scouts group, knowing how to square lash two wooden poles can mean the difference between a good night's sleep and a face full of canvas.

 

"When we camp we use old army tents like they used in World War II," Leichhardt Cub Scouts leader Claudia Gittens said.

 

"They're quite hard to put up, and all the scouts have to be able to do all the knotting, which is pretty skillful stuff".

 

For as the Leichhardt 1st Scouts Group prepares to celebrate 100 years of scouting in Australia in August 2008, the group remains firmly tied to the original vision laid down by Lord Baden Powell a century ago - be prepared, help others, and of course, regularly brave the great outdoors.

 

According to Claudia, the Leichhardt scout group of 1908 did not have to search far for a patch of wilderness, often setting up camp at Ramsay's Bush, in Haberfield.

 

These days, 100 years later, with local bush a little thin on the ground, the scouts must now travel to areas like Pennant Hills and Sutherland to camp.

 

But the fresh-air tradition remains stronger than ever in modern scouting, and can do wonders for city-bred kids, Claudia said.

 

"We always encourage kids to spend a number of nights under canvas each year," she said.

 

"They absolutely love camping - being outdoors away from family and being with other kids.

 

"One eight-year-old kid who didn't say much when he started has just become so much more outgoing. We usually have parents coming on camp with us - but he said he didn't want his parents coming!"

 

But it's not just a commitment to camping that has remained constant over the years.

 

At weekly meetings, scouts of all ages play games and learn practical skills that would not have been out of place a century ago.

 

"At a cub scouts meeting we have opening parade, where we greet everyone, get kids to salute the flag and say 'Do your best', then play various traditional games like cat and mouse and poison ball," Claudia said.

 

"We discuss things like what goes into a first aid kit, and what to do if someone gets bitten by a snake, or gets a bleeding nose, how to tie bandages, or sometimes we do science experiments."

 

In the era of computer games and television, she believes it is this adherence to old-fashioned values that has allowed scouting to retain its relevance in modern urban life.

 

"People realise it's important that kids have different experiences," she says.

 

"Scouting pushes kids a little bit beyond their boundaries. It helps them grow up and learn leadership and responsibility, and it's great training for later life."

 

Claudia said the experiences shared by former scouts at the group's 90th anniversary celebrations showed just how much the inner west had evolved since the movement's early days.

 

"Kids used to walk to the [scout] hall from Balmain to Leichhardt because no-one had cars - it must have been the 1920s," she says.

 

"One old bloke, he must have been about 94, remembered when they used to drive sheep down Balmain Road to the railways where Darling Harbour is now - it's absolutely amazing."

 

Seeking former scouts for centenary

 

Leichhardt 1st Scouts Group is seeking former members from Leichhardt, Rozelle Annandale, Glebe and surrounding areas to get in touch ahead of a 100th anniversary luncheon to be held in August 2008, when scouts of all ages will gather to share stories and enjoy a century of scouting memorabilia. Please contact Claudia Gittens on 9660 4069 for further information.