Being part of Scouts is normally seen as an extramural activity, but for the outgoing head boy of Edenglen High School, it served as preparation for a leadership role.
At the beginning of high school, Austin Kemsley became friends with someone who was involved with Scouts.
He said his friend always spoke about Scouts and what they do. He eventually decided to accompany his friend and experience it for himself.
He told the NEWS they use to meet at a small dam in Meadowdale with other children who were also interested in having pure fun.
Austin soon discovered that the children at Scouts were groups of individuals who were not involved in the wrong groups, but rather a crowd that allowed him to express himself and be who he wanted to be.
“It kept us out of trouble on Friday nights as well as other nights when we decided to meet more often,” said Austin.
He said within the first year of joining, when he was in grade 8, he was part of Scouts.
“Most people know Scouts for the basics – knowing knots and basic camping. I then moved on, going up the ladder and progressed to Adventure.
“In grade 10 I started my first class and with that badge, you stop learning and start teaching,” he said.
Austin said he use to be very quiet and kept to himself. He learnt from others until he was taken out of his comfort zone to teach others in order to pass his badge.
“Being part of Eastleigh Sea Scouts has helped me grow and encouraged me to interact and assist others. It brought out the leader in me and it was noticeable at school. The teachers identified my leadership skills,” he said.
He said with Scouts as his stepping stone, it allowed him to make decisions in his life as well as direct the path he wanted to walk.
“It was because of my growing experiences in Scouts that I decided to join the leadership programme at school. The bigger outcome for all the preparation was that I was selected as the head boy of Edenglen High for 2015,” said Austin.
Being a Scout worked in his favour during school camps.
“Everyone else thought we are going to crawl in mud and stay in tents but I was able to shine because that is what I do in my spare time,” he said.
Austin is also grateful because apart from excelling in school, he recently received the top award in Scouts – Springbok.
He said not everyone is awarded the Springbok badge.
“Once you have completed the basics of all the other badges, you work on the Springbok badge. It entailed working on six major projects, including a construction and community service project as well as a hike and running a camp,” he said.
Being part of the Sea Scouts has many advantages and it provides the youth with the opportunity of becoming great leaders.
“What drove me the most was to complete the journey I started in order to teach others and help them grow into the best person they can be,” Austin said.
He said when a Scout turns 18, they usually leave because it caters for the youth.
Austin decided to stay and put in what he has received from the Scouts throughout his high school career.
“I cannot inspire and motivate others if I have not put in the work myself. With my top award of Springbok, I will prove to those who come after me that Scouts is a great movement to be part of,” he said.
He encouraged both girls and boys to join the Sea Scouts for a life changing experience.
Contact Troupe Scout Peter Sequeira on 082 469 4209 for more information.
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