Easter Monday - Kite Festival, Ice Cream and RAH visits

 Today, Scouting Person and I headed to Semaphore to see the Kite Festival. It is held every year over Easter, at Semaphore and includes having a market on the foreshore, with the kites being flown from the beach, along side the Jetty.

 

 With Scouting Person’s husband being in hospital, and today being such a nice day, we headed down to haTve a look.

 

We took the train and got off at Largs station, heading to the jetty. Once we had walked along the jetty, we headed south towards Semaphore and the kites that were flying. It certainly was a nice day for a walk and with the kites, crowds, combined with the weather, it was definitely an enjoyable (but short) walk.

 

It goes without saying that photos were take of the walk and kites (as evident with the ones included in this blog entry). But it was certainly the day to head down to check out the beach and the kites!

 

After the walk along the beachfront and the jetty looking at the kites, scouting person and I went hunting for some Ice Cream. We had initially thought of some hot donuts, but ended up having some Ice Cream from the Copenhagen Ice Cream Shop on Semaphore Road. They sold hot donuts as well, but we decided that the weather really called for Ice Cream.

 

As we headed back towards the train station, we snagged another cache, and left a book at the local street, 

little library situated outside a café.

 

On the way home, we stopped off at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and visited a friend of Scouting person, who she knew from Guides and was in Rovers with. We certainly surprised her, as she wasn’t in her room when we arrived and was definitely surprised when she got back. She thought she had walked into the wrong room!

 

We spent a couple of hours there, just talking about a variety of things. It was a pleasant way to end the day, and certainly a good chance to catch up with someone we had not seen for a while.

 

After a while we called it a day, and headed to the bus stop, to catch the bus home. It certainly was a chilled day out. Weather was great, the sights were good, Ice Cream was delicious and I am going to sleep well tonight!

 

 

 

Scouts SA 2026 AGM

 Watching the Scouts SA AGM (2026). It was held in the Northern Suburbs of Adelaide (South Australia) this evening. 

 https://www.youtube.com/live/OB9UqILtVrE?si=m8CPZEWlzwniAkS7

Penny Hike

 

Tonight, the Cub unit went on a penny hike. Thankfully, the weather was ideal for a night out of the hall and getting out and about.

 

You may be asking, what is a penny hike?

 

A penny hike is when scouts go out for a walk round their local area. When they come to a junction they must toss a coin, heading right on tails, left on heads (or straight over/right depending on junction, etc). This activity will count towards the Walkabout badge work (even if you have not been invested yet, it will still count towards the badge work).

 

The total km covered on the hike was 5.25km. This adds to the total each cub has hiked for the Walkabout badge requirements. 

 

At this stage, scouting person and I have not ever covered the same route twice while doing a penny hike. Which can be a good thing.

 

Overall, it was a great night to get out of the hall and explore the local area

110th year of Cub Scouts

 To celebrate this incredible milestone, a national Cub Scout campfire will also be held in July 2026; more details to follow (about the campfire).

There will also be a national Badge Design Competition, with all Cub Scouts encouraged to enter their own badge designs. There will be five state winners, and each winning design will enter a national competition to become the official event badge.

 

We are looking forward to seeing how the designs will turn out and the campfire ideas / plans for later in the year! 

The Australian Lamb ad is back for 2026!

While we generally focus our posts on activities that we get up to etc, we thought we would share this year's lamb ad, ahead of the Australia Day long weekend. Australia Day is on Monday, so we have a long weekend this year.  

Enjoy!

Golden Grove Scout Group - All Section End of Year Break Up

 This evening, our scout group had their end of year break up. There was a water slide, games and a BBQ (plenty of food for everyone). Badge presentations, and generally a great time was had by all.

 

So that wraps the scouting year at least, although there is still plenty of other non-scouting activities happening over the summer break. 

 

 

Come and Try Paddling

 Today, the Cubs had an opportunity to do a come and try paddling activity at Glenelg Activity Centre. We were sharing the time slot with Ridgehaven and Hope Valley Cub Units.

 

It was a great day, with a couple of our youth members to assist with a training exercise for one of the activity leaders as apart of their assessment.

 

The activity counted towards the Paddling Outdoor Skills Area, which we are sure will please a few of our youth members.

 

Overall, it was a great day and one that the youth members who attended really enjoyed. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hidden Impact of Every Scout Night

 

Below is a email sent to every Leader within Scouts Australia.

 

I (as Wilbur) am sharing this as I live with a Scout Leader (Cub Section) and I know how much work she does for the youth in her section.  

(Subject Line) The Hidden Impact of Every Scout Night

 

You Make the Difference: The Hidden Impact of Every Scout Night

 

Each week across Australia, thousands of volunteer Leaders turn up: unlocking halls, supporting the duty Patrol Leader, setting up obstacle courses, organizing badge work, supporting young people to lead, checking the arrangements for the night hikes, packing away gear, and encouraging hesitant voices to speak up. Sometimes you’re thanked, often you're not. Sometimes the night feels chaotic, the lesson unclear, or the Group distracted. And yet - you keep showing up.

 

What you may not always see is this: you are changing lives.

 

New national data from the Resilient Youth Survey confirms what many of us have felt in our hearts for years - that Scouts builds stronger, more resilient young people. The data shows that Scouts score an average of 91% across key well being measures, compared to 82% for the national average. That means the program you deliver each week isn’t just fun - it’s transformative.

 

Your Scouts are:

· More hopeful about their future

· Better able to cope with stress and anxiety

· More likely to have trusted adults they can talk to

· More willing to give back to their community

· More respectful, inclusive, and connected to others

 

These are not just numbers. These are futures you’re shaping - one activity, one Patrol meeting, one encouraging word at a time.

 

You may not see it now, but your commitment is laying foundations that will support these young people for the rest of their lives. You’re helping a shy 11-year-old learn confidence. You’re showing a teenager how to solve problems, serve others, and believe in themselves. You’re helping young Australians become the kind of adults our country needs: resilient, compassionate, and community-minded.

 

The Scout program works - and you are the reason it works.

 

So the next time a session feels like a scramble, or the tent pegs won’t go in, or the youth members forget the equipment again - take heart. You are not alone. And what you are doing matters more than you know.

Because of you, our communities will be stronger tomorrow.

 

Thank you - for every week you’ve given, and every Scout you’ve inspired. The difference you make is profound. Keep going…

 

Australia needs you!

 

Yours in Scouting,

Brendan Watson OAM 

Chief Commissioner, Scouts Australia

 

Adelaide Foothills District Cub Swimming Carnival

 This evening was the annual Adelaide Foothills District – Cub Swimming Carnival. Golden Grove were hopeful of retaining the shield, but it was not to be.

However, all Golden Grove Cubs who attended gave it their all in their heats and did extremely well.

 

The end result was as follows:
1^st Place - Pembroke

2^nd Place – Ridgehaven

3^rd Place – Golden Grove

4^th Place – Magill

5^th Place  - Rose Park / Norwood

 

Joint Night Hike with Magill Cubs

This evening, Golden Grove Cubs joined Magill Cubs for a night hike at Anstey Hill Recreational Park.

 

It was a 3km hike with a wide game played in the middle, to break up the hike. This was played at the ruins, and was “Steal The Flag”.

 

The night provided a chance for the Cubs to do a joint activity with another group, which we haven’t done for a while. Scouting person may just need to look at this for the program in 2026.

 

Overall, it was a great night and added some much-needed km to the youth’s hike tallies.