Apr 09 2025

Smoke Signals Q1 2025

  • 09/04/2025

Help yourself to a generous dollop of highlights from the first term!

The group as a whole (Meerkats, Cubs, Scouts, adult leaders and parents) started the year with a family campfire, preceded by our AGM where Judith, Lucy and Daniel reported on what their units have been up to and their plans for the year ahead, and Ian presented the idea of a “Big, Hairy Audacious Goal” for 1st Claremont to own our hall.

Our Scout Troop ended 2024 by sending two teams of senior Scouts to the 10-day Cederberg Senior Scout Adventure as well as a large team of adults on the adventure staff. They were back just before Christmas, and a few days after New Year the Scouts were off again for our summer Troop Camp on the Breede River, jointly with two other Troops.

In January the Troop said goodbye to 6 Patrol Leaders who are now in matric: Ethan, Holly, James, Peter, Tim and Tim will fill the role of Troop Leaders until they turn 18, and then hopefully continue their Scout career as adult leaders. They handed over the torch (literally!) to Avila, Joel, Julia, Laura, Laura and Malaika who will lead Goshawks, Swifts, Bats, Eagles, Kestrels and Boks patrols.

The Scout Troop has maintained an incredibly active programme this term with camps, hikes, community service, climbing, competitions, friendship activities, badge courses, leadership courses, Kon-Tiki prep and more. You can find out about some of those in Smoke Signals and by following our Instagram account and website.

The Cub year is running full steam ahead, with the MasterChef Cub Camp definitely the highlight of a fantastic first term! Cubs also attended the regional Cub Fun Day.

Meantime, the Meerkats “Sailed Away”, building rafts and visiting Brownsea Island as part of the Scout Heritage theme.

Our Meerkats, Cubs and Scouts proudly wore their uniform to school on Founder’s Day (22  February) to celebrate their heritage as part of the Scout movement which is 118 years old this year, with 57 million members worldwide.

At the Western Cape awards ceremony in February, our group was ranked 4th overall in the Western Cape for 2024, and earned Gold Stars for the Den, Pack, Troop and three of our Patrols.

In March, 1st Claremont played a big role in leading the Senior Cub Camp, an exciting camp with a “Survivor” theme, aimed at helping 10 year old Cubs from all over the Western Cape to “Be Prepared for Scouts”.

In March we had our biggest fundraising project for several years with our Scout Market, including a very successful raffle. It was a great success, raising R 44 000 for the group. The market also raised our profile in the community, with publicity in both People’s Post and Southern Suburbs Tatler (front page, nogal) and even a spin-off radio interview on Bush Radio with Regional Commissioner Nimmy Abrahams. Thank you to everyone for supporting this event.

We have been pushing hard to improve our hall and facilities and keep them in great condition, and we are very grateful for the new front security fence sponsored by Storm Fencing. Other hall improvements have included roof waterproofing, landscaping and new benches in the front garden, pruning the trees on Thelma Road, repairing the Scouters Den floor and repainting the den, among many other projects. 

We’re delighted to welcome Megan Green as a new adult leader assisting in the Meerkat Den, Karen Hewson in the Cub Pack, and Oliver Hewson in the Scout Troop. Sadly, we said goodbye to Caleb who has moved to a job in the Czech Republic, and this term will be Daniel le Jeune’s final term as Troop Scouter, as he will be stepping down in June. We’ll say more about Daniel’s enormous contribution to the Troop in our next issue of Smoke Signals.

We were sad to hear recently that Trevor Jones, one of our Springbok Scouts, passed away late last year at age 77. The Jones family played a major role at 1st Claremont: Trevor’s father Dennis joined the Pack in the 1920s, continuing into Scouts and Rovers, while Trevor was a Scout and Rover at 1st Claremont, a Springbok Scout, and a member of the winning Gordon Shield team in 1965 (see the photo from 60 years ago) in a period when 1st Claremont was at peak strength and won that event multiple times. Trevor’s younger brother Howard was also a Scout at 1st Claremont. The 2025 theme for Scouts South Africa in 2025 is “Our Heritage”, so it is fitting to remember the Jones family and others who have contributed to the success of 1st Claremont over the years. 

Ian Webb – Scout Group Leader

Permanent link to this article: https://1stclaremont.org.za/1stclaremont-scouts/smoke-signals-2025-issue-1/

Apr 09 2025

Cub Fun Day

  • 09/04/2025

Cub Fun Day was based on the Marval superheroes. There were lots of cool STA’s (spare time activities) including making up your own cape, mask, cuffs and flag. We joined with 4th Claremont and there were lots of bases that were really cool. I really enjoyed the feeling game with a bowl of plastic spiders in spaghetti. We had to close our eyes to find the spiders with our hands! It took place on a really hot day and there were lots of fun water games like one where you had to pass a bucket over your head to the person behind you – we got really wet! There was another fun game where they had wooden hammers which we had to throw at a flag. I recommend cubs come to Cub Fun Day next year because it was really fun.

Sarah du Toit

Permanent link to this article: https://1stclaremont.org.za/smoke-signals/cub-fun-day/

Apr 09 2025

MasterChef Cub Camp

  • 09/04/2025

Our Cub Pack camps annually away from our Hall.  This year we camped together with 4th Claremont/Fernwood Cubs.  Cubs over 8 years old camp for the whole weekend, while younger cubs join in for a day of fun!  

Cub Camp was held on a farm in the middle of nowhere (Kogelberg) and the theme was MasterChef. We made almost all our meals and they all tasted great – in particular the couscous and chicken stew. We also made s’mores and braai apple tart. There was a slip and slide which was loads of fun and on both nights we played stalk the lantern. For the campfire we all made up our own skits and Daniel forgot the words to his song! We learnt how in different cultures different people dine and the types of food they eat.

We met a lot of famous cooks including Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey. The cubs were divided into vegetable named sixes: Carrots, Beetroot, Mielies, Peppers and Tomatoes, while the scouts were Dragon Fruit. We had a number of minor first aid incidents, but nothing the medic couldn’t handle. It was very fun, except that we could only ride the slip and slide twice when we were promised we could ride three times! We really enjoyed it and recommend it to cubs who don’t get to go on lots of outings or camps in general.

Micaela Hall and Sarah du Toit

Permanent link to this article: https://1stclaremont.org.za/smoke-signals/masterchef-cub-camp/

Apr 06 2025

Meerkats Sail Away

  • 06/04/2025

With Kon-tiki coming up, our Meerkats got busy with their Raft Builder badge. They first checked what could float and what didn’t. What happened when egg boxes became saturated, or poly trays got holes? The answer wasn’t aways obvious. Checking what they would do if they couldn’t float (for long) was next and everyone got to don a life jacket.

Our second meeting had two crafts – making a clay captain for a raft and then making the raft itself. The rafts were more like yachts, but that’s OK. We took them outside to race them in trays prepared by Cub Max and immediately discovered that yachts react to wind – going in the right diection. Next time we’ll know. A great time was had by all.

Meerkats Brownsea Island

Our Meerkats celebrated Founders Day with a trip to Brownsea Island. They made tents (thanks to our able SGL), fished for food, bound yummy fruit packages in the trees and had the great idea of making little fires to keep warm. We’ll never forget Baden-Powell.

Judith Bishop, Den Leader

Permanent link to this article: https://1stclaremont.org.za/smoke-signals/meerkats-sail-away/

Apr 06 2025

Troop Climbing 

  • 06/04/2025

The troop climbing day at the quarry was an exciting and fun-filled adventure for all involved. Although there were only a few Claremont Scouts, the day was dominated by many eager Rosebank Scouts, all ready to take on the challenges of the rock face. We set up several climbs throughout the quarry, giving everyone a chance to try different routes. The highlight of the day was when everyone successfully learned how to belay, ensuring a safe and smooth climbing experience for all. Alongside the scouts who were new to climbing there were a few who were more experienced, some of these scouts attempted and succeeded in leading a higher grade climb! 

Each scout also achieved the thrill of abseiling down the rock face!

Avila Van Bever Donker

Permanent link to this article: https://1stclaremont.org.za/smoke-signals/troop-climbing/

Apr 06 2025

Senior Cub Camp March 2025

  • 06/04/2025

Senior Cub Camp: Transforming the Region

We recently wrapped up our Senior Cub Camp, held from March 14-16, 2025, and what an incredible experience it was! With 49 eager cubs in attendance, the camp was supported by 16 dedicated adults and an impressive 13 scouts. Among them, the 1st Claremont Scout Group made a significant contribution, providing two staff members and four scouts who played vital roles throughout the weekend.

Ian Webb, our diligent administrator, was the backbone of the camp, expertly managing scheduling, registration, finances, bookings, branding, and addressing parent queries and payments. His organizational skills ensured that everything ran smoothly from start to finish. Fraser, our Camp Chief, designed the program and took charge of the camp, overseeing all aspects of the event. He was accountable for all the adults, scouts, and cubs, and his visible leadership was instrumental in creating a positive atmosphere.

Our scouts from 1st Claremont—Laura Owens, Juliette D’Arcy-Evans, Emily Gilham, and Julia Webb—stepped up to take on new roles during the camp. Julia joined the first aid team and made an incredible difference for the cubs in our care. Her presence provided reassurance and support, especially for those feeling homesick. Laura, Juliette, and Emily formed the Quartermaster (QM) team, responsible for setup, build, and tear-down activities. Their efforts ensured that every activity was equipped and ready to go, which was hugely beneficial in keeping the program running smoothly and on time. They also took the lead in running several activities, showcasing their leadership skills.

This year’s camp introduced a new dynamic, as it was the first time that scouts served on the first aid team. This turned out to be a resounding success, highlighting the skills and capabilities learned through scouting.

Julia Webb shared her thoughts on the experience: “I think the cubs really looked up to a Scout first aider, and it was a great opportunity for me to practice first aid in a real-life setting – something that’s not always available to Scouts. With the homesick cubs, I think they responded better to me than they do to adults. I think they view adults as more of a parental figure, which makes the cubs push harder to go home or call their parents. Whereas they were more likely to get back into the activity if I talked to them. I became a safe person for cubs struggling with the camp to turn to. I could easily check in on them without it seeming like an adult was giving them an opportunity to go home.”

The program was designed to challenge our 10-year-old cubs and introduce them to the scouting program and the way that patrols work. Feedback from the cubs was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing pride in their accomplishments and excitement about what they learned.

Interestingly, we discovered from our registration questionnaire that one-third of the cubs attending had either never camped before or had never been away from their parents. This insight has prompted a call to action for other groups to provide more camping experiences for cubs, which will be reiterated moving forward.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the adults and scouts from 1st Claremont who made this camp a success. There is no way that this camp would have happened without your dedication and support, which are crucial to our cubs’ growth and development in scouting. We look forward to continued staffing support from 1st Claremont, ready to introduce another 50 cubs to the scouting programme.

Permanent link to this article: https://1stclaremont.org.za/smoke-signals/senior-cub-camp-march-2025/

Apr 06 2025

The Goshawks Bush 

  • 06/04/2025

Welcome to the Goshawks Bush! 

This term has been rather uneventful in terms of patrol activities. While we haven’t run any activities this term we sure have been having loads of fun at meetings! 

This term has been all about settling in and getting used to our new patrol! With Ethan having stepped down last term and myself (Avila) having filled the place as a new patrol leader we thought that would be the end to the chaos and reshuffle in our patrol… Little did we know that we would sadly be having to say goodbye to our beloved APL Tristan, as he embarks on a different and new journey outside of scouts. 

The patrol is anxiously awaiting the announcement of who their new APL will be… While many speculations have been made by the patrol members, they will just have to wait and see! 
A few of our scouts have been on the grind passing of their advancement and coming excitingly close to earning their traveller badges! 

Next term we are looking forward to a conserve and a hike along with many troop activities!

PL Avila Van Bever Donker

Kon-Tiki Prebuild

Our recent Kontiki pre-build event turned out to be a successful and rewarding experience. While attendance was a bit low on the first day, we saw a much better turnout on the second day, which helped us gain motivation. Once the team was fully assembled, we quickly made up for lost time.

The atmosphere was chaotic yet focused, with everyone working together to get the job done. 

We tackled any challenges that came up and kept the momentum going, always keeping the goal of completing the raft on time in mind.

By the end of the event, we had successfully finished building the raft, which was a great accomplishment. The event really highlighted the importance of  having attendance at scouts events. 

It was super cool that we managed to get the raft up and taken down!

Avila van Bever Donker

Permanent link to this article: https://1stclaremont.org.za/smoke-signals/the-goshawks-bush-3/

Apr 06 2025

Eagles Patrol Report

  • 06/04/2025

Eagles truly flew higher above the clouds this term. After a shift in leadership, the pair of clowns, Laura and Bridget, now call themselves PL (clown no. 1) and APL (clown no. 2).

Coming back from the holidays we had an unfortunate number of 5 total patrol members, but thankfully gained Payal and Ben, and welcomed them into our patrol after a few weeks.

We sizzled with our banger advancement day where many a theme badge was completed. We yet again sizzled in the pizza making meeting, Alex perfectly melting the cheese (to mine and Seth’s delight – mamma mia!) and a tad bit of Italian spoken, winning us our first meeting. Our notice board may be looking dismal (we have a plan), our STA kit ever empty (its overflowing – it literally can not close) and our log book never up to date (its immaculate), next term we will fly higher still because “all birds find shelter when it rains, but the eagle flies high above the clouds.” – Demi Demi

Laura Hoffa

Permanent link to this article: https://1stclaremont.org.za/smoke-signals/eagles-patrol-report/