By a Meerkat
The natural progression for a Meerkat after two years in the Den is to Burrow Up to Cubs. It is a joyful yet solemn ceremony. Some Meerkats (but not all) achieve the highest award, the Meerkat Gold Star, and they feel a huge sense of achievement as well. This year, we asked our Meerkats to write down their experiences. One, Thomas du Toit, aged 6 nearly 7, wrote the following. It gives an inside glimpse to the life of a Meerkat:
“I loved being a Meerkat. I enjoyed working on all the badges and learning how to do things better and by myself. I learnt how to use a compass, how to look after my body, how to cook on a real fire. I also learnt about Meerkats in other countries, about safety, and how to Stand Tall. Standing Tall is doing my best, helping others, being kind and respectful.
I really liked doing my inventor badge and my Treasure Keeper badge. The hardest badges for me was my Gold Frog Swimming badge, my Musician badge and my Reading badge. I was really really really proud of myself when I got my Gold Star.
I enjoyed being a Lookout where I got to help newer Meerkats learn things. I really enjoyed both the camps that I went on. They were both very fun! I liked doing both the City Nature Challenges. I enjoyed learning from the different leaders like Galago, Fox, Rafiki, Otter and Duiker.”
The Meerkat Programme requires children to earn 16 of 18 Challenge badges and 8 of 31 Interest Badges. The badges are sewn onto the hats, and as you can see in the photos, some of the high achievers run out of space towards the end! Thomas was one of those.
We are proud of his wide interests and the sense of self-worth that he gained and will carry with him as he continues his Scouting Journey.
