The Ian Webb Page
As always it’s hard to do justice to the range of activities going on in the 1st Claremont group, between our 100+ Meerkats, Cubs, Scouts, adult leaders and parent volunteers! All of our units did brilliantly during 2023 and our numbers are close to our all time high, with all of our units full and long waiting lists at times.
We have finally finished replacing our stage roof, which was our biggest project for many years. No more sagging timbers, no more risk of collapse, and no more asbestos. The project began in 2022 with a fundraising auction and donations from many families and alumni of the group,whch we are very grateful for. The replacement was completed late in 2023 with new trusses, roofing and a new window on the stage for lighting and ventilation. Thank you to Pierre Hoffa who has led the project.
Our main group event last year was our 115th birthday Group Campfire, where the old roof timbers made a very impressive campfire! We also had some great coverage in the local paper.
Several people have asked about the City’s plans to take away a large chunk of our leased property for Vodacom to put up a 30m cellphone mast. Thank you to everyone who submitted their objections during October. We have been told that this is a long process and that we won’t hear the results of the public participation for a while, possibly not even this year. We are following this closely because losing this land would be a serious blow to our activities at the hall.
Finally, we are appealing for parent assistance for two projects. Please contact Ian if you are available:
- We need some parent DIYers to help build shelves and built-in cupboards on the stage. We have a lot of strong timber left over from the roof replacement which could be used for the structure, and may need budget and professional skills to build the door.
- We would like to put up blinds or curtains on the windows in the hall and stage. We have blackout material for these (our old stage curtains) but need some assistance to design the blinds or curtains and help get them sewn and installed.
Ian Webb
Scout Group Leader
