“Akela” Vivien Marks – 1940-2024
Vivien Marks was my Akela when I was a Cub from 1981 to 1984. I can still remember meeting her in the Cub Den (now the boxing room) when my father brought me to 1st Claremont to join his old Scout Group as a Cub. I remember how much I looked forward to coming to her Cub meetings, and what a tight ship she ran as Akela. Learning to make fires from twigs in a little tepee shape, and cooking sausages on them in the grounds behind the hall. The grand howl, tiger skin and wolf’s head totem. The pride of saluting for Akela and earning a badge. The Cub Camp she ran at Gilcape with a Swiss Family Robinson theme. Polishing my school shoes for inspection at the start of the meeting. Collecting seed pods on the walk to Cubs to show Akela before the start of the meeting. Hearing stories from her about Baden-Powell, or about the Wood Badge she wore. Going to her home in Mowbray (a lovely old Victorian building) to complete requirements for my Leaping Wolf. Her kindness, and wisdom. She took a personal interest in me and in all her Cubs and we loved having her as Akela.
For a long time the Marks family was 1st Claremont. Her sons David and Jay were Springbok Scouts and later Scouters, bringing an incredible spirit of adventure – and disregard for the rules – that made 1st Claremont a truly exciting place to be a Scout. Her then husband Mark Marks was the DC and one of the stalwarts of the Cederberg Adventure. Later, her daughter Sue was on the 1st Claremont parent’s committee and her grandson Tal was a Scout. Vivien had been Akela when the group turned 75, and her family made up a lively table at our 100th birthday celebrations.
When I became Akela in 2014 (still probably my favourite role as a Scouter), I thought about her often and even reused many of the ideas from Cub meetings that I remembered her running decades earlier. I don’t think I ever spoke to her about how I was following her footsteps as Akela. As Akela she left enormous shoes to fill and I was proud and more than a little daunted to try to live up to her example.
SGL Ian Webb
