Setting sail for seventy

Springlands Sea Scouts are marking 70 years of adventure with a special gathering later this month.

The group will celebrate the milestone on February 21 from 11am at its Nicholl St Scout den, rebuilt two years ago after the previous site was redeveloped for Springlands Lifestyle Village.

Assistant Scout Leader Michelle Brown says organisers at the one-day reunion would love to see familiar faces and hear stories from former members and join the current Sea Scouts for an anniversary celebration barbecue and birthday cake.

“It’s a great chance to bring past and present members together and showcase the history of the club,” she says. “Many of the former scouts haven’t seen the new den yet, so it will be a wonderful reason to reconnect.”

Springlands Sea Scouts caters for all ages, with Keas, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers and have two current leaders who were once Scouts themselves.

Sea scouting offers the same core values as land scouting but with a strong water focus including kayaking, rowing, and three sailing cutters, and 20-year Scouts veteran Michelle is enjoying the new water focused tasks.

“Teaching the kids to row is always entertaining – sometimes they end up going in circles,” Michelle says.

“But just like land Scouts, you’re teaching kids life skills they’ll use later in their passions.

“Teamwork, cooking, even tying knots, but also the social time with their peers from across six different schools - they don’t realise now, but those skills will come back around.”

For more details or to share photos, contact Springlands Sea Scouts at [email protected]