On the 5th November, Kenmore Scouts recognised 50 years of their Den’s existence with a community celebration which follows several weeks of refurbishment including a complete clean and paint of the Den, both inside and outside.
“It took one day to clean the building, but 4 days to paint it. We received a great deal of help from Bunnings at Indooroopilly who supplied the paint (free of charge) as well as plenty of brushes, rollers and trays, and drop-sheets” Group Leader Annie (Rikki) Ross said.
Scout leader, Jeff (Chil) Carrier who has been with the group for 40 years could not remember the last time the Den was painted. Additionally, the 200m long dirt entrance track was sealed, costing $20,000. The Scout Association of Queensland helped out by providing a $5,000 grant to the group.
“We could not have repa
ired the track without the Association’s help. There were no government or corporate grants available at the time and the track was rapidly becoming a significant safety hazard. One evening we even had a car slide off it due to the track’s rough condition” Annie Ross said.
The 50th Den celebration attracted over 100 current and former members and leaders of Kenmore Scout Group,
and their families.
The Hon. Jane Prentice (Federal Member for Ryan) presented the group with a huge cake commemorating the event while State LNP Member, Dr Christian Rowan congratulated the group on its achievements and told everyone of his time in Scouts, a few years ago.
Recently retired Qld Scout Commissioner, Kristy Brown (OAM) unveiled a plaque re-dedicating the building now that it has been refurbished, while District Commissioner, Laurie Cole praised Kenmore and all the groups in Brisbane North Region for their good management and attention to the development of youth.
Before dining on a range of local and ethnic foods, provided by the Kenmore Scouting parents, the attendees were treated to a test of traditional skills for getting people across and imaginary river. Also, over 60 native shrubs and groundcovers were planted by the children and parents which will replace nasty weeds that have been removed.
Finally, the attendees were treated to a campfire, traditional Scouting songs and the “burning of the guy” to mark the date of the failed British Parliament (Guy Fawkes) uprising and ‘cracker night’ which many of the old-time members remembered so fondly. “The campfire is just as I remembered it when I was at Scouts 50 years ago” said Ray Lawrence, an old Kenmore Scout Leader.
Roy Hansen, who supplied the telegraph pole struts that still support the Den, also brought along historic photos showing the origin
al dedication ceremony for the D
en in 1966 by the Queensland Governor; the celebrations held that day even showed Roy’s son in a billy cart race.
Mr Hansen said “This was a tremendous evening for me and the other old timers to remember the great achievements of Scouting and the fun that we all had learning about all sorts of things, from first aid to how to build a bridge to cross a river. The current members are very lucky having such a vibrant group with excellent leaders in Kenmore.”