South African Scout Association | |||
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File:SouthAfricaScoutLogo.gif | |||
Headquarters | Cape Town | ||
Country | South Africa | ||
Founded | 1908 | ||
Chief Scout | Reverend Vukile Mehana | ||
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The South African Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognized Scouting association in South Africa. Scouting began in the United Kingdom in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell and rapidly spread to South Africa, with the first Scout troops appearing in 1908. The South African Scout Association is one of the largest non political youth organisations in South Africa, and performs many community service projects (Such as the The Phakamani Project) in and around South Africa.
Aim and Principles
The Aim of the South African Scout Association is to encourage the spiritual, mental, social and physical development of boys and girls, young men and women in achieving their full potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities by:
- developing their character;
- training them in citizenship;
- developing their spiritual, social, mental and physical qualities
The South African Scout Association is based on the following basic principles:
- Duty to God
- Adherence to spiritual principles, loyalty to the religion that expresses them and acceptance of the duties resulting there from.
- Duty to others
- Loyalty to one's country in harmony with the promotion of local, national and international peace, understanding and co-operation. Participation in the development of society with recognition and respect for the dignity of one's fellow-man and for the integrity of the natural world.
- Duty to self
- Responsibility for the development of oneself.
History
Organized Scouting spread to South Africa only a few months after its birth in Britain in 1907. In 1908, several troops formed in Cape Town, Natal and Johannesburg and the following year saw the first official registration of South African troops.
Scouting was originally segregated by race in South Africa, with black scouts known as Klipspringers (referring to a kind of small antelope), similar to Scouting in Rhodesia. There eventually came to be separate Scouting organisations for White, Black, Coloured and Indian Scouts. Soon, Afrikaner nationalism inspired the formation of the Voortrekkers, as many Afrikaners distrusted the English and associations involved with them.
In the 1970s, the Nordic countries tried to force the World Organization of the Scout Movement to expel the South African regiment for racial segregation. The separate organisations then merged, and held multiracial gatherings for many years in violation of the South African law.
Scouting was active during the period in several of the homelands, Transkei issuing Scout insignia and several to include Bophuthatswana issuing Scout-themed postage stamps.
In 1995, The Boy Scouts of South Africa changed its name to the South Africa Scout Association and it began accepting girls into it's ranks. By 1999 girls were allowed in all sections of the South African Scout Association.
South African influences on World Scouting traditions
South Africa has long been associated with the origins of Scouting. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the movement, spent most of the years from 1884 to 1905 as a soldier in Southern Africa. South Africa's most prominent role in the origin of Scouting was the Siege of Mafeking in 1899-1900. Baden-Powell successfully defended the town for 217 days. During the siege, he was inspired by the boys of the Mafeking Cadet Corps, and later used them as an example of bravery in the first chapter of his handbook Scouting for Boys. The Mafeking Cadets are not regarded as the first Boy Scouts, as Scouting was only born later, in 1907 at Brownsea Island in Britain. However, it was Mafeking that resulted in Baden-Powell becoming a national hero in Britain, and it was his fame that enabled his Scout movement to catch on so rapidly.
The Wood Badge, worn by adult Scout leaders, is a replica of beads from the necklace that was once worn by King Dinizulu of the Zulus. The original necklace was captured from Dinizulu by Baden-Powell. Other Zulu traditions and chants also featured in Scouting for Boys.
While serving in Southern Africa, Baden-Powell learnt many of his scouting skills. Jan Grootboom, a Xhosa from South Africa, was a military scout who Baden-Powell praised for his scouting ability in the Matabele Campaign. Baden-Powell also learnt scouting skills from Frederick Russell Burnham, an American explorer, adventurer and mercenary, who went on to become a highly decorated Major and Chief of Scouts under Lord Roberts during the Second Boer War.
The earliest Scout uniform was based on the uniform that Robert Baden-Powell designed for the South African Constabulary, a paramilitary force established to police the conquered Boer republics following the Anglo-Boer War. The current formal South African Land Scout uniform is in fact still based on the uniform worn by the South African Constabulary.
Baden-Powell said of South Africa in 1926 that
none of the fellows in other countries know that the (Scout) flag (a golden fleur-de-lis on a green background) was first started in South Africa. As you know the colours are those of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. But those were also the colours of the South African Constabulary... and when I took to being a Scout, I took the colours with me. A good deal of our Scouting started in South Africa
Influence in South Africa
The Association does a lot of charity work in South Africa (Particularly in the rural areas). In certain rural areas (such as the Greater Tzanene Area) there are troops with over 100 scouts, these scout troops are limited in their activities by funding and lack of equipment. Instead they focus on educating the young scouts in becoming good citizens and in the dangers of HIV.
The Association teaches young people the importance of high morals (Which is vitally important in a country where morals are often neglected).
Ex-president and patron of the Association, Nelson Mandela said the following of the Scout Movement
The international Scout movement is a world leader in youth education, and has particular relevance to the needs of youth in Africa and the emerging democracies around the globe. I am pleased with the progress of Scouting in South Africa, and in the steps which are now being taken to make the programme accessible to more young people. The importance of a high moral code, which is at the foundation of the Scout movement, cannot be stressed too highly.[1]
The Association runs a program known as The Phakamani Project which allows any boy or girl anywhere in the country to be a scout. Phakamani is the Nguni word for Rise. The Phakamani project is designed so that groups in the community wishing to try out the Scout programme as their own youth programme are able to do so easily and informally. Through promotional presentations using videos and support literature, communities are encouraged to form committees, and informal Scout units can start without further regulation. The desire to register as Scouts will follow.
National organisation
The Association is divided into Areas, corresponding approximately to the provinces of South Africa. Each Area is in turn divided into Districts, and each District consists of a number of Groups. Groups normally have a Cub section and a Scout section. Rover crews are either associated with a District, or with a Group.
The national head office is in Cape Town.
Members are divided into three sections: Cubs, from age 8 to 10, Scouts, age 11 to 17, and Rovers, from age 18 to 30. Boys and girls may become members.
The Chief Scout of the South African Scout Association is Reverend Vukile Mehana, and the patron is Former President Nelson Mandela.
Group Organisation
Scout Groups are a collection of various sections of South African Scouts who meet at a common venue (normally a Scout hall) and share a common name. Generally Scout Groups are split into a Cub Pack, a Scout Troop and possibly a Rover Crew. Large Groups may have more than one of each section, or may have separate sections for boys and girls.
The Group is lead by a Group Scouter (GS) who liaisons between the parents committee and the adult leaders of the Cub, Scout and Rover units within the Group. The parents committee is a elected body of Scout and Cub parents (with elections being held once a year at the Group AGM) that oversee the financial, maintenance and legal affairs of the group (Thereby leaving the adult Scouters to concentrate on the Scouts and Cubs)
Cub Programme
The Cub section is open to boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 10, and is intended to lay foundations and teach basic skills for when a Cub becomes a Scout.
The Cub programme is based on a system of progressive leadership, with members being given increasing responsibility depending on age as they advance through the Cub Pack.
Cubs are divided into small groups called Sixes led by a Sixer and a Seconder. The Pack Scouter may appoint the most responsible Cub in the Pack as a Senior Sixer.
The head of a Cub Pack is the Pack Scouter (PS), often nicknamed Akela after the head wolf in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. There may be a number of Assistant Pack Scouters, with nicknames from other Jungle Book characters.
The Cub Advancement Programme is based on Cubs working towards the Cheetah, Lion, Leopard and Leaping Wolf badges. Cubs proceeding to Scouts complete the Link Badge.
Cub Promise
I promise to do my best –
To do my duty to God and my country;
To keep the Law of the Wolf Cub Pack;
And to do a good turn to somebody every day.
Cub Law
The Cub gives in to the Old Wolf.
The Cub does not give in to himself.
Scout Programme
The Scout section is open to boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 17, and focuses on developing the young boy or girl into a first rate citizen and teaches the Scout how to look after themselves and their peers.
Scout Troops are divided into Patrols of between four and ten Scouts, with six being a common size. The Patrol Leader and Second have many responsibilities in training younger Scouts and helping plan and run the programme. Patrol Leaders are in charge of planning and running (often with no adult intervention) Patrol camps and outings. Often the most senior and responsible Patrol Leader is appointed as Troop Leader (TL), who no longer runs a Patrol but instead has other responsibilities such as enforcing discipline and running the weekly program. Often the Troop Leader is a Scout in his or her final year of school, who no longer has time to run a Patrol, or a Scout who has completed their Springbok badge and no longer wish to be part of a Patrol (but still wish to be part of the troop).
The leader of a Scout Troop is the Troop Scouter (TS), assisted by Assistant Troop Scouters (ATS) and Junior Assistant Troop Scouters (JATS). Scout Troops often give their adult leaders nicknames related to their branch of Scouting (Land Scout, Air Scout or Sea Scout).
Patrol Leaders, Troop Leaders and Troop Scouters should meet regularly in the Patrol Leaders' Council, also known as the Court of Honour, where they are responsible for the majority of decisions regarding troop discipline, patrol management, troop programme and such. The Troop Scouter is the only adult leader attending these meetings, and has the right to veto decisions, but should generally act only in an advisory role, allowing the Scouts themselves to take the lead. The Court of Honour may at times invite the Assistant Troop Scouters in order to hear their input.
Scout and Rover Promise
On my honour, I promise that I will do my best -
To do my duty to God, and my Country;
To help other people at all times;
To obey the Scout Law.
Scout and Rover Law
- A Scout's honour is to be trusted
- A Scout is loyal
- A Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others.
- A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout
- A Scout is courteous
- A Scout is a friend to animals
- A Scout obeys orders
- A Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties
- A Scout is thrifty
- A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed
Advancement Badges
The Scout Advancement Programme is based on a number of advancement badges, culminating in the Springbok Scout badge. Each advancement badge focuses on different levels of development and the programme progresses from basic Scout training, to training young Scouts and ends with a large focus on community service.
- Troop Membership
- In order a recruit to be invested as a Scout, they have to pass the membership requirements which include knowing the basic story behind Scouting, their Scout Promise and Law, basic scouting skills, and the South African national anthem.
- Pathfinder
- This is the first real advancement badge. It focuses on basic Scouting training, including the six basic knots (Reef Knot, Bowline, Sheet bend, Sheepshank, Figure-of-eight and Clove hitch), basic first aid (treatment of open wounds and bleeding), and introduces Scouts to camping. The badge encourages a Scout to participate in patrol activities. The Scout is required to have camped away from the Scout grounds for at least 5 nights.
- Adventurer
- This advancement badge introduces the Scout to basic pioneering, including whipping, basic lashing and other advanced knots. The Scout is required to know more advanced forms of first aid (treatment of shock, sprains and fainting). The Scout needs to help plan, and be second in charge of a patrol hike. Other requirements for the badge include knowledge of HIV/AIDS and knowledge of how a Court of Honour functions. The Scout is required to have camped away from the Scout grounds for at least 10 nights.
- First Class
- This advancement badge places the Scout in a place of leadership and organisation. A Scout is required to plan and run:
- A wide game
- A Patrol camp of at least 2 nights
- An overnight hike and a log book for the hike
- A Scouts Own
- The Scout must participate in a service project and run a pioneering training program. The Scout is required to have camped for at least 15 nights.
- Explorer / Air Explorer / Sea Explorer
- The Explorer badge is split into three different badges for the three different Scouting sections (Land Scouts, Air Scouts and Sea Scouts). The Explorer badge teaches the Scout to take control of situations, and places the Scout in positions where they need to plan and run large scale activities.
- The Scout is required to plan and run:
- A large scale orienteering wide game
- An incident hike
- A Patrol expedition
- A camp-fire
- The Scout needs to achieve six different interest badges from the Scout Badge Book. There are three compulsory badges for each type of Explorer badge.
- Explorer: First Aid, Backwoodsman and Mapping
- Air Explorer: First Aid, Air Navigator and Air Traffic Controller
- Sea Explorer: First Aid, Helmsman and Boatman
- Springbok (Top Award)
- This badge is the top Scout award in Scout Africa. It concentrates on teaching the Scout how to give back to the community. Among the requirements, the Scout must complete at least 40 hours of community service, lead a hike of over 30km in unfamiliar territory, and plan and construct a large pioneering project.
Rover programme
The Rover section is open to young adults between 18 and 30. The Rover programme focuses on service to others. Rovers are not necessarily adult leaders of Scout Troops, although there is often some overlap.
Events
The South African Scout Association runs SANJAMB, the South African National Jamboree, approximately every four years. The Senior Scout Adventure is held every two years in the Cederberg mountains.
A large number of rallies, activities, competitions and training courses are held by the different Areas. The biggest of these are probably the annual Kon-Tiki raft building competitions held annually in Cape Town and Gauteng. These are in addition to the activities run by each Scout group.
Patrol Leaders Training Unit
The ``Patrol Leaders Training Unit`` (or PLTU) is a 7 to 12 day course run around South Africa. PLTU is a very physically and mentally strenuous course that is available to most South African Scouts. The course is open to all Scouts who are over 14 and a half years old and have achieved their Adventurer advancement badge.
A typical PLTU course focus on character development in each individual, including the development of physical, mental and spiritual qualities. Qualities such as leadership and team spirit are instilled in the Scouts during the course.
There are a number of PLTU courses on offer around South Africa
- Gilten PLTU - Held in Johannesburg
- Gilqua PLTU - Held in the Western Cape
- Weston PLTU - Held in Pretoria
- Lexdon PLTU - The original PLTU course held in Kwazulu-Natal
- Gilcoast PLTU - Held in the Eastern Cape
On the successful completion of a PLTU course a Scout is entitled to wear a Lexdon Woggle (Which is made by the Scout while on the course) and to wear a special PLTU badge on their uniform. Many troops also require scouts to pass a PLTU course before allowing them to become a Patrol Leader.
International links
The South African Scout Association plays an active role in the Southern Africa Zone, consisting of all the WOSM member Scout Associations in the Southern Africa Region. The Africa Region has a satellite office in Cape Town at the South African Scout Association headquarters.
A number of European Scout Associations are involved in North-South partnerships with Scouts in developing countries, including several active programmes in South Africa.
File:BSA Color Logo.png Members of the Boy Scouts of America living in South Africa may become Lone Scouts Boy Scouts linked to the Direct Service branch of the BSA.
Recent contributions to World Scouting
The Join-In Jamboree concept, for Scouts in their home countries during World Scout Jamborees, was pioneered by the South African Vic Clapham in the 1970s. Vic Clapham was awarded the Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting.
In 1971, former Chief Scout Arthur Johnstone was also awarded the Bronze Wolf. Colin Inglis and Garnet de la Hunt, both former Chief Scouts of South Africa, were awarded the Bronze Wolf in 1996 for their work towards racial unity in Scouting during the apartheid era.
Frank Opie, a South African Scout leader and environmental educationalist, published 'The Global Scout' on behalf of World Scouting in 1993.
The South African Scout Association hosted the World Scout Conference and World Scout Youth Forum in Durban in 1999.
Garnet de la Hunt chaired the World Scout Committee from 1999 to 2002, and former Chief Scout Nkwenkwe Nkomo was elected to the World Scout Committee in 2005.
Girl Guiding
Girls in South Africa are also served by The Girl Guides Association of South Africa, with 20,466 members (as of 2003). Founded in 1910, the girls-only organization became a full member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1928.