CAPE TOWN – The 1st Muizenberg Sea Scout Group has reached a significant milestone as two of its original Meerkat members have successfully progressed through the Cub programme and gone up to Scouts, for the first time in the Group’s history.
Their investiture ceremony into Scouts took place on Friday 20 February.
Kevin James and Oliver Street-Meredith, both 11-years old, began their scouting adventure as part of the group’s inaugural Meerkat unit in 2021, when 24 enthusiastic five- and six-year-olds joined the inaugural Meerkat Den 1st Muizenberg.
The group also made history by receiving the prestigious Tonkin Trophy for the first time in the group’s history on Sunday 22 February (“1st M’berg Sea Scouts the best,” People’s Post, 3 March).
1st Muizenberg are one of Southern Africa’s oldest and most established Scout groups, who opened their doors in 1909.
Leadership celebrates achievement
Marihett Bredenkamp, former Den Scouter and current Western Cape Meerkat programme head, expressed pride in the achievement.
“Kevin and Oliver were part of the very first group of Meerkats when we opened the den. Watching them move up to Cubs was already a proud milestone. Seeing them now step into the Scout Troop is especially meaningful and reflects the strength of the programme,” Bredenkamp said.
Troop Scouter David Bosch noted his interest in observing “how they engage with the Scouting programme and skills development, compared to those who joined at Cubs or Troop level. I am interested to see how they engage with the Scouting programme and the skills development available to them.”
Personal reflections
James shared his excitement: “It feels great to finally be a Scout. “I can’t wait for my baby brother to start Meerkats next term.” Street-Meredith emphasised the programme’s benefits: “Being a Meerkat definitely helped me with Scouts. It made tying knots easier, camping easier, and teamwork easier.”
1st Muizenberg Scout group leader Angela Lee-Wright said this milestone is “more than a transition between sections.”
“It is a glimpse into the future of the Group. Watching children grow through every stage of the programme reminds us why Scouting remains such a meaningful force in our community,” she said.
Programme evolution
“The Meerkat programme, introduced to Scouts South Africa in 2019, extends Scouting to children aged five to six, building on over a century of character development that began when founder, Robert Baden-Powell took boys to Brownsea Island in 1907. Wolf Cubs followed in 1916, with the movement opening to girls in 2000,” says Lee-Wright.
Through structured play, outdoor activities and values-based learning, Meerkats develop confidence, teamwork, resilience and community spirit as youth progress through Cubs and into the Scout Troop.
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