1st Durbanville Scout Bailey Grant (17) from Sonstraal in Durbanville, who recently received the Scout Springbok Award, was instrumental in sponsoring a minimum of 63 animal sterilisations in collaboration with Fisantekraal Animal Welfare.
This initiative formed part of her Springbok community service project.
This prestigious award is the highest award a youth under 18 can achieve within the scouting movement and is the culmination of years of hard work and adventure, says Ursula Wilbraham, spokesperson for 1st Durbanville Scout Group.
Pioneering project
During the last phase of this journey a scout must — among several other tasks — plan and complete 40 hours of community service, plan and hold a troop camp for two scout patrols and plan and execute a three-day or two-night hike of 30 km with a scout patrol over terrain that they have not hiked before. Lastly, a scout must plan and undertake a major scout skills project such as a pioneering project, a construction project or a banquet and involve a scout patrol in the execution of the project, Wilbraham explains.
“As part of Bailey’s community service project in collaboration with Fisantekraal Animal welfare, she collected an astonishing number of donations for their charity shop, which, in turn, sold the items to the local community to fund the animal clinic in its continued sterilisation of dogs and cats in the area.
Installed shelving
“She has also installed shelving in the charity shop and collected enough donations to sponsor a minimum of 63 sterilisations. Donations continue to pour in and Bailey plans to continue this project for as long as donations roll in,” she says.
“Bailey led her patrol of five scouts on a Springbok expedition in the beautiful Groot Winterhoek mountains and chose a Springbok pioneering project as her major Scout skills project. In addition, she earned three Scout challenge award cords, namely the Bosun’s Cord, the Bushman’s Thong and the Service Cord,” she says.
