Sixty years ago today, the La Trobe Park Scout Hall opened in Deakin. Freshly painted to mark its diamond jubilee, the scout hall is still inhabited by a thriving Cub Pack, Air Scouts Canberra.
The La Trobe Hall was opened on 22 November 1963 by then-Governor-General William Philip Sidney. But the festivities were overshadowed by the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, just hours before. The Governor-General wore a black armband, and called for two minutes’ silence in respect for the slain president.
Air Scouts Canberra trace their heritage back to 17 December 1925, nearly a century ago, when the Second Canberra Scout Group was formed. The scout group moved from Duntroon to Barton (or Riverside, as it was then known) in 1930, then settled at La Trobe Park in 1963. They merged with another scout group in 1978 to form the La Trobe Park Scout Group, which has been known as Air Scouts Canberra since 2003.
The Air Scouts add air and space to traditional scouting activities; their program focuses on planes, helicopters, hot air ballooning, and astronomy, as well as the usual Scouting activities of camping, canoeing, bush skills, and map reading.
They are the proud custodians of a magnificent walking stick that belonged to the founder of Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell. It was donated to the Second Canberra Scout Group by artist and naval officer Dacre Smyth in 1963.
The La Trobe Park Hall celebrated its 60 proud years of continuous use with a fresh paint job befitting its long and rich history, courtesy of Theodore Hartman, “one of our parent volunteers without whom Scouting couldn’t exist”, said volunteer Cub Scout leader, Kim Roantree.
“Air Scouts are now well and truly back in business,” Mr Roantree said. “The Group is well resourced and in a great position to once again reach its full potential as we approach its 100th birthday.”
The Scout Troop (ages 11 to 14 years) is in need of some enthusiastic youth and adult members.
“As we push into a new year in 2024, we would imagine more and more people are going to get back into Scouting,” Mr Roantree said.
“Cub Scout numbers at Air Scouts Canberra have well and truly returned to pre-pandemic levels. The La Trobe Park Scout Hall in Deakin where Air Scouts meet is starting to buzz again.
“We provide Cubs the opportunity to progress to the next level to further develop and put the skills they’ve learned from Cubs into practice,” he said.
The Scout Group hopes to recruit several adults willing to train to become Scout leaders.
If you have a son or daughter aged between 11 and 14, and you’d like to volunteer as an adult helper, the Group would love to hear from you at [email protected]. More details of the Group can be found at www.airscouts.com.au.
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