Mr BAYLEY (Clark) – Honourable Speaker, I rise tonight to talk about the Taroona Scout Group and the 70th year anniversary celebrations that were held on Saturday afternoon last weekend. I start by acknowledging Uncle Dougie Mansell, who sang and welcomed us in on that day, and told of his experience as a young fella on Flinders Island as part of the scout group over there. It was truly an honour to have Dougie there to sing to and welcome us.
I acknowledge also leaders past and present, in particular Simon, Janet, Mike, Emma, Ruth and Julian. Some of these people have been involved in this scout group for literally decades. I think Mike Green – he has got a timber plaque hanging in one of the sheds there at Taroona – has been involved for something like 35 years. It is truly an incredible effort. These are volunteers. They do not get paid for this work and they put their heart and soul into it
The Taroona Scout Group is a really strong group. I think they have about 80 young people there at the moment. Over 70 years you could imagine that there would be thousands of young people who have been through that shed and that group. My daughter had a couple of years there and she had a really good time connecting with people across the community.
The Taroona Scout Group has a really fabulous permanent base on the foreshore of Taroona in Apex Park. They have a big scout hall there. They have auxiliary sheds and skillions to put boats and camping gear and equipment. I also acknowledge the Kingborough Council that provide that land and give them the opportunity to be in such an amazing place.
They do great work themselves in applying for grants to improve the infrastructure there at their scout hall and getting gear. They have boats, tents, Trangias, and all sorts of gear, and a hangout space for the Rovers, the elders of the young people within the scout troop. The scouts go off onto the statewide Jamborees. They individually undertake their camps and then on a Tuesday they do their activities. There is lots of paddling, as you can imagine in a foreshore scout group. They are also a camping group and being there in Apex Park, they have a great opportunity to have bonfires, toast marshmallows, and really generate a sense of community in there.
The event itself was fantastic. I thank the Taroona Scout group for the afternoon tea. I acknowledge that minister Ogilvie and the honourable Meg Webb from the other place were there as well. The young people had designed patches, baked food, and arranged photo boards that dated back to the 1960s of Taroona Scout trips up to some of the mountains in the south. It was truly fantastic.
I acknowledge as well that I learned some incredibly important historical information. I mean, who would have thought that the woggle, that little thing that the Scouts have around their scarf, are made out of Singer sewing machine leathers, the belt that goes on those old Singer sewing machines. Who would have thought that the very first woggle that was ever invented is actually here in Tasmania? It is in the Scout Archives and Museum at The Lea. That is a fact that you would not have got unless you went to the Taroona Scout Group 70th year anniversary. I count myself lucky, along with a couple of members of this place, in getting along on that afternoon.
I want to say that in 1907, as started by Robert Baden‑Powell, a British army officer, the scouts may have been a pathway into the army. Today, they are truly – and have a program called – Messengers of Peace. It is truly a program that gives people a lot of life skills. Not only bush skills, but life skills as well.
Thank you to the Taroona Scout Group for the invitation. Congratulations to those leaders for their work with young people in and around Taroona. Good on those scouts that are there. Stick with it because you can progress through Scouts, get recognitions for the achievements that you meet and get a whole lot of life skills that will hold you in good stead going forward.
Thank you again to the Taroona Scout Group.
