Plenty of support: Ethan Murgatroyd’s involvement in the World Scout Jamboree, albeit a limited experience due to extreme heat and a typhoon hitting South Korea, was made possible by the support of the district’s Rotary youth officer Steph Dean, Echuca Moama Kiwanis members Lynne Lowe, Claire Richter and Graeme Richter, along with Kyabram Masonic Lodge members Quanny and Mike Perry.
A makeshift red carpet was fitting recognition of the vital role Kyabram Scout group’s major backers had played in a 12-month period that saw the pack expand its membership and send two teenage members to the world’s biggest Scouting event.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Last week’s ‘’triple-pronged’’ event not only celebrated the support provided by the community-minded sponsors of the group, but also included the annual general meeting of the organisation.
The organisation’s Racecourse Rd hall hosted the event, where group leader Jess Mitchell took the presence of the 1st Kyabram Scouts’ special guests as an opportunity to discuss the club’s health status.
A third element of the evening was presented by World Scout Jamboree participant Ethan Murgatroyd, who explained his involvement in the two-week South Korean event with a second Kyabram scout, Xavier Gullan.
Members of Kyabram Masonic Lodge, Echuca Moama Kiwanis and Kyabram Rotary were at the event in recognition of them offsetting the $5500 cost of sending each Scout to the event.
Ethan and Xavier’s attendance at the event was on the back of donations of $9000, along with a variety of fund-raising activities, to the club in the past 12 months.
Mrs Mitchell said community members had completely blown her away with their support.
“It was vital because we redirected the funds we originally raised for the jamboree into last year’s flood appeal,” she said.
“We felt that was more important at the time.”
The group leader of the past three years said the Kyabram group had benefited from an influx of new people into the town’s Scouting movement.
“Growth in 2023 has been the biggest in 10 years,” Ms Mitchell said, explaining there were 35 youngsters, seven leaders and half a dozen parent helpers involved in Scouting activity.
Kyabram Scouts committee chair Nick Mioni said sponsorship and fundraising were vital to the organisation, as was parental involvement.
Mr Mioni has remained involved with the group despite his three children having graduated from scouting in the previous 12 years.
“We are all very invested in the children of our community, and the introduction of Joeys in the last couple of years has us in a strong position,” he said, explaining that the youngest participants in the group’s activities had many years of Scouting in front of them.
Such was the focus on the future that the next World Jamboree, which will be in three or four years’ time in the Netherlands, was a topic of discussion among young members once Ethan had completed his in-depth report.
There was even talk of the next major jamboree in Australia, expected to be in 2029.
For Ethan, however, there is plenty on the horizon as he prepares to be involved in a 12-month Rotary exchange program to Brazil next year.
Steph Dean, representing both the fire brigade and Rotary club, said she was proud to continue the youth exchange program with the Kyabram Scouts.
“We have Jack Freeman on exchange to Czechia at the moment and Ethan is off to Brazil next year,” she said.
Ethan’s insight into the South Korean World Jamboree included details of the mandatory two-hour sessions that scouts had to spend in air-conditioned buses — every day — due to the heat.
The event, held on the coast of the Yellow Sea, saw temperatures average 39°C during the day and 27°C at night.
“The Korean version of Gatorade was my saviour,” Ethan said.
He said South Korea had some of the “most sugary drinks you will ever experience’’, as he talked about a table filled with international scarves and badges he collected from participants in the event.
His experience of being in Seoul and walking to a Burger King in the middle of a typhoon was an interesting anecdote, along with his attendance at a K-pop concert.
Ethan’s presentation was among several on the night used to explain the achievements of the group in the past 12 months.
Kyabram Joeys leader Karen Brumby (Koala) spoke about the challenges her young program participants had conquered.
Cub Scouts leader Ron Powles (Akela) said after several Cubs had moved up to the Scout section in 2023 he was preparing to work with a small group, until — within the first few weeks back after Christmas — an influx of Scouts made his job far more demanding.
“I was left with six Cubs going into Christmas, but within the first few weeks back we had an influx and had seven new Cubs,” he said.
“It took me a while to get all those names right,” he said, explaining his group had been involved in everything from a two-week swimming badge program to official duties at Kyabram’s Anzac Day and Australia Day ceremonies.
Scouts leader Katy Speed (Bunjil) said several new Scouts had pushed the group in a new direction.
“We had seen a bit of a spin toward cooking this year and produced some pretty wonderful meals,” she said.
“While vegetarian lentil stew was a feature, as was the South African donuts, we finished the term with a McDonald’s meal where the Scouts had a theme of op-shop evening wear.”
Ella Mason offered an insight into her family’s overseas adventure, using the holiday as an opportunity to discuss her travels to the United States and Canada.
The vacation finished in Hawaii and included Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, Montreal and Toronto.
Ending the evening was a baking competition where sweet treats were offered to the guests, who were required to critique the offerings and provide feedback to the amateur Scouting chefs.
For more information about Kyabram Scouts contact group leader Jess Mitchell on 0400 504 797.
Leading the way: Kyabram Scouts Jesse Bryant, Abbey Speed, Mike Powles and Indy Laffan with leaders Jess Mitchell, Ted Thorpe (Baloo), Ron Powles (Akela) and Katy Speed (Bunjil).
