9^th Benoni Scout Groups’ recent Springbok Scout recipient Kim Bailey joined Scouting in Grade 5 after her brother came home from a Scout meeting covered in face paint. “I had heard about his stories of hikes and camps and wanted to experience it for myself. Now, years later, I have just completed my Springbok Award,” she explains cheerfully.

“If I think back, Scouting has helped me with everything!  It has taught me how to deal with things in my personal life and in Scouting. It has given me a support structure which helped me grow up. I am quite academic and interested in the research side of biochemistry and neuroscience, and if I had not been a Scout, I would be a different person today.

Growing up in Scouting I had so much fun with good friends! We went on hikes, we had camps and most of all I learned all about pioneering, which is one of my favourite things to do in Scouting. Scouting taught me how to interact with others and to lead, which helped me become the Deputy Head-Girl in my Matric year. My whole personality has been shaped by the combination of learning and adventure. One Scouting adventure I am still looking forward to one day would be to visit or volunteer at the Scout Adventure Centre in Kandersteg in Switzerland with Scouts from around the world.”

To achieve her Springbok Award Kim needed to complete the requirements but there were three that stood out for her. “For my big construction project, I chose to build a huge slide along Homestead Dam at Arrowe Park. I wanted to build something different that Scouts could enjoy. When I built my model, everyone was excited to get started, but I don’t think they realised the scale of it until we started building! When we were building it started raining but that did not stop us from completing it and then sliding into the dam! We had lots of fun.

For my hike I chose the ‘Queen Rose Hiking Trail’ in the Makhonjwa Mountains between in Barberton. It has lot of indigenous wildlife and birds, and it was really pretty. The views and the company really made the hike special, and there was never a dull moment. The only challenge was finding people available to join me.

Then for my service project I wanted to do something that I could look back on and visit from time to time. I struggled to find a project at first, but when I took a closer look at the Chapel in Arrow Park, I saw it had a lot of rot and a lot of work was needed to fix it. It was a lot of work to strip the old wood and rot and replace it all, but now I am so proud of it and happy to see that it is being used now by so many people. I am glad I did my Springbok but could not have done it without the support of my leaders and fellow Scouts. I am grateful for their help and guidance.”