Jack and Hetty Mullins
John Arthur Mullins kept a logbook of his Scouting career and it was kindly donated to the Scout Museum by his daughter Kathy. Containing many photographs and items of memorabilia, it is the main source for this tribute.
Better known as Jack he joined the Scout movement in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) in 1912 as a lad of 9 years and a picture of the 9th Port Elizabeth dated 1912 – 1918 is likely the Troop where he started his Scouting.
Jack was a Baker by trade and in 1928 he was living and working in Zeerust. It is recorded that in December of that year he married Hetty. She was a keen Guide and at their wedding Guides and Scouts formed the Guard of Honour. He was Scoutmaster she the Cubmaster and Guider. Guiding and Scouting remained one of their interests throughout the years.
In the late nineteen thirties, the logbook reveals that the Mullins were now living in Waterval Boven (Emgwenya, Mpumalanga) and captions to the photos show an active Troop with Jack as Scoutmaster and a Cub Pack with Hetty as their Cubmaster. They took the boys on many hikes, camps and to the 1938 Vereeniging Jamboree. There are also photos taken at nearby Waterval Onder which was a popular hike destination.
Middelburg became the Mullins home in 1940 and they remained there for the next 17 years until 1957. Here they took a leading role in the movement in not just Middelburg but also Waterval Boven and Witbank. Hetty was, in addition to running the Pack, was also the Guide Captain and Jack ran the Troop. On the 23 May 1940 Jack was awarded the Long Service Medal. Photos from late 1940 tell of them having a very active Group with a Troop of around 43 Scouts and a Pack of 36 Cubs. Scouts attended the 1940 Pretoria Fountains Rally and there were outings to Kruger Dam and Boshoek amongst the many activities.
The Second World War saw Jack on Active Service Up North and here he met a number of his old Scouts and whenever possible they would have a get-together. There is a 1943 photo of Jack looking very smart in his Army uniform in Egypt, just outside of Cairo at a place called Helwan.
Jack was appointed District Commissioner in January 1946 for the area that included Middelburg, Witbank and Boven. During the 1950's the Mullin's and the Middelburg group were a shining light for Scouting and Guiding. In November 1954 Jack was awarded the Medal of Merit in recognition of his good services to the Boy Scout Movement. Hetty received the Long Service Medal in 1953 and the Medal of Merit in 1955.
Over the 1957 Easter Weekend 15 boys from the Middelburg Troop and 10 from Witbank went to Nelspruit for a camp, at which Barberton and Nelspruit were also represented. It showed the comradery and enthusiasm in the area that Jack and Hetty had greatly helped to build up. Also present were Scouts from Pretoria who were touring and presented their Divisional Gang Show. Jack visited East London fairly often as he had family living there and in 1957, for a short period, the Mullins moved to a cottage just outside the city. There are a number of photos of Scout properties in the area including the Gilwood Campsite, but he was not actively involved.
On Saturday, 19th October 1957, a camp fire was held at the Middelburg Scout Hall to say a formal farewell to Jack and Hetty. They were presented with a beautifully inscribed plaque as a token of esteem for the many years they had served scouting and guiding in all its tasks and functions in Middelburg and the district. They were also handed a purse, a collective gift from the Scouts, Rangers, Guides, Cubs and Brownies.
After a short spell in Zeerust, Jack and Hetty relocated to Witbank in 1963 and Jack soon joined their Local Group Committee. Jack passed away in June 1965.
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1937 Zeerust Cubs
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1938 Boven Scouts
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1939 Hetty and Boven Cubs
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1940 Hetty as Guide Captain
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1940 Middelburg Cubs
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1940 Middelburg ASM and PLs
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1940 Middelburg Scouts
