Joyce Horsell
14/9/1930 – 19/1/2013
In 1945 at the tender age of 15 Joyce, who at the time was living in Goodwood and was a St Johns' Ambulance cadet, was introduced to Scouting when she attended the 1st Goodwood & Vasco Pack assisting mainly with First Aid instruction.
She then transferred to the 1st Epping Garden Village Pack and initially was too young to be granted a warrant but was allowed to run the Pack. After two years she was warranted as Assistant Cubmaster in 1947 and Cubmaster in 1949.
In 1953 she took on the very challenging role of Cubmaster of the mentally handicapped 1st Alexannder Pack which she then ran for 7 years.
Towards the end of 1959 Joyce had married and now lived in Pinelands. Here she became the Cubmaster of 3rd Pinelands. However her stay with 3rd Pinelands was not to last that long as her husband Martin was transferred to Durban on business.
In the Durban area Joyce soon found a Pack needing help and joined 1st Kloof initially as their Assistant Cubmaster and then as Cubmaster. She took a break in September 1965 but later returned to the Pack and then went on to be the ADC Cubs for the Highway District in KwaZulu Natal.
Returning to the Cape in 1978 and residing in Stellenbosch with Martin and her 4 children she built up the Cub Pack and took on the role of District Scouter and then Assistant District Commissioner Cubs followed by Assistant Area Commissioner Cubs and finally became an Honorary Commissioner.
During her term as AAC Cubs, who can ever forget her yellow printed, inspirationally written, Pack Scouters Newsletters, from the mid 1980's to mid 1990's. They appeared quarterly bearing Area Cub news, suggestions, ideas to try, recipes, Pack programs, games and tons more useful information for Pack Scouters to use, and later all the ideas she'd collected that were published in the two volumes of 'Hotch Potch'.
As a team player Joyce had little difficulty in getting Scouters to assist her with the instructional Seeonee Pack meetings or as helpers for the Cub Fun Days that she organised and as Judges when she was the Chief Judge for the Edward Shield.
Joyce later went on to run Area Scout Headquarters as Area Secretary, and many will remember her smiling face on a visit to 86 Bree Street in Cape Town. Ever friendly, helpful and ever so interested in you and your Scouting activities. The 'old' Cape Western Scouter magazine was also revived by her during this time with an appointed editor. She was a key member on the Awards panel to mention just another of her many other contributions to Scouting.
Joyce's long, loyal and faithful service was acknowledged by the receipt of the Long Service Medal and to which was added the 50 year bar. Her dedication and setting a fine example to the Movement was rewarded with the Medal of Merit in 1965, the Order of the Silver Protea in 1992; "For distinguished service especially as Pack Scouter working with mentally handicapped people and as Commissioner for Cub Program setting a fine example" and Bar to Order of the Silver Protea in 2000 "For distinguished services to Scouting for over 50 years, for the valued active role she played at Group, District and Area levels".
Her example to others at all times was a legacy of who she truly was – always leading by example.
Western Cape Provincial Heritage Team 2013