Northern Transvaal - Area Commissioner's Senior Scout Activity
In the 1980's Northern Transvaal was a separate Scouting Area and these Senior Scout Expeditions known as the ACSSA tours were organised by and open to Scouts in the Area. This is the story of how it all began and their destinations.
Soon after the appointment of George Spencer as Area Commissioner of the Northern Transvaal Area, he one day mentioned a desire to see a special sort of adventure-type activity instituted in the Area for Senior Scouts. This adventure was to be different from all the others and to be a real prestige event for which boys must work.
The seed was sewn, and on 28 August 1982, a meeting was held at Area Headquarters between George and John Calmeyer, the Assistant Area Commissioner for Scout Training, to discuss thoughts on instituting an activity such as George had in mind.
The outcome of the meeting was ACSSA. It was agreed that ACSSA would be instituted with the following rules:
- The activity would be an annual one and would be held immediately after Christmas.
- It would fall within the portfolio of the Assistant Area Commission (Scout Training)
- It would be limited to Scouts over the age of 14 ½ and not yet 18 who are members of the Northern Transvaal Area.
- A participant must hold the 1st Class Badge.
- Participants must be nominated by their Scoutmasters, recommended by their GSMs and DCs but the final selection would be made by the Area Commissioner personally.
- The activity must be a prestige one second only to a World Jamboree or the National Senior Scout Adventure.
- It would be over a period of 10 to 14 days.
- The programme must have a high fun-content, adventure of a more mature nature, cater for the spiritual and social side of a boy's training and be different from the normal Scout-type activities. It must function on the Group principle and not inter-patrol type competition.
- Entries would depend on the transport available but generally limited to between 12 and 14 boys. * The Group would be led by two adults, one appointed by the Area Commissioner and the other selected from applications.
- Costs must be kept as low as possible and sponsorship sought to ensure that everyone can apply.
After discussion and agreement of the above criteria, it was decided to kick off with the first activity scheduled for December 1982/ January 1983.
On each activity the participants were given special T-shirts hiking hats with the ACSSA Badge, cutlery bag, an activity brochure, a travelling bag, and wore the Area Scarf.
After the activity they could continue wearing the ACSSA badge on their/shirts for a period of 6 months. A logbook will be made on each activity and each participant will have one day as the Scribe.
1st ACSSA '82 - Acssa by the Sea
Some years earlier John Calmeyer had undertaken an adventure trip with some 30 Scouts to Cape Town and was familiar with both the Area as well as the sort of activity which could be held there. Time was short and for this reason it was decided that ACSSA '82 would be held in Cape Town and was called Acssa-by-the-Sea.
Things now started moving very fast. There was the programme to be planned, permits to be obtained, bookings to be made, notification to all Scout Groups etc. They had to design a badge and a logo, decide on colours and many more things. During this period the whole activity was discussed with Colin Inglis, the then Chief Scout and two trips were made to Cape Town by John to organise the programme and meet some of the people involved.
The ACSSA symbol designed by John Calmeyer, has its colours of green signifying youth, the red being the warm-hearted friendship and brotherhood of the movement and in particular, that of the elite ACSSA group, and white for the clean healthy fun which participants will find. The triangular design represents the activity as a pinnacle of the Scouting ideals, and the three-fold Scout Promise.
In setting-up ACSSA much help and advice was received from many people. Andre Roux, George Spencer, Val Hill, Jean Ogg, Sean Hoore, Sheila Andrews of our Area and Stan Thomas, particularly of the Cape Western Area.
The ACSSA '82 logo, also designed by John Calmeyer is representative of the Cape of Good Hope, the Table Mountain and the "Suiker Bossie" or Protea of the Cape.
2nd ACSSA '83 - Acssa Amongst the Aloes
ACSSA '82 was a resounding success and no sooner was it over, than ACSSA '83 was on the drawing board. It was decided at a Commissioners Council early in 1983 that this one would be held in the Eastern Cape and would be named ACSSA-Amongst-the-Aloes. The group consisting of 15, Scouts led by Falcon Calmeyer, Seanus Moore, Len King and Louis Gerke; set off again on 26 December 1983, taking in Aliwal North, The Hogsback, East London, Port Elisabeth, the Tsitsikama Trail, Nature's Valley and Oudtshoorn.
3rd ACSSA '84 - Acssa Goes West
ACSSA-Goes-West was held from 26 December 1984 to 6 January 1985. The group was the biggest yet with 20 boys led by Falcon Calmeyer, Seanus Moore and Meaty Friemelt. The activity was again a resounding success covering the 'eye' of Kuruman, Augrabies Falls, Okiep Copper mines, Port Nolloth, Springbok and on to Clan William and the Cedarberg Wilderness Area. Our last two days, included Cape Town and a Table Mountain climb.
4th ACSSA '85 - Acssa Goes Cape
The best of excellent activities, ACSSA-Goes-Cape was held once more in the Cape Peninsula from 26 December 1985 to 5 January 1986. The camp was based at the Rotary Campsite "The Haven" in the Glencairn Valley and included a climb up Table Mountain, caving at Kalkbay and kloofing down the Riviersonderend. On the second last day tragedy struck, Leon Maree, one of the assistant leaders, fell in the Riviersonderend Canyon and spent an additional two weeks in Cape Town in hospital with a kidney injury
5th ACSSA '86 - Acssa Goes Wild
ACSSA-Goes-Wild was the fifth activity and this time took place in the Eastern Cape, Wild Coast and the Drakensburg from 21 December 1986 to 3 January 1987. This was especially magical as we spent Christmas together in East London and this was the first year we travelled in our own ACSSA bus. The leaders, Falcon Calmeyer, Godfrey Bench, Leon Maree and Helmuth Hitzeroth took the Activity to the Hogsback, Amatola Hiking Trail but the rainy weather made the hike down the Wild Coast impossible. Further up the coast we visited Durban before spending time in the Drakensburg. Another magic ACSSA'
6th ACSSA '87 - Acssa in the Mountains
Time does not stand still and before we knew it, it was again time for the sixth Area Commissioners Senior Scout Activity ACSSA-In-The- Mountains.
As usual the activity started in Pretoria on 27 December and criss-crossed the country before arriving back home on 9 January 1989. ACSSA '87 was different and full of contrasts from the hot and arid Augrabies Falls, the Klipspringer Trail, Upington, Beaufort West and Oudtshoorn to the mild deliciously cool climate of Cape Town.
Our jaunt in the cape took in our usual exciting activities such as the Table Mountain climb caving and Kloofing.
The activity was attended by 20 boys with the biggest adult team to date; the leader Godfrey Bench with Falcon Calmeyer, Shawn Fouche, Sharon Calmeyer and Pinky Calmeyer - a Calmeyer family holiday at last, with a somewhat extended family.
7th ACSSA '88 - Acssa in the Sun
Starting on the 26th December the route was via the Eastern Free State to the Golden Gate National Park where two days were spent exploring the area. Then it was on to Graaf-Reinet for another two days of sightseeing that included the 'Valley of Desolation'.
The next stop was the Sea Scout Base at Sandvlei near Muizenberg which was to be their base for all the Cape attractions.
The New Year was welcomed with a Scout's Own from the top of Signal Hill with all the brilliantly lit vista of Cape Town below them. The more strenuous activities include a hike up Table Mountain and 'Kloofing' down the Riviersonderend' canyon.
The last evening in the Cape ended with the traditional and excellent ACSSA Guest Banquet to show their appreciation for the local assistance and support.
By now they were totally familiar with packing up and early starts and were soon on the road for their two-day return trip. The homeward bound journey was broken with an overnight stay just outside Kimberley.
Information sourced from the Western Cape Scout Archives