Renee Hawes

7/4/1912 - 22/9/2008

In her own words, reminiscences from a 'Family History' which she wrote some years ago, she refers to the start of her Scouting Career:

"While I attended Sea Point Congregational Church, when I was in Standard 9 (1928) 'Bwane' Roberts (Group Scoutmaster of 2nd Green & Sea Point Group) asked me to take over the running of the Cub Pack. I knew absolutely nothing about Cubs - had never heard of the Jungle Book (on which Cubbing is founded, but I loved kids and there were only 8 Cubs anyway. So I jumped in at the deep end and, in no time at all, I had 40 Cubs to cope with!! So, learning from Books and other Scouters, I carried on and so began one of the happiest facets of my life! - leading, eventually - after running the 2nd for 7 years, the handicapped Cubs of Princess Alice Hospital for 18 years, I started 9th Cape Town Pack at the Kloof Street Congregational Church, where I attended when we moved from Sea Point to Tamboerskloof. Here too, I had 40 Cubs, and became known as 'Ali Baba and her 40 Cubs! "My Scouting career lasted for 50 years - the last 25 years of which I was honoured by being appointed Akela Leader of the training Team and became responsible with my team for training new Scouters, - a most rewarding job. While at Kloof St. Church, I started a Cub Pack, a Brownie Pack, a Guide Co, and a Sea Ranger Crew operating at the Table Bay Naval Base S.A.S Unite. A great time, and the sea in my blood flowed freely! "Towards the end of my parents lives, I had to give it all up in order to care for them, as I was still teaching. I had also run a Junior Choir for 26 years at the Church and this, too, had to go, but I still had a big Choir at School, so I was not without my great love of music and singing."

When Renee eventually moved to Sea Point Place, she promptly started a Choir which she ran very successfully for 20 years. The Choir took part in many competitions, entertained SPP residents and friends on a regular basis, also performed at Disa House. Presented Nativity plays every Christmas, and so on. This was indeed a very talented, motivated, industrious, persevering, generous, fiercely independent, caring and loving individual who, was immensely grateful to her beloved parents. She wrote "I owe so much to the qualities instilled in me by my parents - always by precept and example - honesty, trustworthiness, dependability, helpfulness, kindness, gratefulness, punctuality, - these things have given my life direction and I count myself a very lucky person to have been shown the way by these two wonderful people. Bless their memory!"

The Heritage Team October 2008