Western Cape Scout Groups - Country Districts
Please see Scout Groups in South Africa for a list of all the current Groups in the Western Cape
Scouting spread to South Africa only a few months after its birth in Britain in 1907. Initially several troops formed in and around the suburbs of the larger cities like Cape Town and the country towns were quick to follow. However, with transport and communications being what it was in these early days, all Troops beyond the City limits in the Cape, were classified as 'Country Troops' and formed their own District.
The Paarl troop was started in 1909 when a Mr. Swan – a Post Office Official – got together a group of boys to meet and camp on the banks of the Berg River. 1st Somerset West was also formed in 1909 by a few eager boys who formed a Patrol. They studied 'Scouting for Boys' until they reached First Class Standard, and then each boy 'adopted' a new recruit. Early documents show that Worcester was started in the same year. The 1st Mossel Bay Scouts were formed in 1910. Records also reveal there were even Troops in towns like Beaufort West, Bredarsdorp, Ceres, Caledon, Malmesbury, Oudtshoorn, Port Nolloth, Riversdale, Wellington and Villiersdorp.
Many of these groups that were once 'distant cousins' are still very active. New groups have been formed in towns that have shown economic growth and expansion, but sadly there are almost no Scouts in the smaller towns and villages.
Over the years boundaries have changed and in 2022 we had the following Districts: -
- Helderberg District that includes 1st Somerset West, 2nd Somerset West, 1st Strand,1st Gordons Bay, 1st Hermanus and 1st Stellenbosch
- Outeniqua District that includes 1st Mossel Bay, 1st George, 1st Sedgefield, 1st Knysna and 1st Plettenberg Bay
The migratory population of many country towns meant that leaders would come and go resulting in these groups fading and then being resuscitated. The following is an alphabetical list of the Country Groups, both past and present and a short history sourced from the very limited documentation in the Scout Archives.
Beaufort West (1940/50's) - The decade of the 1940’s was one of the high points for the Troop having attended the 1944 Country Rally in Worcester and the 1945 Jamborally in Stellenbosch. In 1946 the Jamborally was held in Oudtshoorn and their skills and enthusiasm were such that they were the winners Scoutcraft Trophy with Carl "Serpent" Rayner as the Chief Judge. Camp fee was £1.1s (R2.10) and highlights were a trip to the Cango Caves, meeting the Polish Scouts, a Swimming Gala and the Campfire. Later documentation mentions that in 1958 a new Local Association had been formed and in December of the following year 1st Beaufort West Scout Hall was opened and that they had about 25 Scouts. The Group remained active during the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Caledon (1940's – 1960's) - Earliest records for this group come from the personal scrapbook of the Assistant Scoutmaster Mr Donovan Magennis. During the 1940’s and 1950’s the Group flourished, and attended the 1944 Country Rally in Worcester, the 1945 Jamborally in Stellenbosch and 1951 in Wilderness. But like many troops they had their ups and downs and it was recorded in September 1967 that the Troop closed. The Pack however seems to have carried on until 1970. Read more ...
Ceres (1940 – 1970's) - Although there is little documentation, there seems to have been a Troop active in the 1940's through to the 1970's. However, from a Scouting perspective, the town was well known after 1942 when the local Chemist and Scoutmaster, John Henry Fox 'Scorp' obtained permission from the Ceres Municipality for the Scouts to use the nearby Wit Els campsite. 'Scorp' Fox was the first warden, a position he held for 16 years until 1958.
Conville (George) (1980) - In the early 1980's a Scout Troop was formed in Conville in an effort to give young boys the opportunity to use their free time constructively. The reception of the group among the community was better than expected and it was reported that around120 boys had joined. Read more ...
George (1912 – Active) - The troop were amongst the first to be established in the country. The first meeting of the George Troop was held on 12 December 1912 and records from 1914 have Mr Edward Johnson as their Scoutmaster. Read more ...
Gordons Bay (1972 - Active) - The group was started on 1st September 1972 by their Group Scoutmaster Mr Eddie Glass, who held this position for over 10 years. The Cub Pack started in August 1973 and Mrs. Virginia de la Hunt was their first Pack Scouter. The group is located in in Somerset West. Read more ...
Hermanus (1933 - Active) - The Group appears to have had a stop/start existence, with the earliest records indicating that the Group was initially started on 1st March 1933. Current activities can be found on their Facebook Page
Hornlee (Knysna) (1980's) - In October 1980 the Cape Town based Field Commissioners Chris Hendricks and Martin Lewis travelled to Knysna and approached Mr James Hector, who had previously been a member of the movement, to form a Scout Troup in Hornlee. With the help of the local school principals and ministers a group was formed. Consequently, the investiture of the 1st Hornlee Scouts Troop took place on Saturday 4th April 1981 at the Hornlee Community Centre when twenty-one scouts and four cubs were invested. Michael Spies was invested as the first Scout Master and Mr James Hector as Group Scout Master. Glenda Bruinders and Olive Neldrit were the Pack Scouters in charge of the Cubs. The Regional Commissioner Mervyn Schmidt from George officiated. Sadly, the group didn't last very long.
Knysna (1952 – Active) - The 1st Knysna Sea Scouts were founded in 1952. Current activities can be found on their Facebook Page
Mossel Bay (1910 – Active) - The 1st Mossel Bay Scouts was formed in 1910. Current activities can be found on their Facebook Page
Paarl (1909 – Active) - Scouting in Paarl dates back to 1909 when a Mr. Swan – a Post Office Official – got together a group of boys to meet and camp on the banks of the Berg Rive and this led to the formation the1st Paarl Troop. It was officially registered in February, 1910 which makes it one of the oldest troops in the country. Read more ...
Plettenberg Bay - Current activities can be found on their Facebook Page
Sedgefield - Current activities can be found on their Facebook Page
Somerset West
1st Somerset West (1909 – Active) - The Troop was formed in 1909 by a few eager boys who formed a Patrol. They studied 'Scouting for Boys' until they reached First Class Standard, and then each boy 'adopted' a new recruit.
2nd Somerset West (1956 – Active) - On the 12th of October 1956, Mr. Carl Rayner, as Divisional Secretary, signed the papers for the 2nd Somerset West group to officially start. The original scout meeting place was at the All Saints Church Hall. 2nd Somerset West received the old 1st Somerset West scout scarf colours of Red and Yellow. Since then, they have moved to a Scout Hall on Drama Street which was officially opened on the 12th November 1971 by Mr. E. Glass, who was the District Commissioner at the time.
Strand - Current activities can be found on their Facebook Page
Stellenbosch - Current activities can be found on their Facebook Page
Villiersdorp (1962 - 1966) - The Troop was started in April 1962 with a Mr Smith as the Group Scout Master who travelled every Saturday morning from Cape Town to Villiersdorp to run the troop. A somewhat unique group from an administrative perspective in that the Scouts were mainly boarders at the De Villiers Graaf Primary School in Villiersdorp and the parents committee met in Cape Town. Running a troop at a boarding school meant that there was a 'migratory population' with boys often leaving at the year end to attend another school. Read more ...
Additional information from the Scout archives provides an insight into Scouting in the area.
Caledon
Earliest records for this group come from the personal scrapbook of Mr Donovan Magennis. In February 1930 he came to work in Caledon and joined the local Troop of Scouts as their Assistant Scoutmaster. As a Rover Scout he had had lots of Scouting experience and his leadership was of great assistance. At the time the Scoutmaster was Mr C Moore and Cubmaster Miss Lotter.
Easter Camp, 1930
During the 1930 East week-end the 1st Troop of Caledon Boy Scouts went into camp at Diep River, on the farm of Mr. J. W. Metcalf, about eight miles from town. Twenty-three boys participated, under the charge of Scout Master Cyril Moore and Assistant Scout Master Don Magennis. The Scouts were lucky in having perfect weather until just before packing up to return home, when it began to rain very heavily. Everyone was very cheerful though and no one suffered any ill-effects from the wetting. The boys all thoroughly enjoyed the outing, which is part and parcel of their Scout training.
Reveille sounded daily at 6.40 a.m. and physical exercise parade was at 7 a.m.; breakfast at 8 a.m.; kit and camp inspection at 10 a.m. with further duties till noon. Then followed lunch at 12.30 p.m., swimming parade at 3 p.m., tea at 4 p.m., games till 6 p.m. and supper at 6.30 p.m. This was followed by a camp-fire concert till 9.30 p.m. First Post was sounded at 10 p.m. and lights-out at 10.15 p.m.
The camp-fire concerts were a great success and the star performer was Madame Frederika (Scout Albertyn). Her ballet dances were wonderfully graceful and called for rounds of applause. The musical items provided by A. S. M. Magennis and Scout, D. Hitchcock were exceptionally good.
On Easter Sunday two short services were held, which were attended by all the boys.
The camp was a great success and it is hoped it is the forerunner of many more such enjoyable and healthy outings. If other lads but realised how much pleasure they were missing there would be crowds of new recruits for the Caledon Troop of Boy Scouts.
Scout Association formed and presentation to Mr. Don Magennis, 1932
In February 1932 a meeting of well-wishers of the Boy Scout movement was held, when it was decided to form a local association to promote the welfare of Scouting. After the local Scout Master had explained the objects of forming the association, a strong temporary committee was formed with instructions to call a public meeting of all interested.
After the meeting those present adjourned to the Scout Hall where a full parade was mustered to bid farewell to A.S.M. Don Magennis, who has been transferred to Paarl. Mr. C. Moore, the Scout Master, in presenting Mr. Magennis with a framed photograph of the troop, paid a tribute to his sterling qualities, and staid that scouting had progressed locally since he had become Assistant Scout Master. He then called on Miss Lotter (the Cub-mistress) to make the presentation.
Mr. Magennis suitably replied and said that he had 15 years of practical Scouting experience, and hoped to continue until he died. He would certainly join up at Paarl, and hoped he would be able to arrange joint camps.
Ack: Cape Times February 1932
Wolf Cub's Co-operation Rally, Caledon, 1936
The Town-Country Wolf Cub's Co-operation Rally which was held over the weekend 1 - 3 August in Caledon and proved to be a great success. Cub Packs from all over the Peninsula participated, the underlying idea of the event being to bring the Town and Country Cubs together.
On the Saturday evening a Campfire Concert was held when the youngsters staged some excellent turns. Quite a number of parents and friends were present and the various songs, music and play-acting were thoroughly enjoyed by all and heartily applauded. It is surprising to perceive how much talent these youngsters possess and how outstanding it is developed by means of this organisation the Cub Section of the Boy Scouts' Association. The Cub Commissioner, Mr. G. M. Peake ("Rama") was the Camp Chief and the 4th Rondebosch Boy Scouts acted as cooks.
On Sunday morning the Cubs attended divine service in the Dutch and English Churches and in the afternoon a "Cubs' Own" Service was held in the Caledon Park, when the Cubs renewed their Promise. The Promise was also repeated in Afrikaans.
On Monday, the Rally proper was held when the various Packs staged displays. It was opened by the Chief Commissioner, Mr. Cedric G. Withinshaw ("Woodpecker") who was accompanied by Commissioner A. E. Percy ("Grey Wolf").
Great praise is due to the Cubmaster of the 1st Caledon Scout Group, Miss M. Lotter ("Lupus") and her willing band of helpers for the excellent organisation, and also Mr. C. Abbot ("Wontolla") Cubmaster of the 4th Rondebosch Group who so ably assisted in the arrangements. The Cubs all remarked, Gee but there was lots of grub", an eloquent tribute.
In 1943, on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Dr Jan Dommisse, Cubs and Scouts from the Division sent him their best wishes.
The cards recorded the Group having 16 Cubs and 24 Scouts. Dr Dommisse was the Cape Western Divisional Commissioner from 1940 to 1955.
During the 1940’s and 1950’s the Group flourished, and attended the 1944 Country Rally in Worcester and the 1945 Jamborally in Stellenbosch and 1951 in Wilderness. But like many troops they had their ups and downs and it was recorded in September 1967 that the Troop closed. The Pack however seems to have carried on until 1970.
The name 1st Caledon was revived in 1988 in the Coloured suburb with Marge October as the Pack Scouter, but did not remain active for very long. There is also a record that in 1948 the 1st and 2nd coloured groups had 75 Cubs, Scout and Rovers
Group Scoutmaster
Timothy Bravington (1959)
Troop Scouters
Cyril Moore (SM 1930), Donovan Magennis (ASM 1930/32), Ronald Durston (ASM 1950), Theunis Du Toit (SM 1954), Robert Curle (ASM 1964)
Pack Scouters
Miss Lotter (PS 1930), Stephanie Muller (PS 1964), Richard Llewellyn (PS 1966), Jan Knos (PS 1970)
Conville
In the early 1980's a Scout Troop was formed in Conville in an effort to give young boys the opportunity to use their free time constructively. The reception of the group among the community was better than expected and it was reported that around 120 boys had joined. The parents had also set up a parent committee that would help raise funds.
At the inauguration of the 1st Conville Scout Group were District Commissioner, Mervyn Schmidt with his wife, Field Commissioners Charles Mehana, Chris Hendricks and Martin Lewis. From Knysna, the 1st Hornlee Troop was represented by Mr. James Hector and Mr. Hans Morgan and from Cape Town, Winston Adams the Area Secretary.
From the local newspaper cutting
A Scout Troop was formed in Conville in an effort to give young boys the opportunity to use their free time constructively. The reception of the club among the community was better than expected, 120 boys have already joined. The parents have also set up a parent committee that will help raise funds.
At a recent symposium organized by the Babs organization to discuss the gangs in the neighbourhoods, it was found that there were no extracurricular activities to which the boys and girls could belong. This suffering then gives rise to the formation of gangs that lead to all the violence in the neighbourhoods.
Representatives from as far as Dyselsdorp, Knysna, Mossel Bay, George and Pacaltsdorp came to a camp for the training of leaders in the Scout movement. The Scout Groups in Knysna, Dyselsdorp have already been established.
George
The first meeting of the George Troop was held on 12 December 1912. Records from 1914 have Mr Edward Andrew Johnson as their Scoutmaster and a brass plaque in the hall dated attests to this history. The troop therefore can be counted as being amongst the first to be established in the country. Since then, many hundreds of young Scouts have attended meetings in the Scout Hall. The Cubs were started or maybe restarted in April 1952.
The ground in Davidson Road on which the hall is built, had been used by the Scouts over the years and in 1957, Dr St Leger, a long-time resident of George who was very fond of children, bequeathed the grounds to the 1st George Boy Scouts.
The two stalwart Scoutmasters, who served faithfully for many years were Clay Whittal and Graham Savage and they kept the Scout movement alive in George.
From the local newspaper, the George News it was reported in 2012 that: -
It was a jovial gathering of 1st George Scouts, their parents and former Scout members who in 2012 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the troop at their Scout Hall on Friday.
The leadership of two popular Scoutmasters was praised during the occasion.
The two stalwart Scoutmasters, who still serve faithfully today, were honoured for their indefatigable leadership. Clay Whittal (Badger) (77) and Graham Savage (Wolf) (63), have been at it for 34 and 27 years respectively.
Commenting on his involvement and that of Whittal, Savage said "We are just grateful that within our Scout group we were able to help to lay the basic building block of skills for later use."
Ken Gie, a former Scoutmaster said, "Every Friday evening, when most folk bolt home to rest after a hard week at the office, these gentlemen are down at the hall, supervising a bunch of boisterous boys, who learn, during their play time as well, important life skills not often found at home or school.
They organised camps which provided the opportunity for lads to fend for themselves in the bush (away from home comforts and nurturing mothers) and great friendships are formed while they realise the importance of their mates, when the odd hardship strikes. 1st George had, at the time, produced 12 Springbok Scouts, the highest award a young man can achieve during his Scouting career.
Gordons Bay
The group was started on 1st September 1972 by their Group Scoutmaster Mr Eddie Glass, who held this position for over 10 years. Initially the Scout Troop held their meetings in the Strand Girl Guide Hall in de Vos Street and then in July the following year, the Somerset West Methodist Church Hall. Mr. Ewen Brassey was the first Scout Master and Mr. Abey Willis the Assistant Scout Master. Towards the middle of 1973 the troop was 25 strong and in 1974 they launched its first boat "Sea Crest" a rowing boat at Gordons Bay harbour, which was donated by headquarters.
The Cub Pack started in August 1973 and had their first meeting in the Catholic Hall. Mrs. Virginia de la Hunt was the first Pack Scouter untill January 1979 and Mr. Garnet de la Hunt was the Assistant Pack Scouter. The Pack then used the hall of 1st Somerset West Group for a while and later the hall of the Somerset West Methodist Church. Towards the end of 1973 Mrs. Coleen Hunter joined as Assistant Pack Scouter, a role she held for the next 6 years. At the same time Mr. Ian Stockwell joined as Assistant Scout Master.
The Pack was very active participating in most of the District and Area events and just seven months later in March 1974 they held their first camp at Gilcape in Eerste River. The following year their progress and enthusiasm were acknowledge when the Pack received the 'Star Pack Award'.
At the start of 1976 Mr. Garnet de la Hunt became District Commissioner and for the next 8 years, Mrs. Marion Findlay became their Assistant Pack Scouter. Entering the Edward Shield in that year their skills were put to the test when they came 7th out of 53 teams.
In November 1976 the Group hired the Kiosk in the Nature Reserve from the Municipality for R10.00 per year and sold coffee, tea, cool drinks, ice-cream and chips. Staffed at the weekends by parents the gross profit at the end of the first year was R2000. This continued to be a major fund raiser until early 1984 when the braai places were taken away and business fell away.
Mr Neville Coxon, Assistant Divisional Commissioner for Sea Scouts, officially opened their new Scout Hall on the 26th February 1977 and the ceremony was attended by more than 50 parents and friends.
In May the Group's first Newsletter appeared and was aptly named 'The Bosun Call'. In 1979 the troop held its first Summer Camp, participated in Kontiki and achieved 10th place out of 50 Troops in the Gordon Shield Competition.
In late 1980 the yacht Flying Cloud was bought for R600 with trailer. It was launched and kept at the naval base at Gordons Bay and sailed regularly from there.
Mr. John Floyd "Jaguar" who was first Assistant Scoutmaster then Scoutmaster in 1981 became Group Scoutmaster for the next 5 years. In July Geoff Howard became the group's first of their Springbok Scouts and he then became Assistant Scoutmaster for one year.
The outdoor activities weren't all Sea Scout orientated as the Troop participated in competitions, camps, hiking including an '86 Father and Son hike on the Boland Trail. They did however combine these activities with a camping and sailing down the Breede River near Swellendam.
At the end of 1981 Virginia de la Hunt resigned and Marion Findley became Akela with Patty as the Assistant Pack Scouter. The Pack achieved 3rd place at the '83 Edward Shield. Marion was Akela for five years and resigned in 1986 and Patty had moved to Scotland. The Cubs then attended the 2nd Somerset West Pack meetings and 12 Cubs attended camp with them. Sadly, the Pack's numbers dwindled down to only 3 boys, however in 1987 upon the return from Scotland, Patty Flannagan reopened the pack in their own hall and numbers soon built up again.
The investiture of 15 boys was also the ideal opportunity to change to the all-navy uniform. The eagerness was reflected in the Pack being awarded the Gold Star for 1988. In November the pack took part in the local Childrens Parade on their bicycles.
In July '89 the Pack won the District Cross County and in November they camped at Gordon's in Glencairn. By the middle of 1990 there were 40 Cubs and a waiting list. Pack activities were many; Kontiki to visit the Scouts, Edwards Shield Competition, Tricelle camp in Stellenbosch and a hike up Paarl Rock to mention a few. Sadly, at the end on 1991, Patty resigned after 11 years of dedicated service to the Pack.
In 1989 Leo Grutters became Scoutmaster and he built up the troop from 7 to 15 boys. With most of the Area's Sea Scout activities taking place at Sandvlei, the group started building their own boat shed at the base which was completed in March 1990. When Leo resigned in August '91 both Craig Stephenson and Peter Drawton stepped up and kept the enthusiasm going.
Kontiki was probably the single most important fixture on the Troop's calendar and the 1993 preparations were indeed hectic when the Troop Scouter Peter Drayton had to step down due to work commitments. This left Cobus Diener and Andy Rumbelow scurrying around, but they coped admirably roping in parents to ensure a very successful event.
Pack Scouters during 1993 were Nora Grose (Akela), and assistants Patty Grutters and Kathy Diener. They would take the Cubs to visit all the excitement of Kontiki and 'whet their appetite' for future Scouting activities.
With the Helderberg Nature Reserve in their 'backyard', many of the local groups made use of the site with Troop, Pack and District events being held there. The 1st Gordons Bay Scouts and Cubs also made good use of the site for many and varied activities.
All the hard work put in by the Committee, Troop and Pack was acknowledged when they were awarded the Group Gold Star. Putting the troop up to a challenge of note, was when they entered the tough 1994 Rayner Trophy. Much experience was gained and they came 19th out of 26 teams. At the end of the year 4 Scouts participated in the tough Senior Scout Adventure in the Cederberg. Towards the end of '96 Cobus Diener took up the reins of Scoutmaster. The first and still running in 2023, annual 'Bubbling Billy' District competition was held in September 1997.
Like many groups they had their ups and downs and with Scouters coming and going so too did the Cubs and Scouts numbers fluctuate. During 2002 with Cubs numbers down and with no Akela the Pack was now meeting with the 2nd Somerset West pack. Alice Mennen who after a 13-year break, restarted cubs in their own hall with just 6 boys and 6 Girls. The Scouts too weren’t much better with 6 Boys and 4 Girls.
By the middle of 2005 progress was back on track with 20 Scouts with Phil Manning as Group Scoutmaster and 20 Cubs with Louise Spagnuolo as Akela. The following year Roger Smith became Troop Scouter with help from Nick Britz and Michelle Hatting. Craig was now running the troop. The annual Cub Fund day was held at the Monte vista Scout hall and 25 Gordons Bay Cubs attend. The years activities ended with 4 Scouts and Michelle attending the Senior Scout Adventure in the Cederberg.
At the beginning of 2013 the Cubs were meeting with 1st Somerset West, but at the start of the 2nd term they were back in their own hall and by year end the pack had earned a Silver Star Award. Scouts were now under the leadership of Mr. D Putterill.
Nearby Radloff Park was often used for various activities and well suited for compass and mapping training.
Much of this early account of the group's history is based on old paper-based record keeping and printed photo logbooks etc. in our archives. As this type medium has generally diminished, much of the group's later history can be found on various social media platforms. One of these is Facebook starting with May 2014 through to February 2022, and also on Instagram.
Springbok Scouts
| 1948* | Wood | John |
| 1981 | Howard | Geoffrey |
| 1990 | Mandy | Michael |
| 1991 | Mitchell | Bruce |
| 1996 | Phyfer | Murray |
| 1997 | Davidson | Murray Brian |
| 1999 | Denton | Matthew Wayne |
| 2001 | Diener | Nicholas |
| 2003 | Burchell-Burger | Craig |
| 2016 | Durie | Joshua Ian |
| 2021 | Putterill | Caitlin Jean |
- King Scout
Group Scouter / Scouter in Charge
Eddie Glass (1972/81), Mr. John Floyd (1981/83), Lee Espinosa (1986/90), Leo Grutters (act 1990) Nora Grose (1993), Cobus Diener (2000)
Troop Scouter
Ewen "Taps" Brassey (1972/3), Harold Clingham (1973/4), John Campbell-Codner (1978), John Corny (1978/82), John Floyd (1982), Ken Piercey (1985/87), Brian Lihou (1987), Leo Grutters (1990/91), Peter Drayton (1991), Andy Rumbelow (1993), Cobus (Wrasse) Diener (1995), Mark Hoffman (2000), Roger Smith (2006), D Putterill (2013)
Pack Scouter
Virginia de la Hunt (1973/81), Marion Findley (1982/86), Patty Flannagan (1986/91), Nora Grose (1992/3), Kathrine Diener (1995/2000), Alice Mennen (2002), Louise Spagnuolo (2005\7), Ronell Wiid (2007/15)
Kontiki Competition in the 1990's
1993
1996
1997
1998
Paarl
Scouting in Paarl dates back to 1909 when a Mr. Swan – a Post Office Official – got together a group of boys to meet and camp on the banks of the Berg River on the Frater Estate. Scout Bull Frater remembers camping on his father’s farm with a group of boys and this led to the formation the1st Paarl Troop. It was officially registered in February, 1910 which makes it one of the oldest troops in the country. One of the first ever combined Scout camps in South Africa was held on the Frater Estate premises near the wool washery and the Troops participating were – 1st and 2nd Claremont, 1st Paarl, 1st Observatory and 1st Simonstown.
In 1910 Mr. A.E. Percy succeeded Mr. Swan as Scoutmaster. Another early Scoutmaster was Mr. Wemer Decker, who first joined the troop in 1910 as a Scout and went on to attained the Kings Scout Badge. After leaving the troop he became Scoutmaster in 1913 taking over from Mr. Percy and later became Group Scoutmaster. Much of the group's history is recorded in a scrapbook of his filled with newspaper cuttings and photographs. There were trips to Robben Island, camping in the mountains and annual concerts in the Town Hall.
Like many Troops, they had their ups and downs and in 1918 the troop strength fallen away and was down to a few boys. When the revival took place is not known but in 1941 Mr. Decker was back as Scoutmaster succeeding a Mr. Hahn. Records indicate that in 1921 a Scout Hall was built in Hof Street and the Foundation Stone laid by the then Mayor of Paarl Councillor F. G. Roux, today the Hall can be found at 193 Bonaparte Ave. The May 1932 records showed that the troop had again dwindled down to only seven active scouts, but this soon changed and by September Scoutmaster Donovan Magennis reported that there were now 16 Cubs, 33 Scouts and 3 Rovers.
During the war years of 1940/5 the troop remained active participating in Divisional events like the Long Street Swimming Gala and Gordon Shield. Camping, both Patrol and Troop was popular at the many sites alongside the Berg River. Campfires and hikes on Paarl Mountain were often with the Girl Guides. A number of the Scouts passed the wartime National Service Badge. During this period their Scoutmaster was W Decker. The Cubs too were active being mentioned for a number of acts in the May 1941 variety concert in the Town Hall.
In February 1960 the Paarl Post reported that Don Magennis was to revive the Paarl Scouts, but there was no indication if the Troop had ceased to function. The revival certainly had excellent results and towards the end of 1961 there were 72 Scouts and Cubs.
Villiersdorp
The Troop was started in April 1962 with a Mr Smith as the Group Scout Master who travelled every Saturday morning from Cape Town to Villiersdorp to run the troop. It was a trip of approximately 100 kilometres and in those days, it probably took around 2 hours one way. A somewhat unique group from an administrative perspective in that the Scouts were mainly boarders at the De Villiers Graaf Primary School in Villiersdorp and the parents committee met in Cape Town. Their flag, which in those days came all the way from England, was presented to the troop on Saturday 17 November and the following Sunday a very successful Church Parade was held at the English Church and was attended by several parents.
The group had a good relationship with the 2nd Claremont Scouts in that the committee held many meetings their Scout Hall and their first camp was a joint effort between the two troops. The week-long camp was held in Kommetjie and was a great success with 15 Villiersdorp boys attending. A campsite within walking distance of the school, known as "Rooi Pad' was made available to both them and 2nd Claremont by a local famer a Mr Le Roux. It was an ideal setting with a stream running through it.
The boys were soon experiencing true Scouting, with a number of hikes, some being overnight and logbooks of the trips being produced. In addition to the normal badge work, a Senior Scout from Claremont examined of the boys for tests and was a great help with the advancement and badge passing. To keep the parents informed of the troops' progress and activities, the Group Scout Master published a quarterly magazine called the Protea.
At the October 1963 Annual General Meeting, the Group Scout Master reported that he was unable to find a local man to run the Troop as Scout Master or even an Assistant Scout Master. This however did not deter the Troop from holding their annual Summer Camp and 19 of their Scouts teamed up with 15 from 1st Hermanus to have a most enjoyable camp in Hermanus. Many tests were passed including 5 boys that completed the one-mile swim.
First quarter 1964 saw 28 very keen Scouts in the Troop and by May a Cub Pack with 12 boys had been formed under the leadership of Mrs van der Velde the Akela of 6th Rondebosch Pack. Also, in May a Scouts Own Service was held on the farm 'Radyn' supported by parents and the Worcester Scouts.
The 1966 Summer Camp was again held in Hermanus, and this time only 5 Scouts from Villiersdorp joined up with 5 Scouts from 4th Observatory. Sadly, from the committee minutes for June it was reported that the Troop was now down to only 8 boys and the Cubs even less. Consequently, it was considered no longer worthwhile going all the way to Villiersdorp and the group closed down. Running a troop at a boarding school meant that there was a 'migratory population' with boys often leaving at the year end to attend another school.