By Christiaan Pieters

1st Margate Scout Troop recently had the privilege of hosting a Leadership Development Course 1 for junior Scouts. LDC1 is aimed at younger Scouts and introduces them to the basics of leadership, the Patrol System, and how Patrol meetings, activities, and camps are planned and run.

The day was packed with fun, learning, teamwork, and plenty of Scout spirit. The Scouts took part in activities that helped them understand what it means to be a leader, how to work together in a Patrol, and how every member can play an important role in making their Patrol successful.

Along the way, the Scouts also picked up useful Scouting skills and enjoyed practical challenges that kept everyone involved and excited. There was lots of laughter, encouragement, and a real sense of adventure as they learned by doing. By the end of the course, the junior Scouts had grown in confidence and left with a better understanding of leadership, Patrol functions, and how they can contribute positively in their own Patrols.

A big thank you goes to everyone who helped make the course such a successful and enjoyable experience.

The 1st Margate Scout Troop had a fantastic day out at Umtamvuna Lifesaving, learning more about water safety as part of the Be Water Safe National Challenge.

The Scouts had great fun taking part in the activities, learning important safety skills, and working through some of the tasks for the National Challenge. It was a hands-on opportunity to better understand how to stay safe around water, while also enjoying time together as a Troop.

A big thank you to Umtamvuna Lifesaving for hosting the Scouts and helping them learn valuable water safety lessons in such an enjoyable and practical way.

We are Super Proud that our First Meerkat that went up to Cub has completed her Leading Wolf! She was Given her Leaping Wolf Badge at our 2025 AGM & Awards Day. We asked her how she feels having achieved her Leaping Wolf: ” I feel really proud of having Leaping Wolf because it feels like an achievement you can remember for life and that inspired lots more Cubs to do Leaping Wolf at 1st Margate Cubs.
I feel like it impacted me with not giving up and doing my best and that showed me that anything is possible if you just try really hard and do your best…”

She was also awarded Cub of the Year for 2025!

She was also recently invested as a Scout having completed her Link Badge.

Well done and a BIG congratulations to Ty for successfully completing his Springbok Award!

Last night marked Ty’s final night with 1st Margate Scouts as he officially ages out of Scouts. Ty joined us at just 11 years old and, through years of dedication, perseverance, and hard work, earned his Springbok Award – the highest honour a Scout can achieve!

Ty has always been a selfless, determined, and inspiring member of our troop – someone who puts others before himself, finds a way through any challenge, and gets things done with a smile. He’s been a mentor to the younger Scouts, a true friend to his peers, and a shining example of what Scouting is all about.

We’ll miss his energy, positivity, and leadership around the campfire, but we know he’ll continue to make a difference wherever his next adventure takes him.

Thank you, Ty, for everything you’ve given to 1st Margate Scouts. You’ve left your mark, and we’re so proud of you! 💚

The 1st Margate Scout Troop is proud to announce that Mayha Potgieter has been awarded the highest honour in Scouting, the Springbok Award. This prestigious achievement recognizes her exceptional dedication, leadership, and commitment to Scouting values.

“We are incredibly proud of Mayah’s achievements. Earning the Springbok Award is no small feat, and she has shown unwavering dedication and perseverance throughout her Scouting journey,” said Caitlin Morton, Troop Scouter

Our Cubs had a lot of fun making Easter Bunnies, doing a treasure hunt and playing some fun games today!

We are so proud of our amazing leaders. Our Acting SGL, Chris “Rhino”, presented husband and wife team, Lourens and Nicola, with their 5 years Service Award!! Lourens, our Pack Scouter and Nicola our Den Scouter has given so much to 1st Margate Group, not just running weekly programmes, but always willing to help at committee event and activities! Thank you for your service!

This is us choosing to make a difference, one piece of litter at a time.

#1stmargate Scout Group took to Lilliecrona boulevard in Uvongo today. We walked along the beach from Uvongo pier picking up what litter we could find and then made our way back along the road. 25 black bags of rubbish were collected. Lots of fun was had by all. #scouts4sdgs

Big congratulation to Ariana for achieving her Springbok award.

Ariana has also earned her Bushman’s Thong.

She worked very hard to complete her Springbok and her work has certainly paid off. Well done!

Read a first hand account from a scouts mom:

“In 2011 Ariana joined Scouts with a friend, thinking it would be an adventure for these 2 very busy little girls and what an adventure it would turn out to be. So much to do and so little time to do it in.

Aside from camping, hiking, knotting, backwards cooking, building structures, writing reports, planning and organizing, shooting, blisters, lack of sleep, sunburn and so, so much more, it is the holistic development of body, mind and soul that makes Scouts such an amazing organization. Apart from all the skills Ariana developed during the past almost 7 years, she has also made many friends and built lifelong relationships as in Scouts a very special bond is forged because of the shared interests and hardships.

1^st Margate welcomes Bianca to our troop. Bianca has transferred in from 23^rd Pretoria (Lyttelton). Having joined scouts in 2013, she has progress well and is currently busy planning her First-Class hike.

She has fitted in well with 1^st Margate and has in a short space of time, already contributed to the troop and her new patrol, Springboks.

Bianca has attended PLTU and was a PL at 23^rd Pretoria. As it turned out, Springboks patrol was in need of a PL and at a Court of Honour it was decided to appoint Bianca as PL for Springboks.

It has been great to see her get stuck in and very quickly being becoming a valued member of our troop.

We wish her all the best and trust she will build many a happy scouting memories at 1^st Margate.

We wish to commend Cindy Pieters, our new Pack Scouter on the sterling work she has done with our Cub pack.

The pack has grown from 4-6 active cubs to 11-13 active cubs.

Having a cub in the pack herself, Cindy relates well with the kids and has come with some great ideas to bring the lessons across to the youngsters. Badgework is happening and the cubs are making good progress.

Having a strong, growing pack is essential for the growth of the scout troop as a whole. These cubs will be coming through to scouts before we know it. Having a good footing in cubs will baud them well.

Cindy has also been very active in marketing the Cub Pack, with regular Facebook posts and local newspaper articles.

She has also been able to recruit 2 more adult helpers.

We wish her all the success her journey with these kids.

The Highway District Cubs. Scouts, and Scouters attended the Remembrance Day Parade at Wayside Cross in Pinetown on Sunday, 2 November 2025, joining the community in honouring those who gave their lives in service.

Remembrance Day is an important time to pause, reflect, and show respect for the courage and sacrifice of others. By attending the parade, the Scouters helped represent the values of Scouting, including duty, service, respect, and remembrance.

It was a meaningful occasion and a reminder of the importance of keeping the spirit of remembrance alive for future generations.