The 1st Echuca Scout Group is becoming a strong force in the community with its participation rates continuing to grow.
The group currently has a total of 60 scouts across all five age sections between the ages of 5 to 26.
Scout leader Hannah Dunn said scouting remains strong in Echuca and surrounding communities.
“We’re very large on a regional scouting basis and there would be some Melbourne groups which probably aren’t quite as big as us. We continue to grow and we’re very lucky in that aspect,” she said.
“Scouting is very strong in Echuca and we serve a very large catchment of communities who care about the future of their youth.”
The group focuses on building confidence, life skills and community engagement through outdoor activities including hiking, skill training and camping.
Most recently, the group participated in the Cohen Shield which saw six different scout groups come together to compete in core scouting areas while highlighting the scouts’ leadership and teamwork.
The 1st Echuca Scout Group was the largest group on the day, making up three separate teams.
They achieved great success across all activities and managed to take home a gold medal and two silvers medals.
Ms Dunn said although the interest from youth has been consistently growing, the group is in need of more leaders.
“Our biggest barrier at the moment is we need more [scout] leaders to be able to continue to grow,” she said.
“We’ve got so much interest from youth, we need adults to help us continue to create a quality program and have fun.
“You don’t have to have the skill set to become a scout leader because we have the resources to grow an adult’s capabilities. What matters most is enthusiasm.”
The group currently has 10 leaders working with 60 scouts.
Those interested in joining the scouts as a leader or a scout can contact GL.1stEchuca@scoutsvictoria.com.au