Scouts - 1st Ballan Scout Group

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Scouting Success

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Scout Section Motto Explore the Unknown

Our Scout Leaders

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Numbat

1st Ballan Scout Leader

1st Ballan Assistant Scout Leader

Gekko

1st Ballan Assistant Scout Leader

1st Ballan Assistant Scout Leader

Koala

1st Ballan Assistant Scout Leader

Australian Scout Promise

Australian Scout Law

It's always a fun time when we get together with our friends from Bacchus Marsh Scouts. So, when we were invited to join them to play Wheelchair Basketball, we quickly responded with ... Game On!!!

It was fantastic fun, and we all thoroughly enjoyed learning and playing Wheelchair Basketball. Skill number 1 ... how do we control the wheelchair?

Once mastered, we split into teams, rolled onto the court and the game started. Rolling up and down the court was great fun and as we learnt to pass the ball to each other our skills improved and we were able to shoot baskets at both end of the court.

Wheelchair Basketball was awesome.

Craft is always a great activity for Scouts to engage in. Regardless of whether it is Joeys, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers, Rovers or Leaders everyone in the Scout Association thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to get crafty and let their imagination do all the work while having fun together.

So, when the sewing machines & modelling clay arrived at Scouts one night everyone was keen to get involved and be creative.

Using the sewing machines the Scouts turned t-towels into dilly bags. Enjoying the experience of using the machines the engagement and concentration levels were high. The result, a useful dilly bag for future Scouting adventures. When not making dilly bags the Scouts had a lot of fun talking and creating as they moulded the modelling clay in a variety of different and entertaining characters. A creative and fun youth led program, thoroughly enjoyed by all.

ScoutSki is an amazing opportunity for Scouts to learn skills in the Snow.

Utilising the two Scout Lodges at Mt Baw Baw, the W.F Waters Rover Lodge & the Scout Alpine Adventure Centre (SAAC) Scouts enjoy a few days of:-

Snow Shoeing Cross Country & Downhill Skiing
Tobogganing Snow Boarding
Snow Survival Skills

While the focus is on Alpine Outdoor Adventure Skills (OAS) and giving Scouts the opportunity to learn more in a snow environment, it is a program that encourages Scouts to simply have fun, become confident on snow and explore an Alpine environment. It is an amazing and thoroughly enjoyable experience for Scouts.

As a Scout you create your own pathway and your own destiny within your personal Scouting journey. As a member of a Scout Unit you create the Program. An inclusive Program that will challenge, excite, spark, inspire and educate.

Through open discussion and planning it was decided that our Scouts would like the opportunity to try lawn bowls. It was a wonderful aspect of their program with everyone on a perfect evening coming out to try and experience the sport of lawn bowls. By listening to instructions, following the advice and giving it a go everyone's skills improved and throughout the night it was impressive to see the results.

It was great fun, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening. While some were competitive, it didn't matter it was all about the experience and fun. It was a fantastic evening, and the Scouts are very grateful to the members of the Ballan Bowls Club who not only openly welcomed them into the club, but also guided and instructed them on how to play, enjoy and experience lawn bowls. Thank you.

Riding the entire Great Victorian Rail Trail is an impressive challenge, starting in sub-zero temperatures makes the challenge a little more interesting. But that didn't deter our bike riding Scouts. Waking up on a frosty Mansfield morning they were keen to get going and tackle the Rail Trail. Under crystal clear blue skies the Scouts enjoyed riding along the trail, enjoying the views, discovering a variety of artwork and looking out for Scar Trees.

It was an awesome experience and one all the Scouts enjoyed. With the plan to go to Alexandra and ride the full Rail Trail, doubts crept in at the end of the first day. However, at the junction the decision was to go and while the extra distance extended comfort zones it was an enjoyable experience for all. Then came the highlight of the ride ... the Cheviot Tunnel, a 201m long tunnel where the Scouts enjoyed climbing, riding, exploring and discovering. it was great fun.

After 160km of riding the Scouts finally arrived in Tallarook completing an enjoyable Adventurous Journey & the Rail Trail.

Scout Hike is an annual, state-wide hiking event for around 1,000 Scouts. implemented in the Tallarook State Forest, Scout Hike is designed to challenge Scouts to apply the skills they have learnt while earning points at a variety of Activity Points. Throughout the event Scouts choose their own route as they navigate their way around the Forest, before finishing the day at a Sleep Point.

While each Activity offers the Scouts an opportunity to implement their skills, it is also designed to further extend and enhance their skills. Areas covered by Activities included FUN, Construction, Entertainment, Emergencies, Citizenship, Campcraft & Environment.

Ready to push themselves to achieve our Scouts visited every activity on offered resulting in a GOLD Co-Holders Award and the third highest team score overall. Well done 1st Ballan.

Adventurous Journeys are not the starting point for youth when it comes to learning the fundamentals of an outdoor pursuit. It requires knowledge, skill acquisition, failures, successes, experience and motivation through youth lead sharing and programming to move into extended multi-day adventurous journeys.

With the beautiful Ingliston Gorge just down the road our Scouts challenged themselves to get out there and explore the Gorge during one of their evening programs. It was a great success with plenty of Scouts coming out for a night of walking, skill development, achievement and fun.

Throughout the walk the Scouts enjoyed the views and supported each other through the challenging sections of the walk as they found themselves deep in the Gorge only to realise that when it come to bushwalking, what goes down ... must go UP!!!

With bike riding a popular Termly Program for our Scouts the challenge to ride along the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail was eagerly accepted. With the trail being fully sealed, the downhill sections of the route were an easy glide where the Scouts simply enjoyed the views and chatted along the way.

While the uphill sections, slowed the group down and spaced them out along the trail, it was nothing beyond the ability of all riders and continued to offer impressive views of the Alpine Region. Along with views, the Trail utilised the old Railway Stations like Everton & Eurobin as well as the townships of Gapsted & Poerpunkah to create destinations where everyone could stop, check in, refuel, do running repairs & use the bathrooms.

With stunning weather along the way it was a fantastic experience and a ride that was thoroughly enjoyed by all while also challenging the group to do more riding by exploring more Rail Trails.

Mount Buffalo is a truly stunning destination offering endless views across the Australian Alps and throughout this Adventurous Journey everyone thoroughly enjoyed the amazing views. However, due to the heat our leader made a decision to start early ... very early so the heat of the day could be avoided ... a very wise leadership decision.

After enjoying early morning views from the Gorge on the Mt Buffalo Plateau it was time to walk off the mountain by completing the The Big down to Eurobin Creek. The clear blue skies made for perfect walking conditions and with most of the walk being a decent it was an enjoyable day for all. Day 2 saw the walk start on the Mount Buffalo Road before connecting with the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail and gliding through Porepunkah into Bright.

Day 3 saw the Journey start in the dark at 5am and it was a refreshingly cool walk along the trail into Wandiligong where everyone enjoyed a playground before walking back to finish the hike and enjoy a delicious breakfast.

Commencing in the pouring rain, the team showed a high degree of tenacity as they endured the conditions and supported each other through the first day of the walk along the Great Dividing Trail. It was wet, it was muddy, it was cool ... and it was Summer!!! But that didn't stop the team from enjoying the experience as they joked, laughed, smiled and motivated each other to continue and persist through the weather conditions.

With the Forest still wet, day two saw more favourable weather conditions as the walk went deeper into the Wombat State Forest, offering the team unique fern forests, little wetlands, small creeks and plenty of puddles as they continued to walk and explore. Arriving at Balt Camp with overcast by clear skies gave the team an opportunity to set up their camp and appreciate the surrounding area.

Walking into Nolan's Picnic Ground on day three saw the completion of an impressive expedition for a proud and happy team of adventurers.

What do you get if you give a group of Scouts water, tarps, tent pegs and liquid soap ... a whole lot of FUN.

With the challenge set, our Scouts worked as a team to create the biggest Slip 'n' Slide they could down the hill and into Caledonia Park. Although it took them awhile to get everything set up and prepared, it was well worth the wait ... it was the biggest Slip 'n' Slide they had ever created. With boards, inflatables and bathers ... they were ready to take on the Slip 'n' Slide and see who could conquer the ride.

It was awesome fun, with everyone getting involved and thoroughly enjoying sliding down the hill. Even the Leaders had a go also enjoying the experience. However, someone forgot to tell Gekko that the end of the ride stops at the end of the tarp ... not in the Werribee River & beyond!!!

Bring on more warm Scout nights!!!

Construction is one of the original core components of Scouting and something that continues to challenge Scouts all around the world today.

With the right skill set, experience and an appetite for challenge Scouts can construct anything using rope & wood. Throughout each Scout Program our Scouts are regularly challenged to construct gadgets of all shapes and sizes. As their journey progresses and their knowledge develops the requirements for construction get bigger and more challenging resulting in impressive inter-active gadgets everyone can enjoy.

Our Scouts thoroughly enjoy the teamwork, initiative and communication skills required to construct gadgets as they work together to solve design, construction and implementation challenges along the way. This enjoyment has been rewarded throughout their journeys with excellent results at a variety of competition Scout Camps.

Gilweroo is an awesome Standing Scout Camp that brings thousands of Scouts together over one weekend to pack in a variety of Jamboree style activities and experiences ... into two days!!! This is action packed, adrenaline rushed, fast paced Scouting adventure at its best.

To achieve your program over the weekend Patrols need to be organised, aligned and work with precision teamwork so that they don't miss out ... and that's exactly what our Patrols did at Gilweroo. Together they helped, supported, assisted, and encouraged each other to Be Prepared, move and engage ... end result, no-one missed out on the activities available to them and everyone had an awesome time.

Throughout the weekend our Scouts enjoyed abseiling, BMX bike riding, running, sliding, paddling, swimming, bouncing in the water and simply being about to relax and have fun together. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and two thumbs up weekend had by all.

The Fantastic Race is held across the State of Victoria with Scouts travelling wide and far to participate in a variety of Fantastic Activities.

Activities and experiences throughout the race may involve scavenger hunts, traditional wide games, points for/off, follow the spy, etc. Throughout the State, thousands of Scouts take to the streets, trains, buses and on bikes to compete in the race as Patrols. Together in their Patrols they were challenged to independently move from activity to activity gaining as many points as they can.

Our Scouts thoroughly enjoyed the event and independence, before being bused out to Gilwell Park where they stayed overnight and absolutely enjoyed exploring the Bouldering Walls.

The final day of the Fantastic Race was spent, discovering the animals at Healesville Sanctuary.

Returning to a favourite expedition destination our 1st Ballan youth were once again ready to explore, hike and conquer the Grampians National Park by participating in another Adventurous Journey. This time the journey would see them discover the sights and surrounds of Mt William.

As our adventurous youth eagerly headed out onto the trail, it didn't take long to realise that day 1 was going to be a tough day along a rugged route. However, our youth are resilient, confident and comfortable with challenge and with stunning views on a gorgeous day, they didn't let the rugged route hamper their enjoyment.

Throughout the entire Adventurous Journey, our youth supported each other to achieve, extend their comfort zones and build their experience while enjoying each other's company, admiring the views and having a lot of fun together along the way as they completed a fantastic Adventurous Journey.

Organised by a Scout to help others work on and achieve badgework, youth from 1st Ballan met at the Moorabool Landcare Network Nursery to support their needs in planting, maintenance and seed collecting. It was a fantastic day where a very small team achieved a lot ... including:-

Planting 1,400 plants in Tubes
Planting 50 plants next to the new toilet block
The upgrade of a heat booth which is now ready for service
Seeds collected from the front garden that were planted by our Scouts last time they visited

Overall, a very productive and enjoyable day had by all and the 1st Ballan Scout Group looks forward to maintaining and strengthening our friendship with the Moorabool Landcare Network by continuing to support them in the future.

To help our Scouts better understand community and how a community functions, they visited the local Ballan Police Station, where they learnt the roles of a Police Officer in helping maintain peace, cohesion and the law within society. During their the Police Officers happily answered many interesting questions to help the Scouts understand ... resulting in the Scouts being:-

Arrested
Interrogated ... or interviewed as the Police call it
Kitted out in Police uniform

It was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational evening for all and the Scouts are wonderfully appreciative of the Police Officers time, expertise, patience and honesty. THANK YOU BALLAN POLICE OFFICERS.

Travelling through to GWS Anderson Scout Camp the Scouts were excited to participate in the Bee Keeping Course and learn more about nature, honey, the environment and how to be Bee Keepers.

It was a wonderful course, and the Scouts thoroughly enjoyed it, especially when they had the opportunity to wear the Bee Keeping protective clothing and visit the hives. Prior to accessing the hives, the Scouts ignited the smokers which encourage the bees to eat resulting in them slowing down which makes it easier to access the hives. While the Scouts were informed that there could be up to 60,000 Bees per hive, fascinated by the experience the Scouts were simply mesmerised by the volume of bees within the hive and watched in awe as a frame full of Bees, honey and wax was removed from the Hive.

The Scouts learnt a lot throughout the course and were very proud to have successfully completed the program and become Bee Keeping Scouts.

The Grampians is a favourite place amongst the 1st Ballan youth ... where many challenges have been conquered and memories made. So, when a 3-day hike along the Grampians Peaks Trail was planned, our Scouts were keen to go, explore and discover.

In perfect hiking conditions, the Scouts departed Halls Gap and climbed up past Venus Baths towards the Pinnacle, where they enjoyed spectacular views. As the walk continued, so did the stunning views, before heading further into the forest. Arriving at the campsite the Scouts were amazed at the Hut located at Stoney Creek Campground. It was the best hiking hut they'd ever seen, complete with impressive views.

For the remainder of the afternoon the Scouts simply relaxed in the hut, occasionally coming outside to explore the tent campsite and enjoy the views. The Scouts were so impressed with the hut, and lack of other walkers in the area ... their tents remained rolled up & they chose to sleep in the hut for the night.

After the success of rockclimbing in the Grampians National Park in 2018, when the Scouts Rockclimbing Team offered an opportunity to climb at Mt Arapiles the youth said, "Yes please," and they were not disappointed. For two days they enjoyed challenging themselves on the rock walls around Mt Arapiles, while on occasions enjoying the views.

The first day was spent at Bushrangers Bluff, where the 1st Ballan youth teamed up with other Scouts from all over Victoria to climb a variety of routes throughout the day. It was great to see everyone support and encourage each other as individuals overcame perceptions to conquer their fears and achieve their goal of climbing.

Day two saw the 1st Ballan youth climbing on their own as they explored and discovered routes at Mitre Rock. Building on their experience from the previous day, many of the Scouts were able to further extend their comfort zone by climbing higher grade routes. A wonderful weekend had by all in fantastic climbing conditions.

In 1920, at the first World Jamboree at Olympia, London, Baden-Powell said:

"People give different meanings for this word, but from this year on, Jamboree will take a specific meaning. It will be associated to the largest gathering of youth that ever took place."

Every Jamboree since, Local, National & International has proven this definition correct ... with a large gathering of youth attending each one. VicJam was no different. With over 5,000 Scouts destined for Elmore our 1st Ballan Scouts excitedly boarded the bus ready to go. Along the way they made friends with Scouts from Norlane West, Bacchus Marsh and 1st Moonee Ponds / 17th Essendon and together they formed VicJam Unit 202. Once the Scouts had established the camp, it was time to explore the large Jamboree Site and become familiar with their new home.

Settling in on the first night the Scouts knew they were in for a hot, dusty & windy time of their lives ....

Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus ... SCUBA

With excitement all round the Scouts walked into the East Keilor Leisure Centre very keen to work with the Victorian Scout SCUBA Team to try SCUBA Diving for the first time. SCUBA Diving in a pool is a wonderful introduction, allowing everyone to safely swim, float and breath underwater in a controlled environment, and the Scouts were not disappointed.

Jumping in the pool the Scouts listened intently and very quickly put on their SCUBA gear. After a few more instructions the Scouts started to move to the bottom of the pool where they communicated with hand signals and practiced breathing and emergency techniques underwater. It was great fun and the Scouts thoroughly enjoyed the experience of simply being able to breath underwater and move gracefully. It was easy and great fun. As the Scouts confidence grew, they spent more time underwater swimming in the deep end of the pool, breathing and talking to each other using their new skills. Through this experience a few Scouts were keen to learn more and start SCUBA Diving in the ocean and beyond.

Arriving in the early evening the Scouts set up camp, settled in and went to bed before the rain arrived. Waking up next morning to a clear sky with white clouds all the Scouts were ready and eager to disappear under the ground and explore the caves in the amazing and unique World Heritage Site that is Budj Bim National Park.

Surrounded by forest and farmland the surprise of climbing to the top of a hill and viewing a lake was unexpected. It was a wonderful view. Then it was time to disappear ... Our first cave was a large opening that allowed us to walk through, enjoy, explore and learn.

Lesson No. 1 - Every mapped cave has a marker the size of a 5 cent piece at it's entrance ... we found our first marker.

Lesson No. 2 - Every mapped cave has a map, and just like a topographical map we learnt how to read the map, pinpoint features and estimate distances within a cave.

Arriving at the Hawthorn Rowing Club the Scouts located their canoes, life jackets and paddles before moving everything down to the water's edge. Once located on the edge of the Yarra River the Scouts had fun decorating their canoes with lights, torches and things that glowed in the dark, before finally jumping in the canoes and paddling across the river.

Safety instructions completed, the Scouts began paddling towards the Melbourne CBD. It looked amazing with all the craft lit up and as their lights reflected in the water, the Scouts paddled slowly downstream talking to each other and admiring the decorations on all the boats. It was a great sight to see. Along the way the Scouts disembarked onto Herring Island where they enjoyed a fantastic BBQ dinner.

Once back on the water the Scouts continued to paddle into the CBD paddling under bridges and simply enjoying the city landscape at night as the reflection from the city lights danced across the water and over the boats. It truly was a peaceful and wonderful paddling evening city experience.

Scouting is about being prepared, challenging yourself to achieve, supporting your community and growing through real life experiences. Young people aged between 5 – 26 engage in Scouting programs and opportunities to challenge themselves to be better, to serve and to contribute on a local, national, and international level.

Along the way friendships are made, memories are created, and unique skills are developed, and it is through the bonds of friendship that the 1^st Ballan Scout Group has witnessed a unique achievement. Within the 5 sections of the Scouting Association there is a Peak Award. A path that allows an individual to grow socially, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually as a character through exploration, discovery, and enhanced experiential education.

The Australian Scout Award is the Peak Award for youth aged between 11 – 15. Through the delivery of adventurous, fun, challenging and inclusive programs created and lead by Scouts, the Australian Scout Award helps elevate a Scout to learn new skills, connect with the outdoors, enhance friendships, and contribute to creating a better world.

Excited to experience, walk and explore a new walking track, we met up at the Ballan Scout Hall, divided up our food, tents, and cooking equipment between us and then departed ready to enjoy a walk along the Surf Coast. Arriving at Jan Juc Caravan Park we located our designated campsite, set up camp and then ate our pizzas for dinner, accompanied by some garlic bread and drinks. The Scouts and Leaders then had some social time to talk and get ready for bed. When we finally went to bed, we were ready to wake up, explore and enjoy the Surf Coast environment for a couple of days.

The next morning everyone packed up the inside of our tents, had our cereal and milk in a Ziplock bag for breakfast, packed down our campsite, fitted our packs, and departed at 8:30am. We walked 3.3km from the Caravan Park in town, out to the Bells Beach lookout where we had our first 10min break. By this time, we had now made it to the Surf Coast Walk trail, which we would now be following right to the end of the hike. Just after we left the lookout, our Leader tripped over whilst trying to take photos, she was alright after we helped her up, but now had a nice bruise on her forehead.

Accepting the challenge of organising and implementing a 3 day / 2 night Adventurer Level Hike excited me. I had seen and participated in a few Adventurer Level Hikes with my friends in Wilsons Prom, Brisbane Ranges, the Otways and on the Glenelg River. All different locations. All providing different experiences. All challenging us in a variety of different ways. All resulting in a lot of fun and learning throughout each journey.

However, this expedition would be different. No longer was I a supporting participant ... I was the leader ... and I chose to explore, discover and lead my team in the Little Desert National Park.

On the afternoon before my hike started, everyone met at Horsham Riverside Caravan Park where we distributed tents, food and Trangia’s and spend the night in Horsham before the hike began. We had pizza for dinner and got a good night sleep for the next day.

My adventure hike took place on the the Great Ocean Walk for a distance of 33.5 kilometres. There were 6 Scouts who participated in my hike including myself and 2 leaders.

On the first day of the hike all of the participants met up at the Scout Hall except for 2 who were already in the Otways Area ready to join us on the hike. At the Scout Hall I divided up the food and tents and helped pack it into everyone’s bags. We then split into the 2 cars and headed towards the Otways National Park and the Great Ocean Walk.

While this was the beginning of the hike, it had been a long and challenging journey just to get to this point ... planning, organising, promoting, oganising logistics and ensuring everyone had the correct gear and were ready to go. When we arrived at the Shelley Beach Picnic Area we helped finalise the packing of food and tents into everyone's bag, before we started walking.

Waking up to a world covered in frost and ice, the Scouts knew they were in for a great day of rockclimbing and when they arrived at the Cathedral Ranges, they were not disappointed. The sky was crystal clear, the wind was non-existent and the climbing location known as Fly Paper Wall was perfect.

Once harnessed and helmeted the Scouts walked to the climb site and then spent a very enjoyable day together as they moved between the six climbing ropes, challenging themselves to achieve their best while extending their comfort zones. Throughout the day the Scouts worked in teams of threes to belay, back-up belay and climb. It was wonderful to see the Scouts work together while constantly encouraging everyone on the wall to do their best.

For some it was easy, while for others it was a bit more challenging, but at different points and on different climbs each Scout had to stop, ponder and discover the best route before moving onwards and upwards. A perfect day of rockclimbing enjoyed by all thanks to the Scout Climbing Team.

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