Scouting in the Australian Capital Territory

infobox WorldScouting

---

caption = Scouts Australia Logo
name = Scouts Australia
headquarters =
country = Australia
f-date = 1908
founder = Lord Baden Powell
members = 84 000 [ [http://www.apr.scout.or.jp/countries/australia.htm WOSM Asia-Pacific Region] Accessed 14 December, 2006 ]
chiefscout = Michael Jeffery [http://www.scouts.com.au/main.asp?iStoryID=734 Chief Scout] Accessed, 14 December 2006 ]

Scouting in the Australian Capital Territory is predominantly represented by the branch of Scouts Australia in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia.

The Branch is divided into five Scout regions, each headed by a Regional Commissioner:-
* Brindabella, covering the district of Tuggeranong
* Ginninderra, covering the district of Belconnen
* Gungahlin, covering the district of Gungahlin
* Hindmarsh covering the district of South Canberra, Weston Creek and Woden Valley
* Limestone Plains, covering the district of North Canberra

There are 28 Scout Groups including three Sea Scout Groups, an Air Scout Group, a Police Scout Group and a Mountain Scout Group.

The Air Scout Group traces its roots back to 1925, as the 2nd Canberra (formed 1925) and the 1st Yarralumla Groups merged in 1961 to give the LaTrobe Park Group, which later became the Air Scouts Group. The Police Scout Group was formed more recently in 1999 as an experiment to attract young people who were not in Scouting. As well as the normal program it has an interest in crime prevention and police awareness.

History

The Branch started in 1981, but Scouting started much earlier with the formation of the 1st Canberra Scout Group in Canberra in 1917. [cite web | year = 2007 | url = http://vrroom.naa.gov.au/print_display.aspx?ObjectType=SingleRecordPrint&irecordid=799 | title = photograph of members of the Fourteenth Canberra Troop of Boy scouts erecting a tent at an unidentified location near the Murrumbidgee River, in Australian Capital Territory | work = Learning content partnership | publisher = National Archives of Australia | accessdate = 2008-02-14 | quote = ... although scouting began in Australia in 1908, the First Canberra Scout Troop was not formed until 1917; in 2005 the ACT had 37 troops and 8 Rover 'crews'.] “The First Canberra Federal Scout Troop” was originally registered on 27 January 1917.cite news|title= Development Diary |url= http://www.act.scouts.asn.au/ACTScouts/Sites/WoggleAug06/comweb.asp?page=8063 |work= Woggle News|publisher= ACT Scouts |date= August 2006 |accessdate= 2008-02-14 ] This Group appears to have closed for a while, as it was reregistered in 1925, the year when the 2nd and 3rd Canberra Scout Groups were formed. Prior to official registration, 1st Ainslie met as an unregistered Group in 1915/16.

In 1927, Lord Baden Powell visited Canberra and reviewed the local Scouts. Canberra Scouts together with members from other States provided support for the opening of Parliament House. The Scouts camped behind the Prime Minister's Lodge in Deakin. The scouts helped with car parking, carrying messages, and stoking the wood-fired boilers at the restaurant marquees.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://www.act.scouts.asn.au/ActScouts/sites/ACTSCOUTS | title = Scouting ACT | format = | work = ACT Scouts | publisher = Scouts Australia | accessdate = 2006-11-23]

In 1934, Canberra Scouts attended the first Australian Scout Jamboree in Frankston, Victoria near Melbourne.

Lady Baden-Powell visited Canberra in 1948 and attended a reception in the grounds of Acton House. She visited again in 1967 when a rally was held at the Manuka Oval.

In 1957 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary, a camp was held in front of the Australian War Memorial.

Before 1981, Scouts in Canberra were part of the New South Wales branch.

On April 1 2006, Scouts in the Australian Capital Territory celebrated their branch's 25th anniversary with a party in Glebe Park, Canberra where they were presented with the Key to the City of Canberra in recognition of service to the community. The scouts have decided to use the privilege to camp overnight in otherwise forbidden places in the city, for example on top of Mount Majura which is part of the Canberra Nature Park, under the Giant Mushroom in Belconnen Markets, in the middle of Page Oval and on an island in Lake Tuggeranong.cite news
first=Victor
last=Violante
author=
url=
title=Scouts win right for one night in forbidden places
work=
publisher=The Canberra Times
pages=
page=15
date=2 April 2006
accessdate=2006-04-02]

In 2006 there are approximately 1800 scouts in Canberra and 430 adult scout leaders.

ee also

*Baden-Powell Scouts' Association

References

External links

* [http://www.act.scouts.asn.au/ACTScouts/default.asp ACT Branch web page]