Supplied: Cheryl Reddan
This story is not just about a Scout Group celebrating a milestone. This is a story about how 1st Gladstone Scout Group became a family across generations.
For 110 years, 1st Gladstone Scout Group has been helping young people in Kimberley discover who they are, develop confidence and serve their community. Over more than a century, thousands of children have walked through its doors, each leaving with memories, friendships and values that would stay with them for life.
Few people understand that legacy better than Scout Group Leader Cheryl Reddan. Although Cheryl officially became a Scouter years later, her family’s connection to Gladstone stretches back generations. “My maternal grandparents were involved in Gladstone in the 60’s. “Kudu” Rawson was the Scout Group Leader and Joyce served on the committee. When “Kudu” left Gladstone, Joyce ran the Methodist Brownie Group with my mother, Lynne Webster, as her assistant. I was a Brownie and left the Movement shortly after going up,” explains Cheryl.
Everything changed when her eldest daughter Heather was invited to a Scout meeting by a friend. “The bug bit hard,” Cheryl laughs. “She has never been a girly girl and the whole Scout Movement suited her personality perfectly. My younger daughter Nicole then also joined Scouts.” Soon thereafter, Cheryl herself received a gentle but persistent invitation from then Scouter Judy Lyle. “She decided that I WOULD get involved in the Group as a Scouter. At the time I had my “Laat Lammetjies” Carrig and Orin so was probably more of a Drop Off parent, though I always attended meetings and assisted when I could. I promised Aunty Judy that as soon as Carrig was old enough to join Cubs I would join as well. I think it was literally on Carrig’s 7th birthday that I got the call from Aunty Judy about starting. So, I kept my promise and joined as the Pack Scouter. With no clue and no training… I dove headfirst into the position and fell in love with each and every Cub.” That decision would shape not only Cheryl’s life, but the lives of hundreds of young people who have since passed through Gladstone.
Source: 1st Gladstone Facebook Page
“The Group was originally established in 1916 as Gladstone Railway Scouts, serving boys connected to Kimberley’s railway community. When the original Scout hall burnt down during the 1960s, leaders negotiated with the municipality for land at New Park. Volunteers, families and neighbouring Scout Groups came together to build a new hall—a home the Group still uses today,” she continues.
Since then, the Group has always been able to rely on Kimberley families and communities who have rallied for Gladstone and stood behind the Group over the years. “Kimberley people are a special group, ask anyone who has met a Kimberlite and majority of the time, you will only hear “great” people. To this day, we can call on people that have already left the Movement for assistance and within a short time have a list of willing assistance. For example, Covid was a very difficult time for the Group as we needed to keep youth involved and active with Scouting “online”. We also sadly lost our Scout Group Leader Darren Heins to Covid. This devastated the Group and I am sure for many of our young people it was the first time they dealt with losing a loved-one. The Regional Team assisted in the transition after losing our leader, as only myself and Melissa can der Merwe remained. Our parents’ support during this time was heartwarming.
Chief Commissioner Gary Pienaar and CEO Wayne du Plessis visted the Group’s Mall Activation recently.
As with any Scout Group and Scouting as a whole, the Movement keeps up with the times while staying true to our basic beliefs. Including girls into the Movement more than 20 years ago is an example of this. The Group itself has always listened to our youth. For a while we were hesitant to put our Group on social media, we are now more and more active as we are getting comfortable with this “new” platform. The youth’s challenges have also changed and as leaders we are always trying to be supportive and understanding of these changes. By making sure that our Group is a safe space with empathetic leaders, has inspired our youth to remain loyal to 1st Gladstone.”
When asked what role parents play in sustaining a Scout Group for over a century, she says: “I always say there are two groups of parents, the ‘involved’ and the ‘drop offs’. The drop off parents normally don’t have the time, passion or energy to get actively involved in the Group BUT they are still important. Without them our members wouldn’t be at meetings, they assist our young people with tasks at home, they give them the emotional support to complete tasks and to be the best they can be. The involved parents are the “usual” faces we see at all events and meetings. They are not quite prepared to be “Adult Helpers” but if we call for assistance, donations or meetings they show up. At any given time, the ratio of drop off to involved varies, but I can proudly say that most times Gladstone’s involved parents do outweigh the drop off ones.”
That sense of belonging is perhaps the Group’s greatest strength. “Scouting gives us a community to help raise children. The saying goes, ‘It takes a village’—Scouting is the village and more.” As a Scouting Community 1st Gladstone also gives back to the community in which they operate through various community service projects such as clean-ups, donation drives for the local SPCA, orphanages, and old age homes. In addition to the donations the Scouts also spend time with the animals, children or the elderly and play games and give them a memory to hold on to. “Youth enjoy interacting with the community and it is part of our duty to keep giving back,” explains Cheryl.
Scouts bring a smile to the elderly.
Looking back, she still believes that joining Scouting gave her an opportunity to invest in the future of young people. “I joined because of the amazing opportunity to assist our youth, to invest in our future, to help mould the people who are still to come. How could I not utilise it with everything I have? We are basically given all the tools to become part of the future with the young people we serve. Even one day when we are gone, these kids will be living their lives with the skills, confidence and basic grounding they learnt at Scouts. Being a parent these days, is extremely tough. The world has gotten hard and sometimes savage. Scouting gives us a community to help raise children. My girls both spent their teenage years in the Scout Movement. I saw many of their friends “going off the rails” or disrespecting their parents or struggling with being a teenager. I always brag that I had the “easiest” teenagers with my girls and I always say that Scouting helped,” she explains with a grin.
When thinking of the special moments she has lived in Scouting, she pauses and says:” The awards are great achievements, but my heart swells when I get my Friday night hug from my regulars, or walking through a shop and get rugby-tackle-hugged by one of the kids, or getting messages from parents about how we have impacted their children’s lives. I remember walking into a supermarket and this very deep voice said Hello Aunty Chez and I got a bear hug… being this person’s chest height it took me a moment to look up and it was my first Leaping Wolf recipient, Ethan, almost all grown up, head and shoulders taller than me, but still with all the respect and poise of the little boy I had in my Pack years before. The memories and heart swelling joy that flood a person cannot be described!”
Isabel Cleaver, RC Lucky Maarman &Cheryl Reddan
After all these years of service Cheryl has been an integral part of shaping the childhoods and the lives of many young people and volunteers alike. What motivates her to continue investing in youth development? “Every new member is so different and has so many talents. I would have thought that by now I had “seen it all” but each and every one of them surprises me. From the quietest soul to the one everyone hears from a mile away. Their motivation, their joy and their passion just make me want to share it with as many youth as I can. If I could go up to every child and explain just what they were missing not being a part of our Movement I would. Also, I have seen how being part of a team of supportive people has helped youth find their safe place to speak and to be. I have always felt that for my girls going through the tough high school years, there could have been times they felt they couldn’t share with us parents, maybe they thought we wouldn’t understand, maybe they couldn’t find the words, but Scouts gave them that extra family that would understand, that would have the words.”
Cheryl has also encouraged adults to discover strengths they never knew they had. Former Scout Group Leader Isabel Cleaver is one of them. After Cheryl encouraged her to become more involved in Scouting, Isabel discovered new confidence, leadership skills and a passion for mentoring young people—proof that Scouting transforms volunteers just as much as it transforms youth.
So, what do the next 110 years look like for the Scout Group in Kimberley? Cheryl’s hope is beautifully simple. “I hope 1st Gladstone continues supporting the youth and being a part of their lives. Bringing hope and joy and fun to as many young people as we can. And for every young person who walks through the doors of 1st Gladstone Scout Group, have fun and be respectful. The rest will follow.”