Greenside Scout discusses how Scouts changed his life
Troop leader of 1st Greenside Scouts Nick de Klerk talks to us about his life as a Scout, and the impact it's had.
Back in 1996, when Nick de Klerk joined the Scouts, little did he know the impact being part of this movement would have on his life.
“I would not be where I am without scouting,” he said. “The biggest skill I have gained is the ability to work with different people, with different skillsets, as part of a team, either as a leader or as a team member.”
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His favourite aspect of Scouts is not what it requires; it’s what the Scouts get out of doing the activity. In his opinion, though a camp is great fun, it isn’t just about them being able to camp. “It’s that the Scout leading the hike got to do planning, budgeting, and logistics. The Scouts taking part get to be outdoors, develop interpersonal skills, overcome challenges, and take charge of their own cooking and hygiene. Camping isn’t what we teach. It’s how we teach.”
Being the troop leader at Emmarentia-based 1st Greenside Scouts, De Klerk, who is in his mid 30s, finds working with an exciting group of teenagers allows him to constantly keep ensuring his own outlook on life keeps evolving, and, as Scouts age and new ones enter the troop, it allows for him to meet new people and face new challenges. It ensures he never gets stuck or stale.
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For him, great leadership is, at its core, a service. “You serve those you are leading. The leader is not more important than any other member of the team, they simply have a different role to play. That role is to actively work to get the rest of the team to achieve the best they can, both individually, and as a collective.”
Through the years, he has had many memorable experiences. As a Scout, it was learning survival skills 18 years ago. As a Scout leader, it was organising a night hike for the Scouts across Johannesburg.
The experience has not been without its challenges, and Covid-19 was a massive challenge as a Scout leader. “Keeping kids involved and interested, in what is a fundamentally outdoor and interpersonal activity, while we could not be together, was challenging.” Their first organised hike along the Braamfontein Spruit, once lockdown restrictions were relaxed, remains a highlight, as everyone was just so excited to be outdoors again.
The spirit of Scouts lies in it being a world wide movement. “We had a Scout from Australia ring us up a few years ago. He was in SA for six months to work on a contract, and contacted us as the nearest Scout group.” Though they knew nothing about each other, other than they were Scouts, that was all this Scout group needed to make a great friend. They are all still in touch to this day.
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