The 1st Rosebank Scouts group is elated that Scout Harry Musuku received his Springbok award, making him the youngest of 21 Gauteng Springbok Scouts in 2026.

Scouts is a global organisation of more than 60m people, with 10m members in Africa.

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Scouting teaches through doing, with a strong emphasis on leadership, teamwork, skills development, fun and initiative to tackle challenges. It gives youngsters adventure and practical skills in the outdoors, in their communities and in life.

Allan Seccombe, Troop Scouter at the 113-year-old 1st Rosebank, said Harry has been a dedicated cub and Scout, with a real passion for Scouting.

“He put an enormous effort into achieving his Springbok, the highest award a Scout can get, and we are extremely proud of him for doing so under challenging circumstances. He is an inspiration to our other Scouts who are now very keen to get their Springbok awards.”

The 18-year-old said he joined 1st Rosebank in 2018. “Mainly because I didn’t have much to do, so my mom thought Scouts was a good way for me to interact with other people.

There are different sections for different age groups, and when I joined, I was in the Cub section, which is where I received my Leaping Wolf badge, which is the highest award a Cub can get.”

The different sections are made up of the following age groups: Cubs are seven to 11 years, Scouts are 11 to 18 years, Rovers up to the age of 30, and then the adult leadership section.

Harry added that he became a Scout during the pandemic, which was not easy given the restrictions that people had to adhere to, making it difficult to do the outdoor activities Scouts are all about.

“I had to work my way through the advancement system, which has four levels: Traveller, Discoverer, First Class and Springbok, which is what I currently have and is the highest.”

Harry added that with every level he passed, he gathered the skills and experience he needed as he worked towards the Springbok accolade.

“It was in my First Class advancement that I decided that I wanted to work towards my Springbok. I worked towards it and then began the journey when I turned 16.

It took an entire year to complete because it entails a lot of work, planning and managing other Scouts, from the registration process, being interviewed, and then completing the goals I set for myself to achieve the accolade.”

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The Scout had to meticulously plan, manage and complete four major projects, which included leading a three-day, 30km hike with only other Scouts, a community service project that is not manual labour but makes a positive impact, a three-day troop camp that he had to lead while teaching many skills to younger Scouts, and managing a pioneering project, which entails engineering a large wooden structure secured only by ropes, and leading the other Scouts in building it.

Harry said being a Scout has shown him anything is possible if he puts his mind to it. “If I hadn’t joined Scouts, I might not have developed all the skills that I now have, or I wouldn’t have had the drive that I have when tackling things, especially my final exams.”

A legacy of excellence

1st Rosebank, founded in 1913, just six years after Scouts was started in the UK, has produced at least 70 Springbok Scouts as well as Queen and King Scouts since the early 1900s.

Join 1st Rosebank Scouts

Parents and children, girls and boys, who want to visit 1st Rosebank can become a Cub from ages seven to 11 or a Scout from ages 11 to 18. Interested people are encouraged to visit on Friday nights at 5 Selby Road from 17:30 to 19:00 for Cubs or 19:00 to 21:00 for Scouts.

Alternatively, email SGL@rosebankscoutgroup.co.za

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