Good Sorts - Waimate Scout Group Venturers

Volunteering in the community is a key focus for the Waimate Scout Group Venturers, as it is an important part of their badge work and obtaining their King Scout Kauri Award (Kauri Award).

Waimate Venturers are Lewis Gardner (15), Kahlyn Scobie (16), Jonty Charles (14), Riley Olsen-Taylor (15), Daniel Eason (16), and Patrick Partleton (18), who attended his last Scout event as a Venturer in January 2025.

Throughout their time as Venturers they have learnt a variety of things about the importance of volunteering in the community, as well as actively volunteering within it.

They have volunteered for Waimate Street Cats, Red Cross and at Positive Waimate’s Christmas Parade. They helped at Bushtown's Fright Night and Steam Up Weekend, running Bushmans’ Hut Base and assisted the Waimate Lionesses at the Strawberry Fair, by helping to run the Chocolate Wheel. They have also done rubbish clean up at Hook Beach and Waimate Cemetery, especially after Australia and New Zealand, Army Corps (ANZAC) Day.

Lewis has recently achieved his Chief Scout Award and also volunteers at the Waimate Shears.  He said he likes volunteering in Waimate because everyone is able to enjoy and be involved in what the community has to offer.

Being a Venturer has taught him that if you give to the community, it will give back to you. “Volunteering can help people in need, like elderly or disabled people that can’t do their own thing[s]”  said Lewis.

Daniel, who helps the elderly stacking wood, said Waimate is “just right” for him and volunteering in it has helped to make him a “better person”. He said he has learnt through Venturers that communities need extra help when it comes to setting up and holding events for the community to enjoy. “Volunteering, you get to learn things…and see how things work and understand it. I now understand what it takes to set up something for an event or fundraiser”.

Jonty has been on the Bushtown committee through Waimate High School and has recently been volunteering to run trap lines at Waimate Point Bush Eco-Sanctuary and Kelceys Bush.  He said volunteering through Venturers is what led him to be able to volunteer running the trap lines. Because Waimate is small and easy to get around it makes volunteering and doing other fun activities easier.  “I have just been awarded my Chief Scout [Award], of which volunteering is a large part of the requirements, so with doing the traplines, it put me in great stead”.

Riley, who has voluntarily helped at Waimate Main School filling fruit buckets for them and at their Breakfast Club, said Waimate is a safe place to live and the people in it keep him persevering in the things he does. He said attending Venturers encourages him to continue with his volunteering and challenges him. “[I]n the future I want to help elderly at Lister Home”.

Kahlyn, who is from Oamaru and attends school there, has helped at Te Pakihi School’s Breakfast Club, planted trees for St Kevin’s Day, as well as volunteering at Food Drives and at Oamaru Scout Groups’, Kea and Cubs. She said she likes attending Venturers in Waimate and volunteering as she wants people to enjoy themselves. Venturers has taught her that volunteering can help people in need, like feeding the hungry. “It has a good impact on the world”.

Patrick was the last Waimate Venturer to receive his Kauri Award in December 2024. “[The Kauri Award] took four years to achieve, requiring organising and running activities, learning and honing new skills and doing 50 plus hours of voluntary service in the Waimate community,” he said.

Through his volunteering Patrick also received the Waimate District Council Civic Award in 2024, for his volunteering in the local community.

He  recently moved to Christchurch, which gave him the opportunity to carry on with Scouts and join the Deans Rover Crew. Rovers being the oldest participating Scout section, catering for ages 18 to 25 years, which has allowed him to continue with his volunteering.

Patrick said Waimate is a very “warm, welcoming community”. He said volunteering is rewarding, especially seeing the outcome of your hard work and the effect it has on the community. “[T]he people of Waimate like to get involved and want to give back, which makes me want to do the same”.

Waimate Venturers leader Joanne Wilson said being a Venturer was about learning new skills and being able to communicate with the community while also socialising with others their age. She said Venturers is an exciting experience for members, that is practical and fun to participate in. Their motto being ‘Accept the Challenge’.

In the four year period that Scouts are Venturers, they can obtain a variety of awards and badges for learning about creating a “Better World” and for “Adventure Skills”. In earning their Better World Badges they learn about and do a large proportion of volunteering. They learn about supporting their community and giving back to make it a better place to live.

The badges they can earn are: Community, Sustainability, Conservation, Antarctica, Peace Education, Civil Defence, Well Being, Climate Change and Kai, as well as their Chief Scout Award and ultimately the Kauri Award.

If you would like to know more about the Waimate Scout Group and what it is all about, you are welcome to contact Joanne on 0274836250.

By Amelia King