Michael Omand, a local scout, recently received the Springbok Scout Award. It is the highest honour that a South African Scout can earn. Less than one per cent of South African Scouts ever achieve this honour and the 1st Bedfordview Troop is particularly proud of its latest recipient of the green and gold.

Michael moved to Scouts at the age of 11 from the Cub pack and his seven-year journey towards Springbok was a great adventure for him. Highlights of his Scouting career included representing South Africa at the World Scout Jamboree in Japan in 2015 and completing the gruelling 10-day PLTU leadership course.

There were a number of things that Michael did as part of the award campaign, he:

• planned, organised and ran a 40-hour community service project clearing invasive species from the Bill Stewart Nature Reserve.
• planned and ran a camp for 16 other Scouts in the Maretlwane Conservancy
• planned and ran a gruelling 30km hike in the rugged Magaliesberg Mountains, including a kloofing expedition down Tongkwane Gorge.
• underwent an eight-day survival camp on the banks of the Pogola River
• organised a variety of trips, hikes and camps for his patrol (which included a trip on a steam train to the Cullinan Diamond Mine); and finally
• Michael planned and built a monkey bridge with a tower (6m high)

Michael is currently completing matric at St John’s College.

For more information about Scouting in Bedfordview, contact Andrew at andrew.campbell@scouts.org.za