Publication: ph11042012

The country’s Scouts are enjoying an action-packed year with a range of activities on land, in the air and on water.

Scouts national fundraising and marketing manager Tony Hickmore says one of the biggest events is the national regatta to on Lyttleton Harbour which was held  from April 6 to 11. Hundreds of scouts from up and down the country raced cutters on the harbour. “It’s a like a wet jamboree,” says Mr Hickmore.

He says organising the event was a huge logistical exercise, not only getting the scouts there and home again but also arranging safe transport for all the boats.

National Cub Day took place on March 11. Cubs throughout the country celebrated the occasion with a camping weekend.

Meanwhile, Rovers (Scouts aged between 20 and 26) took part in the National Moot to be held in Kaikohe between April   5 and 9.  “It’s an annual get together where they do community service.”

Mr Hickmore says at last year’s moot in Dunedin 200 Rovers went to a school where they fixed fences, repainted buildings, recatalogued the library and tidied the place up.

Other events on the Scouts calendar this year include the National Caving School at Waitomo from April 15 to 21, the Snow School on Mt Ruapehu from September 30 to October 7 and the Mountaincraft School also at Mt Ruapehu from October 7 to 12.

Later in the year Scouts will hold a charity golf tournament in conjunction with Autism New Zealand, while in May Scouts throughout the country will be selling a Scout-branded chocolate bar as a fundraiser for local groups.

Further information on Scouts’ activities is available from www.scouts.org.nz