Des loves just Scouting around

By Bridget Brady
LIKE most others, Des Kleeman got roped into starting Scouts.
But unlike many, the Pearcedale resident has clocked up an impressive 50-year milestone as a Scouts leader.
Mr Kleeman, 70, was not in Scouts as a boy, but he started as a leader in the former Pearcedale Scouts group as a 17-year-old.
He has volunteered his leadership services in various parts of Australia and is now the district leader for the Mornington Peninsula.
One of his highlights was a visit to South Korea in 1991 for a World Scout Jamboree.
“I have met a lot of friends all over the world and never regretted being in Scouts,” he said.
For the last 20 years, Mr Kleeman has trained Venturers and guides Scouts who are undertaking their Queen’s Scouts Award.
Fifty years has flown for Mr Kleeman, as he now watches the children of previous Scouts come through the ranks.
“It’s great to look back at that,” he said.