By Brendan Rees
The First Cranbourne Scout Group hall is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary with a $200,000 makeover.
The iconic hall, which was built in 1961, will undergo some much-needed renovations over the next six to eight weeks to ensure it stays “much a part of the local community”.
Works include asbestos removal, kitchen and bathroom renovations including accessibility, facade replacement, a new accessibility ramp, and general structural repairs.
The project was made possible thanks to a State Government funding grant and a loan from Scouts Victoria – which comes at a “great time” as members prepare to celebrate the hall’s 60th anniversary next year.
Past Group Leader at the First Cranbourne Scout Group Troy Kenward persisted in seeking support from Scouts Victoria to have the works approved. He came on board in 2016 and has seen the group grow to more than 90 members in that time. He has since handed the reins to Kerryn Maxwell as Group Leader.
They both praised the efforts of the Scout Group who had worked hard fundraising over the past few years including selling Christmas trees and holding raffles and barbeques at Bunnings.
And they will continue fundraising once restrictions ease with the hope of adding a sealed carpark, along with an updated Venturer Den which will include cabinets to store some Cranbourne Scout Group memorabilia.
In spite of the challenges this year, scouting has continued with leaders and the committee providing online programs for its youths including cooking, construction, games, virtual camps and more.
As a strong uniformed group, the leaders believed its scouts had needed more support than ever during this difficult time.
Knowing that families were doing it tough, Scouts Victoria made the decision in June not to charge membership fees – with scouting currently free for existing and new members.
The Scouting Group said it looked forward to moving forward into the new year, and hoped to hold a reunion for those connected with the Scout Group towards the end of 2021.
The committee and leaders thanked the community for their support, and noted any monetary donations were tax deductible.
