Steve Gray YHS 1971 - Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers in Yallourn:
Way up past the pool was the YMCA hall and across from that was the Scout hall, It was big, or maybe I was small, it had various bits to it, like the Captain Hurley Rover Crew hut out the back, and a side storage area used for paper and bottle drives.
There were Cubs and two lots of Scouts when I started, the Cubs would bleat out their allegiance to the cub pack leaders, and bemused parents would watch on as their kids bleated as loud as they could, the Green caps, the shorts etc made an interesting look. I'm not sure I remember much about the exercises and tasks we did but I do remember we had fun in amongst the knot tying and working on merit badges.
Shelia and Ray Houghton did a great job of ensuring we were kept busy and I think they really enjoyed working with boisterous lads too! After them came June McDonald and another Assistant and I think that took things up to the end of cubs in Yallourn.
Mike Larkin was the Scout Leader followed by Craig Swindon of 1st Yallourn troop and one of the Driscoll boys ran 2nd Yallourn. In the Venturers, Vern Collings (I think) ran that, my brothers were into that, it faded by the time I got that level, so I helped out assisting the cubs.
We were lucky that outside we had a HUGE area to do activities, across the road was open paddocks and in the summer we would play all manner of games, advanced hide and seek, along with various sneak up and run activities. More knots, tents and camping... and a lot of First Aid practice. Dad and mum got on the committee and rallied the troops to line the inside of the hall with Masonite, kept things a bit warmer.
At the end of the season, there would be some form of entertainment, so the families joined in, the big tea pot was dragged out and through a servery window tea and coffee were dished out along with nibbles (Ladies please bring a plate...) The cubs would do a chunk of loud bleating, their allegiance to the queen and Baden Powell, and the Leader etc then a Wolf call welcome to the parents and family in attendance. Oh yes and the flag raising ceremony and heaven help you if it didn't unfurl or in set up or pack up the flag hit the ground!
Camping in tents that had no floors and let in strong breezes was the order of the day and often camps were held at Conan Park out the back of Yallourn North. I recall we buried a cabbage, the lads in my Patrol did not know how to cook it, so a hole was dug and a suitable cabbage burial was held with suitable saluting etc...
There are a lot of stories I could tell about mutinies on camps, getting lost on top of Mt Erica on the way to Baw Baw, pushing and shoving to get in line etc... but perhaps someone else can share their memories.
The Rovers met in their own hut and played Poker etc to wile away the hours, I feel sure there was more than one drinking session held to keep troop morale up.
Some wonderful times were had, some interesting camps attended and one night we had a flour fight with Scouts from Morwell that was very interesting I don't recall the point but it was very messy fun