Marking its centenary, 1st Walmer looks back on a century of camaraderie, skill-building, and community spirit while stepping confidently into the next 100 years of youth leadership and adventure!
Gqeberha, South Africa (07 September 2026) – For a century, 1st Walmer Scout Group has been helping young people grow, learn, and make a lasting difference in the community.
Their story began back in 1926 with a spark of enthusiasm and a single Wolf Cub Pack, created when local teacher Miss ET Crooks was asked to start a pack in a classroom at Walmer Primary School (now Settlers Primary). By November of that same year, the group’s very first Scout Troop was officially underway.
Over the decades, 1st Walmer’s journey led through some memorable homes – from a cosy wooden hut on the grounds of St. John’s Anglican Church, to an adventurous wartime spot in the loft of a 5th Avenue house during World War II. In the 1950s, the group finally settled into the Fordyce Road hall that remains its home today.
“A great deal has changed since 1926,” shares Scout Group Leader Cheryl Schroder.
“The world our first Cubs knew would be almost unrecognisable to the young people walking through our doors today.”
But the heart of Scouting hasn’t changed.
Scouting is a worldwide voluntary youth movement built around learning by doing. It’s where young people learn practical skills, independence, leadership, resilience and service to others while usually having a great deal of fun along the way.
One hundred years later, 1st Walmer is still welcoming young people through its doors and still trying to make a difference in their lives. Cheryl shares with us three stories that beautifully capture the club’s history better than any history book could:
4 Scouts, 1 Moment, Making A Difference
In 2012, four teenage Scouts from 1st Walmer were enjoying a day at the beach when they noticed a child with epilepsy in difficulty in the sea.
Related Stories
SA Stunt Woman Gets Epic Praise From Hannah Waddingham!
'I Could See You Needed Help' – We Should All Be a Goodie Like Rudi!“They didn’t stand back and wait for someone else to act. Drawing on the first-aid and emergency skills they had learnt through Scouting, they responded, helped rescue the child from the water and assisted until further help was available, says Cheryl.
She describes the heroic moment as one of being prepared, which stopped being a Scout motto and became something very real. Four young Scouts saw someone in trouble, had the skills and courage to act, and made a difference when it mattered most.
There Can Only Be One Baloo
When Jimmy and Barbara de Scande’s son, James, joined Cubs at 1st Walmer, they didn’t simply drop him off. They got involved.
Barbara joined the Committee, while Jimmy became a Pack Scouter and took the Scout name Baloo.
Over the years, Jimmy served 1st Walmer and the wider Scouting community in numerous roles, but it was his huge heart, his passion for young people and his desire to make a difference that people remember most.
James progressed from Cub to Scout and achieved the Springbok Scout Award, the highest award a South African Scout can earn.
Years later came a particularly special moment: Baloo had the privilege of investing his granddaughter, Lyra, as a Cub at 1st Walmer.
“Today, Lyra is a Scout entering her final year in the Scout Section, while her younger brother, Dexter, is about to begin his own journey as a Cub. Barbara is still very much involved too, serving as our Treasurer.”
When Jimmy passed away, 1st Walmer retired the Scout name Baloo, because there can only be one Baloo.
“One family. Three generations. And a wonderful example of how Scouting can become part of a family’s story.”
A Little Piece of History… And a Labour Of Love
The current Pack Scouter, Kendyl “KAY2” Schroder, has her own long history with 1st Walmer, from Cub, Scout, Scouter, Assistant Pack Scouter to Pack Scouter (Akela).
“As part of our centenary, KAY2 painted a 1st Walmer sign, but the story behind what she painted it on makes it rather special.”
Cheryl says the piece of concrete was once part of the steps of 1st Walmer’s original Scout hall. It has now been given a new life and placed in our Centenary Garden of Remembrance.
“For someone who first walked through 1st Walmer’s doors as a young Cub and is now leading today’s Cubs, there seems something wonderfully appropriate about turning a little piece of the Group’s past into something for its future. And if those old steps could talk… we’d probably be in trouble,” Cheryl teases.
The buildings have changed. Generations have come and gone. The activities and uniforms have evolved. But for 100 years, young people have been learning by doing, discovering what they are capable of, forming friendships, serving others and being encouraged to make a difference.
And 100 years later, the adventure continues.
A Centenary celebration will be held on Saturday, 12 September and will bring together generations of Cubs, Scouts, Leaders, families and friends who have been part of the 1st Walmer story over the past century.
Sources: Cheryl Schroder | 1st Walmer Scout Group
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes and hear their incredible stories:
Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 
