Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) the enormous success the scouting and guiding movement has had around the world in promoting personal development programs for children and young adults from 5 to 25 years old; and

(b) that the world scouting movement was founded by Lord Baden-Powell in 1907;

(2) recognises that scouting is one of the most popular programs worldwide for personal development with over 500 million people going through the scouts and guides;

(3) further notes that in 2007 the scouting movement celebrated its 100th anniversary since its founding; and

(4) congratulates Scouts Australia, Girl Guides Australia and the World Organization of the Scout Movement for continuing to provide an outlet for children to channel their desire for adventure, education and fun, and for providing ongoing assistance around our communities.

There are certain qualities that many people aspire to which are highly valued in our society: being respectful, friendly and considerate; caring for others and the environment and using resources wisely; doing what is right and being trustworthy, honest and fair; doing your best; believing in yourself; learning from experiences; and facing challenges with courage. As a business owner and employer, these are the sorts of qualities I look for when I'm hiring a new employee or selecting someone for promotion. These important qualities are the values that are taught by Scouts and Girl Guides groups in my electorate of Longman and right across Australia. For more than 100 years the Scouts and Girl Guides have been helping to build and develop the confidence of young people, not just here in Australia but in many countries around the world. Children and young adults aged from five to 25 have been learning outdoor skills while developing a sense of adventure, teamwork, creativity and independence. The personal development programs of the Scouts and Girl Guides have been an important opportunity for young people in communities right across the country to develop the skills that put them on the path to future success.

Businessman Dick Smith, Formula One legend Sir Jack Brabham and celebrities like Shane Jacobson and Bert Newton were all once Scouts. Wildlife ambassador and TV personality Robert Irwin is a Scouts Queensland ambassador. Former Liberal Party leader Brendan Nelson was in the Scouts. Around the world, other famous Scouts include Billy Connolly, Bill Gates, Sir Paul McCartney, David Beckham, Venus Williams and Bear Grylls. The Scouts and Girl Guides are still amongst the most popular programs worldwide for personal development in young people.

In my electorate of Longman we are very blessed with six different Scout groups, in Woodford, Caboolture, Morayfield, Burpengary, Narangba and Bribie Island.

Thousands of people have been through the doors of these groups over the years, and there are currently about 350 youth members across these six groups. They continue to do a great job working with young people in my electorate and providing them with the skills and values that will help put them on the pathway to success.

Perhaps surprising in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, scouting in my home state of Queensland has seen significant growth in membership figures since April. Membership in the Longman scouting groups has increased 22.7 per cent in the past eight months, and that trend continues to rise.

When the schools and other organisations ceased to meet face to face back in April, Scouts Queensland launched the Scouting@Home program. More than 400 online resources were created, which enabled the Scouts to continue weekly meetings and activities. In fact many of the resources created in Queensland were used in other states as well.

The scouting theme for 2020, very appropriately, has been resilience. A recent survey conducted by Scouts Australia found that Scouts demonstrated a far wider range of resilient behaviours than their peers. Like many groups, they need volunteers to help out and there are a range of different roles available.

Local Scouts and Guides groups also need to raise funds so their members can enjoy the many activities and events these groups participate in. State scouting bodies have accessed government grants at different times, though most of their revenue comes from local fundraising activities, donations and membership fees. As you can imagine, COVID-19 restrictions have prevented many of these fundraising activities like the Bunnings sausage sizzles. Despite this, Scouts Australia is still going strong with around 70,000 members and it is part of a much larger global family.

The scouting movement around the world has around 40 million members. When the Scouts were first established in my home state of Queensland in 1908, the movement spread rapidly. It was soon apparent that many girls wanted to become Scouts too, and so the Girl Guides was formed the following year. There have been more than a million Girl Guides in Australia since that time. Globally, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts has 10 million members from 150 different countries.

Next year the Scouts in Australia will celebrate their 113th birthday and the Girl Guides their 112th. Congratulations Scouts Australia, Girl Guides Australia and the World Organization of the Scout Movement for helping our kids learn the values and skills that ultimately make our communities a better place in which to live.

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