Scout twins close in on Springbok badges

Twin 17-year-old brothers Nathan and Stephen Bosch, of 1st Muizenberg scouts, recently completed some of the tasks for their Springbok badges, the highest award a scout in South Africa can achieve.

On Saturday September 28, Nathan led a patrol of eight scouts in building a 7-metre-high hourglass tower.

Using only ropes and poles, they relied on their pioneering skills and used a variety of lashings to assemble and then dismantle the structure over six hours in heavy winds and drizzle, said 1st Muizenberg scout group leader Angela Lee-Wright.

The project began with Nathan creating a scale model, which had to be approved before the full construction could proceed.

A week ago, Stephen completed his three-day Springbok expedition, leading a patrol of five scouts on a 31km trek through the Cederberg mountain range, camping in the wilderness for two nights.

The expedition had presented unexpected challenges, but Stephen had demonstrated leadership and resilience throughout, Ms Lee-Wright said.

Ms Lee-Wright said that once they had completed all their tasks, a Springbok panel would review them to ensure all the tasks met the required standard.