At the tender age of 11 Henri Theron walked into the 1st Monte Vista Scout Hall and has loved it ever since “My father brought me to join Scouting as he was a Scout when he was a boy and he knew that I was already “a scout at heart”. I remember him telling as much to my Scout leader the day I started. I always enjoyed being outdoors and all of those things. My parents also brought me there so that I would make a lot of new friends as I was being home schooled. Seven years later I still love it and we have a tight knit brotherhood of friends!”
When asked why he loves Scouting so much Henri responds “Mainly I love being in the outdoors and the activities that we do, but a close runner up is all of the people that I’ve met over time and I have made countless very good friends. The experiences that I’ve had with them are countless and bond us.”
“My favourite set of memories all originate from participating in PLTU, the SCOUTS South Africa Patrol Leader Training Unit camps. Here they taught a large group of us the key points of being a good leader and how to get the best out of life. The way it is run is just so amazing and spending 9 days camping really makes you get to know everyone very well.”
It has been said that being in the Scouting Movement provides positive peer pressure as all of you are striving for success. Henri agrees and stated “I totally agree with that statement all the way, when one of us is down the rest will pick that person up and set them on the right path. Whenever I was unsure of what to do I could always count on my peers and/or Scout leader to help me. I find that Scouts has the best set of role models possible and they always show us what is best for us and others
Earlier this year Henri Theron matriculated from Fairbairn College in Goodwood. He mostly excelled in Geography and attributes this to his mapping skills which he learnt through Scouting. When asked if Scouting in any way contributed to his success in school he replied “Scouting teaches us to excel not only in Scouting skills but to also to stay focused on school work and sport so that we all grow up to be useful and intelligent members of the community. I found that it did help me to focus on school work at times as they taught me about setting my priorities right. I have also done very well in projects since I was able to apply planning skills that I learnt from Scouts and I received a 96% mark for a massive report. I matured quite fast due to Scouts so this helped me with the learning process too.
This year Henri has taken some time out to work abroad. “Scouting has opened so many doors and possibilities for me to go to places that would be on everyone’s bucket lists. It is quite easy for me to get into these things and plan out my life. “He plans on working in the Scouting Centres in the US and the UK in order to broaden his horizons and enhance his Scouting abilities before returning to South Africa to pursue his studies.
“Scouting is the best organization to join as it has a massive group of friendly people that can help you become a better person and to have the best time of your life! I loved every single time that I went to Scouts and as an adult I still go to meetings to help lead. There are so many possibilities for each type of person. The movement has been designed so that you can take the hobbies that you enjoy and really excel in them so that you could even make that your dream job one day. “