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ONE man who has plenty of stories to tell about the 1st Bega Scout Group is Brian Sirl, who has been with the club for 36 years.
He first joined the Bega club when his son was in Scouts and has been an assistant club Scout leader or an Akela ever since.
Mr Sirl is in fact the second-longest serving Scouts member of the Far South Coast – beaten by a few years from one member in Eden.
Mr Sirl said the reason why he first stepped into the role was because his son and the other children were not having a lot of fun, so he and some others hoped to improve that.
Improve he did, with the Bega Scout Group becoming such a success 25 years ago that they had six leaders and 40 Cubs split into two packs.
The secret was having every minute programmed to hold the kids’ attention, Mr Sirl said.
“It’s hard to get kids away from computer games and things these days, but it really does them good to get a break,” he said.
“I never miss a night, because you don’t want to miss out on the fun.”
One change that has stuck in his mind over the years was how the children used to ride their bikes down to the hall on the nights the club would meet.
He has fond memories of the other leaders, parents and children he has met over the years.
“The other leaders were always good; I’ve met a lot of good people here,” he said.
Scouts has become a family affair for Mr Sirl, as he now has his grandchildren in the Cubs group and enjoys having the opportunity to spend more time with them.
“It’s enjoyable going out with the kids and having a bit of fun,” he said.
Scouts is not just for the children’s benefit either.
“You get the parents down here and they all have a good time,” he said.
“The parents get down to an eight-year-old’s level and have more fun than the kids!”