Epping North Scouts is celebrating its 10th year in 2026, and group leader Laura Game said she is proud of how far the group has come.
“I’m passionate about this group after [being involved for] so long it’s been exciting to watch us grow and shape in the community,” Ms Game said.
She said it is rewarding to see how much young people grow in scouting.
“Kids that join scouting are more confident in themselves and more likely to keep out of trouble.
“The growth that I see from a kid who starts at five who is shy, and then they turn out as an independent 12-year-old showing younger ones the way.
“Scouting is really great socially, spiritually and for their personal growth as well.”
Ms Game said a large part of Epping North Scouts has been giving back to the community and the environment.
“We always have fundraisers and barbecues, at the Whittlesea community festival we do crafts and rope tying with the community.
“We do tree planting days where we plant 200 trees over one weekend, we also plant, look after and document a community garden so anyone can go and pick herbs and use them.”
She said scouting has come a long way since being founded in the early 20th century.
“Its not just for kids, adults can do scouting too… it is also not just for boys, we welcome as many females as we do our males.”
Ms Game said since becoming group leader three years ago, she has been passionate about growing her scouting community.
“I love that we cater towards all kinds of diversity, if we have children with disabilities, mental health or special needs we will tailor our program to ensure that they can benefit at their full potential.”
