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We asked our chairman for a few words describing Kudu and his influence on the troop...;
All good stories stories start with "One day ..." so ...
One Tuesday evening, I arrived at the Randpark Ridge Scout Hall to pick-up my son, Matthew. As is normal, a couple of the Bushhill Scout Troop dads arrive a few minutes early to "shoot the breeze" whilst waiting for their sons to tidy up. The was a new boy this particular evening - in uniform but about 6 feet 4
inches (tall and wide) and with a strange accent.
We were later introduced to this guy - Rich, on a working visit to South Africa and due to his interest in scouting, volunteered to join a Scout Group in the Johannesburg area. Fortunately, the powers that be in the South African Scout Association directed Rich to our Group.
He was quickly christened Kudu by the boys. There are probably many memories of Kudu's visit which those associated with Bushhill will remember him by but there are two which stand out for me, both in the way it impressed me and the impression he left on those at Bushhill.
The first was during a weekend camp at the scout hall. Deep into the second day, nerves between the boys became frayed and tempers took over. Scuffling got out of hand between two boys and one of the boys decided, there and then, to pack up his bags (literally) and leave the camp and scouting forever. Kudu was on his way back from picking up food for the scouts when he saw the boy running away from the hall. He jumped out of his car and chased the boy down. Once Caracal and Kudu had calmed him down, they had a long, long discussion with him about scouting, the fun, its values and the lad's future in scouting.
The second memory was that of Kontiki 1998. Since Kudu was over the age limit and not really a scout, special permission was needed for Kudu to sail on the Bushhill raft, together with the scouts. When the raft was launched, he couldn't wave to the crowd on the bank as his weight caused the raft to list dangerously - he had to retreat to the far side to maintain balance. He
spent the entire wet evening onboard, keeping the boys entertained and occupied.
So what was so special about the two memories - Kudu was always willing to bring himself down to the level of even the youngest scout. He was able to communicate with them and gain their respect. Through simply enjoying scouting and having fun, he managed to create a link between himself and the scout.
Nothing was ever too demeaning or difficult for him. The boy in the first incident says that he will stay in Scouting FOREVER! Bushhill came Second overall in Kontiki 1998! These weren't obviously all because of Kudu, but in a small way, he had an influence on both these occasions.
During the short period that Kudu was with Bushhill, I believe that he positively changed many a young mind's (and parent's) view on scouting, people and life. I look forward to the day when Kudu returns to Bushhill.
Kevin Fah - Chairman (1998) Randpark Ridge Scout Group Parent Association
