The Cora Lynn Scout Group.
Mike Kinsella standing at front on the left. Dad, Frank Rouse, is standing at front on the right. Jack McDonald, is seated, second from left.
The 1st Cora Lynn Scout Troop was formed in 1945. We met each week in the Cora Lynn Hall. The first Scout Master was Bert Ridgeon. Bert had been in the British Army and this showed in the way he ran the troop. We stood to attention, saluted the flag and repeated the Scouts Promise at the start of each meeting, I promise on my honour, that I will do my best to do my duty to God and the King, to help other people at all times and to obey the Scout Laws. Bert’s favourite game for us to play afterward was “British Bulldog”.
We were well trained in using ropes, tying knots, and lashing poles together. At one stage we built a rope bridge, to span an imaginary ten yard wide creek, in the Hall grounds. The bridge was built in one evening and we walked across it about six feet above the ground. It didn’t fall down on anyone so we passed that test. Tying knots has been a very useful skill I’ve used during my life. Clarrie Leamon started as Assistant Scout Master about one year after the Troop started and he became Scout Master after Bert Ridgeon retired.
The Scout Laws said you had to be 11 years old to become a Scout. However if you were 10 years old you could become a Tenderfoot Scout and you could do all the tests but you couldn’t wear a uniform until you were 11 years old. In 1947, Dudley Fisk, who lived near Nar Nar Goon, started to bring quite a few Nar Nar Goon boys to join the Cora Lynn Scout Troop. Dudley Fisk started a Cub Troop at Cora Lynn, but later he transferred the Cub Group to Nar Nar Goon. This was closer for him and there was no Scout or Cub Group in Nar Nar Goon at that time.
Our early camping experience was at Forest Camp on the Cannibal Creek, where the Tynong North Road met the Gembrook Tominbuk Road. The first time we camped there the regrowth from the 1939 fires was only shoulder high, it is now 50 metres high. Cora Lynn Scouts continued to have camps in that area for several years. We were taken out on the back of Frank Egan’s truck and later by Terry McMillan. Sometimes we rode our bikes out.
From December 29 1948 to January 9 1949 the Pacific Jamboree was held at Yarra Brae in Wonga Park. Five Cora Lynn Scouts attended - Mike and Gerard Egan, Jack McDonald, Mike Kinsella and Frank Rouse. We were joined with the 1st Caulfield Scouts. The Jamboree had quite a few scouts from the Pacific Island nations.
Frank in 1949/50, most likely taken before his trip to Fraser Island.
December 1949 to January 1950 Mike Kinsella and Frank Rouse went to the Fraser Island Adventure. We were joined with scouts from the 1st Oakleigh Troop. It was a great adventure, it took four days by train from Melbourne to Brisbane, bus to Maryborough and then taken to the Island on an old cattle barge. We were given our day’s food rations each morning, cooked our own food and slept on a ground sheet in the open. There was a small amount of formal activity, after which we were free to swim and hike. Tourists hadn’t discovered Fraser Island so the Scouts had all the beautiful places to ourselves. One of the Scouts developed polio and we were quarantined on the island for an extra week. Great for us but no good for the polio victim.
Cora Lynn Scouts went to the Greystanes Jamboree in Sydney in 1951-1952 – they were Bruce Reid, Jack and Bob McDonald, Ewan Slater, David and Tony Evans. In 1953-1954 Jack McDonald and Bruce Reid with Scout Master, Clarrie Leamon, went to the Lamington Plateau Adventure. In 1956 Scout Master Clarrie Leamon died suddenly. Gordon Johnson became Scout Master then Gordon arranged that the Scouts would meet in the Cheese Room of the Cora Lynn factory. This became the Scout Hall. Unfortunately, Gordon was killed in a truck smash and his brother-in-law then became Scout Master, followed by Alan Standfield. Jack McDonald assisted Alan for a while. The 1st Cora Lynn Scout Group continued to about 1960.
Known members of the Cora Lynn Scouts. Bob Wakenshaw and Jim Rouse were Lone Scouts, that is they belonged to the Scouting Order before there was a Scout Group at Cora Lynn. Other members (in alphabetical order) John Chatfield, Ron Chatfield, Bill Crowley, Jack Crowley, Steve Crowley, Edwin Dillon, Des Dineen, Gerard Egan, Mike Egan, David Evans, Tony Evans, Geoff Fisk, Allan Games, Neil Hewson, Ron Higgins, Wayne Higgins, Gary Huntingford, Ross Kenny, Mike Kinsella, Terry Kinsella, Frank Lane, Bill McCutcheon, Bob McDonald, Jack McDonald, Trevor Price, Bob Quigley, Gerald Quigley, Kevin Quigley, Bruce Reid, Stan Riches, Frank Rouse, Drew Slater, Ewan Slater, Ron Townley, Keith Wilkinson.
Frank Rouse retired from the Scouts in 1952, when he was 18 and did his National Service.
Note: This was originally in the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society Newsletter and after it was published Des Dineen contacted me and gave me the following information. Notes from Des Dineen - Edwin Dillon and I were in the CL Scouts under Gordon Johnson (“Skipper”) and Alan Standfield until they disbanded about 1962 when we were transferred to the Garfield Troop with Fred Cox as scoutmaster and Bill Parish was the District Commissioner. Edwin and I went on to become Queen Scouts and Senior Scouts at Garfield. We attended the World Jamboree in the Police Paddocks in Rowville as “Hamarago On the Hill” Troop, a combination of Tarago and Hampton. We also attended Easter Scout camps at Gembrook. They were very competitive and Fred Cox ran a very smooth ship we would always try and win awards for the cleanest camp etc. Others involved were Peter “China” Holland and Peter and Colin Cox.
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