By Casey Neill
It’s official – Kalesha Morgan is a good scout.
Actually, the Dandenong North 18-year-old is one of the best.
She received a Queen Scout award from Victorian Governor Linda Dessau’s husband Tony Howard, on behalf of the Queen, at the Dandenong Showgrounds on Saturday 15 October.
The Lyndale Secondary College spent the past three years earning badges to achieve the honour.
“It’s the highest award in the Venturer section and it’s the highest award a youth member can get,” she said.
“Now I’m starting Rovers.
“I started Joeys when I was six.
“My parents have been involved since before I was born.”
Kalesha planted trees to save the regent honeyeater, canoed 60 kilometres down the Murray River, played softball and helped a special needs Cub to find his feet.
She researched Dandenong’s history, attended a Greater Dandenong Council meeting, volunteered at a wildlife shelter, and much more.
A four-day four-wheel drive expedition rounded out her efforts.
“We were 6km from finish and a wheel fell off,” she said, laughing.
“We were stranded on the edge of the desert for two hours.”
Kalesha said she’d made friends from around the world along the way.
“I hope to get my Baden Powell Award, which is the award that Rovers can achieve,” she said.
“If I get that I’ll be the first one in the group to achieve all the awards a Scout can get.
“It’s named after the founder of scouting.
“The Baden Powell Award is completely self-driven and you have to organise everything.
“I’m hopefully going to become a Joey Scout leader and look after the young ones.”
She said scouting would always be part of her life.
“I hope that when I get married, if I have kids that my kids will enjoy it as much as I do.”
