Welcome to the page for the Mount Morgan Group.
On 23 November 1908 No 1 Crows Patrol of the First Mount Morgan Scout Troop was formed. From 1910, three troops operated increasing to five troops in 1926 when 111 people were registered in the movement.
During the closure of the mine in the late 1920s a scout troop was led by R Winter and Mr Kajewski. In 1937 the 7th Mount Morgan was formed as a cub pack at Barie. In 1954 the 8th and 9th combined under the leadership of J Boyes to become the first Mount Morgan Scout Group and in 1959 the 4th's dismantled, the leaders and boys establishing the Scout Group which is still functioning today.
Scouting developed from a military style. From the patrols inception the boys developed their own secret language and war cry. After the leader hit the ground with a stick, the boys would call their yell, salute, shake hands and go home.
For many years scouting in Central Queensland was centred on Mount Morgan mainly due to the efforts of Benjamin Gilmore Patterson who later became District Commissioner. Boys from Mount Morgan, Rockhampton and Yeppoon were involved in various activities.
In
1910 the first Scout Hall was built near the swimming pool. Over the years meetings
were held at several different venues, until, in 1958, the old golf club house
at Glen Gordon was opened as a Scout Hut. The present hall in Dee Street was
opened on 22 February 1969 by Queensland Chief Commissioner N Coar.
The
Mafeking Bell was cast at the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Co. Limited's foundry,
its composition is 4 parts copper and 1 part tin. It stands 965mm high and is
610mm in diameter at the mouth. Its weight is 560kg. Cast in 1900 to commemorate
the relief of Mafeking during the Boer War, the bell was originally installed
in the tower of the Council Chambers then transferred to the front verandah
in 1925 when the tower was demolished.
Over the years the bell was rung to celebrate special occasions, as a fire alarm and to mark the passing of time during the clousre of the mine in the late 1920s.
In 1960-61 the bell was discovered lying in grass at the Shire Chambers yard by members of the Local Scout Group and knowing that Lord Bawden-Powell was the instigator of the Relief of Mafeking and the Founder of the Boy Scout Movement application was made to the council to have the bell erected at the Scout Hut. In 1962 it was erected on a stand at the Scout Hut at Glen Gordon and moved to its present site in 1968. It is rung on special Scout occasions and you can imagine with a line up of Scouts and Cubs each eager to pull the rope, the Mafeking Bell cast in Mount Morgan many years ago can still be hard loud and clear by towns people.
Today Mount Morgan has sections.
For information please contact the Group Leader Bill West by email, by phone on 4938 1891 or by mail to PO Box 132 Mount Morgan Qld 4714. or email the District Commissioner Lyle Bird
This group is one of many which is now floundering because of the lack of leaders and it will be a great loss to see it close as if not the first, it would be very close to the first group in Queensland to close.
Joey Scouts (6 to 8 years)
Cub Scouts (71/2 to 11 years)
Scouts (101/2 to 15 years)
Venturers (141/2 to 18 years)
Rovers (18 to 26 years)
Group Committee
Click
here for further information
on what being a leader and/or member in the Scouting Movement involves and what
it can bring into your life.