On Sunday 10 September 2023, our Group held our Den Opening Celebrations, to mark the practical completion of the Heritage Den.
This Den is over 100 years old, and was the original Scout Den when the Group was active in the 1980's and 1990's.
In recognition of the hard work and dedication in having this project completed, we have named the Den in honour of our Group Treasurer Fay Schulz.



From Scenic News: 14 September 2023 (abridged)

In the early 1920’s 'Darena' Holiday Flats were built on land that is now the North Tamborine Police Station and the Vonda Youngman Community Centre. The Bland sisters owned these flats in the early days. There was a building at the front of the site where the owners lived and ran the flats from.

This building is now the Scout Den, relocated from the rear of the skatepark and Community Centre in 1980 and now to Hartley Road at the rear of the Sports Centre since 2021. Darena Holiday Flats were later renamed 'Sunny Mount' Flats. There was a bauxite mine on Geissmann Oval; in the late 1970’s the mine closed down and the flats all disappeared; whether they were pulled down or trucked off site is unsure. The State Government and Beaudesert Shire Council acquired the site, constructing a Police Station and Community Centre, and the Sporting Oval, all very much needed on Tamborine Mountain at that time.

The Scout Den is one of the last remaining buildings pertaining to the huge accommodation industry on Tamborine Mountain in the early days of Mountain history.

On Sunday 10 September 2023, our Group had the honour of being presented with a kudu horn by Margi Abrey.
Kudu horns have great significance to the Scouting Movement, with Baden-Powell playing a horn at the first Scout camp on Brownsea Island:
"The day began at 6 a.m. when Baden-Powell roused the camp with the weird notes from the long, spiral horn of the African koodoo -- the war horn he had picked up on his expedition into the Somabula Forest during the 1896 Matabele Campaign."
"When he assembled the first Scouts at Brownsea, Baden-Powell remembered the kudu horn he had brought back with him from the Matabele Wars, and used it to add a touch of adventure and fun to the camp. After Brownsea Island the kudu horn was returned to B-P's home and was silent for 12 years, while the movement it had announced was fashioned and spread throughout the world. Then, in 1919, Baden-Powell entrusted the horn to Gilwell Park for use in the first scoutmaster training courses."

Thanks to Lola for demonstrating the unique sounds of the horn at our Den Opening Celebrations!

Thanks to Margi for providing the video below, detailing the history of the kudu horn within Zimbabwe.
Please note that this video may take a short time to load.

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