One Hundredth Ramble on what is going on in The Heart of Scouting

Greetings from The Heart of Scouting

Celebrating another Centenary. This figure has cropped up with regular monotony of late in the Scouting world. Two years ago it was the Centenary of World Scouting. Last year it was the Centenary of Zimbabwean Scouting and this year, this week, it is the one hundredth of these weekly snippets of news as to what is happening in The Heart of Scouting, namely Gordon Park.

As is customary, one usually celebrates important milestones, so how do I celebrate this one? Now, I have to admit right from the outset that I had no idea as to what I would do to make this week's snippet vastly different from the other ninety nine. Every week is different, something unusual happens, there is always something of interest to tell you. Well, I will start the weekend on the Thursday afternoon.

Some five years ago the engine, which is a Fairbanks-Morse single cylinder thumper of 1930 vintage, powering the water pump on the well that supplies water to the Headquarter complex, developed a knock. Incidentally the pump-head is a double cylinder Fairbanks-Morse typhoon pump. Fearing that it would only get worse if it was not looked at, I took it to a mechanic/machinist who ran his own small business to open it up and find out what was causing the knock. The cause was soon diagnosed as a worn out big-end bearing, combined with the need to replace the two bushes that the crankshaft ran in. No big deal if spares were available, a grinding of the crankshaft and the fitting of new parts. But, this machine had been in use for over sixty-five years and it is an American model, so there was no chance of going to a local store and purchasing the necessary spares. A further complication was that the mechanic was snowed under with work, so he could not do anything right away. I made a plan, as we say here, "Boetie maak 'n plan" and I fitted in place as a temporary measure, another old engine. Temporary in African terms is an indefinite period of time, usually permanent. All has been working well ever since and there was no need to chivvy the mechanic into sorting out the engine that I had given him to repair.

Now I do not know what got into me, but all of a sudden I decided to collect the engine and try to sort out the problem myself, not that I know a great deal about machinery, but it looked simple enough for me to make an attempt. Off I went to collect said engine and then I remembered that I was to collect a donation of rope that had been given to Scouting, so I headed for the warehouse to pick up the rope. I did not know anybody at the warehouse, but I soon had the rope which were short lengths that had been used to anchor goods in containers, so it was of no great value to anyone other than us Zimbabwean Scouts who are the most proficient scavengers in the world. Whilst loading the rope, I noticed that there was a workshop attached to the warehouse. It did not take me long to put workshop, broken pump, my lack of knowledge together and come up with a scheme. 'Slowly, slowly catchee monkey'. Mmmm. I beckoned a mechanic to Inguluvane, "Just look at this old engine. Do you know where I could get someone to repair it for me, well actually for the Boy Scouts?" "No, but we do have some second hand engines in the workshops which might just meet your needs". I was just about to ask the price of an engine when the owner of the complex appeared and I was duly introduced.

Once the introductions were over, our discussion started off with my enquiry as to the price of an engine, then it drifted to why I needed an engine, (which was to replace the one driving the pump on number three well) and then I showed him the old Fairbanks-Morse engine in the back of Inguluvane, which had nothing to do with number three well. Then out of the blue, I was offered an engine from his second hand stock in the warehouse. This engine and a second engine/pump combination he would give as a donation. I was completely taken aback. I was ecstatic. I was numbed into silence. Here, as a complete stranger, I was offered two engines and a pump. It was now closing time, so I said that I would come back the next day to collect the engines.

On the Saturday morning, Leon and I headed out to Gordon Park with an engine and an engine/pump combination in the back of Inguluvane. In the trailer, "Ndlovu", was a one metre square fire-plate for the Headquarter kitchen stove, together with the field mower, which I had done some modifications to during the week. Our first task at the Park after opening up was to take off the cracked fire-plate from the outdoor stove and replace it with the new plate we had brought with us. This task took us two hours. Moving a two hundred kilogramme sheet of cast-iron from the stove to a safe place to reload it onto the trailer later and then to move the new one, which seemed to be heavier, from the trailer onto the stove was now mean task. Four hulking muscle men would strain to do the job, but we were only two weaklings. What we lacked in brute strength we made up in brain power and our Scouting skills. The plates were exchanged and it was time to fire up the stove for a mug of tea. Just imagine, a one metre square cast-iron cooking plate to boil a small kettle of water for tea. I can tell you, the tea was well deserved and it tasted great.

After lunch, we unpacked the engine/pump and took it down to number three well to try it out. Unfortunately, the pump can only push water to a height of twenty-eight metres. The nest of tanks in the Bowl are sixty metres above the well in the vlei. This means that I will need to remove the pump unit from the engine and by fitting a pulley on the shaft of the engine, it can be used to drive the existing pump. This task will hopefully be done next week. The other engine is earmarked for the Headquarter well. The change over for this engine will take some time as a new concrete base may have to be cast to accommodate the mountings on the engine. As for the engine that has been there as a temporary engine for the last five years, well, it will have a part to play in the future water supplies of the Park when the new borehole is commissioned.

Sunday was to be a grass cutting day as well as a last push to finish off the repairs to the road leading down the hill to number three well. However, this was not to be for the engine on the mower ran for half an hour and then died. No amount of coaxing would bring it back to life. Being a newer engine, I am sure we will be able to replace the transistorised ignition system that I am told could be the problem. So, we gave up on that plan and undertook a few other outstanding small tasks until we were relieved of our duties by the arrival of visitors. After lunch, more visitors and then it was time to close up and go back into town.

To close off, the point I would like to make about this week's news is that two people, Dave Davies (ex-11th Riverside) in Australia and Hylton Garriock in England, who are both former Bulawayo Scouts and who know Gordon Park and its value to our Scouts, have for the past month or so, been actively pursuing all avenues to purchase a replacement engine for the pump on number three well. Emails have been crowding my inbox every day as a cheaper source had been located and I was to make a final decision as to which one I needed on the very day that I was offered the engines right here in Bulawayo. Then to top it all, despite the harsh financial environment we find ourselves in, a most generous donation is made to Scouting by a complete stranger. By this gesture, from outside our borders as well as a businessman amongst us, Scouting is seen as a very worthwhile movement to support. It is up to us, Commissioners, Scout Leaders and Scouts to live up to the ideals of Scouting and to give, through our actions the best we have to offer to our country. A sincere Thank You to those who continue to support Scouting. Indeed, this is a celebration news update to mark this One Hundredth ramble on what is going on in The Heart of Scouting.

Temperatures for the week ending 21 March: 64 F or 18 C and 86 F or 30 C. Rainfall: 0,19 inch or 4,75 mm. Total for the season 20,67 inches or 516,75 mm

Cheers
Norman
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Congratulations...

To Stan Wilson (ex-8th) who completed a 33mile marathon over the weekend! I wonder if you'll be the first Matabele scout to finnish the Comrades (triple-marathon?) next month. Good Luck!

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1st Pioneer Troops Calendar of forthcoming events:-

March
26 Troop Meeting: Mabukuwene (Sausage Sizzle)
31 Schools Close
April
2 - 5 Easter
9 - 10 Monthly Hike
11 Gordon Park Service: 12:00 noon
16 Troop Meeting: Mabukuwene
17 - 19 Mini Expedition
18 Independence Day
23 Troop Meeting: Mabukuwene
25 St. Georges Day
30 Troop Meeting: Mabukuwene

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"A Thought For The Week"
If all the bankers in the world were laid end to end, it would probably be a good thing!
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Do you have a small/home Business or website? Place your free advert/jump here!

Chase Marine For all your Boats/Outboard Engines/Spares 12th Ave/R.Mugabe Way,      Bulawayo Tel: +(263)(9)65165 ChaseMar@ ecoweb.co.zw www.ChaseMarine.com

Jus Teak Furniture & Flooring cnr Khami / Cowden Rd Steeldale bulawayo P.O.Box 493, Famona                 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Tel:+(263)(9)63066 Fax:+(263)(9)881201 admin @justeak.co.uk www.justeak.com

Hillside Dams Conservancy Office: +(263)(9) 885333 Dam: +(263)(9) 242490 estate @hillsidedams.com Banff Rd, Hillside. P.O.Box Fm690 Famona

ANDREW BARKER   Development Consultant          Trp(SA), Bsc. TRP. CVE (SA) 144 Berrymead Avenue, Mondeor, Johannesburg, 2091 South Africa Tel/Fax: +27 (0)11 680 9791 andrew @andrewbarker.co.za      Postal: PO Box 1073 Mondeor, 2110 South Africa Mobile: +27 (0)83 274 4424 www.andrewbarker.co.za

African Wanderer Safaris Around Zimbabwe, In the Matopos Hunting and Photographic Safaris Ian Harmer P.O.Box 1976, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Tel: +(263)(9) 72736 Cell:- + (263) (0) 912 224 069 Email wanderer @yoafrica.com

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Matabeleland Scout Website /
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Bulawayo, 22/3/2010