Official visit to the Longreach Scout Group

Mayor Warren; Scouts Queensland Group Leader, Mr John Palmer; ladies and gentlemen; girls and boys.

It is wonderful to return to Longreach, a community which truly holds a special place in my heart.

I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you before, most recently when we celebrated 100 years of Cubs together, and I always thoroughly enjoy my time here with you.

But my most vivid memory, the one which will always stick with me, was arriving in the Vice-Regal carriage in June 2016 and being greeted by you with a guard of honour.

Many of you likewise remember that occasion, and I raise it with you now to realise the impact you can have sometimes without even knowing it.

What you do – your actions – create memories.

When you served burgers and drinks in May at the Longreach Show, when you cleaned up early in the morning at the Longreach Race Course in September, when you made meals and offered snow-cones at the Longreach Rodeo last month, you provided services that people remember.

These events become part of the history of the Longreach Community, and in future years researchers and historians will read about these events and know that you were there.

Indeed, when you join Scouts you become part of something big.

You join in activities and rituals that are common to young people not only throughout Queensland, but across Australia and the world.

There are more than 40 million Scouts worldwide.

In Queensland alone more than 15,000 boys, girls and adults participate in Scouting – or about five times the entire population of Longreach!

Some of you will experience the extent and universality of Scouts next year when you go to South Australia for the 25th Australian Jamboree, or even further afield to North America for the 2019 World Scout Jamboree.

What incredible adventures they will be.

Scouting provides fun, friendship and the ability to develop important skills.

But it also requires from you discipline, purpose and service.

To be recognised within the Scouting movement means you have done something outstanding.

And so, I would like to congratulate the two boys who will today receive their Australian Scout Medallion.

It is a terrific achievement.

In closing, as Chief Scout of Queensland it gives me great pleasure today to donate my original scarf to the Group, to be displayed as part of your ever-expanding array of historical items, documents and general memorabilia.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this outstanding initiative.

Once again, thank you all for welcoming me so warmly – it is a real pleasure to be back!