Scouts mum Shonelle Gleeson-Willey has only had a child in the voluntary organisation for a year, and attended her first big event on Saturday.
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She will go through leader training next month.
Coronavirus put a spanner in the works of their first year, but said it was all worth it.
Her son Darcy was having problems at school and the grandparents recommended scouting.
"We joined him up - my parents actually bought membership for his Christmas present. It just fit like a glove. As soon as Darcy came to his first meeting it was just perfect. He fit with the people, he fit with what they were doing, he loves everything they do every week," she said.
"When I saw how much he loved it and how much he wanted to get involved I thought maybe I could do more rather than just hang around watching."
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The Spirit of the North West camp is the organisation's first major event since well before the coronavirus crisis. Camping was affected by the earlier bushfires as well.
Deputy Region Commissioner Bob Thompson is hoping other parents will do exactly as Mrs Gleeson-Willey has.
They haven't been spending the time idly, he said.
"This time last year I think we were 298 members. This year we're 335. We've actually grown by over 12 per cent over that COVID period," he said.
To grow further they need parent volunteers like Mrs Gleeson-Willey to sign up, and they're hoping they will do it after this weekend
"Last time we did this we had a couple that said to their kids - if you go up that climbing wall, I'll do it too," he said.
"The kids decided they will go up the top and of course the parents had to do it - and they ended up joining as leaders."
Veteran leader of 15 years John Press said he was going to spend the weekend "bushwalking, gold-panning, map-reading, mischief-making!"
He encouraged leaders to join up to become better parents.
"With the amount of training, it's the best thing you could ever get. When kids come into the world there's no instruction booklet, here in Scouts, we get an instruction booklet!," John said.
Kids from around the region, from as far as Moree and Glen Innes, will attend the overnight camp. There will even be some leaders travelling from Queensland. Kids will learn a range of camp skills. It will end on Sunday.
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