Little Lily carries on family tradition

SHE may be the only girl in the troop.But it comes as no surprise that little Lily Greenacre has become the first girl to join the Beaver colony at the 2nd Carlton Colville Scouts given her background and pedigree.

SHE may be the only girl in the troop.

But it comes as no surprise that little Lily Greenacre has become the first girl to join the Beaver colony at the 2nd Carlton Colville Scouts given her background and pedigree.

The five-year-old is the third generation of her family to serve the group and looks likely to progress through the ranks, mirror-ing a tradition passed down through the ages.

Her grandfather David was formerly the Scout Leader and is now Group Scout Leader, her father Tony was both a Cub and a Scout, as was her uncle John.

And even her grandmother Sylvia is a former Cub Scout Leader and Group Scout Leader. Despite having stepped down she still maintains her interest by acting as the group secretary at its headquarters in Rectory Road.

Lily's father Tony said it seemed like a natural progression for the little girl to be welcomed into the fold.

'With the huge family involvement she has been brought up being around Scouts.

'So when she got to the right age we gave her the option to join and she leapt at the chance. All her friends from school are all members - obviously they're all boys - but they take her as one of them.

'I guess it was a natural thing to do in our family, something exciting and fun and we get to go camping and do lots of outdoor activities.

'There's also the element of discipline, which is good for youngsters. Young people have the opportunity to try new things and mix with their peers. I think that's hugely important in this day and age.'

He said he believed Lily would progress onto becoming a Cub and later a Scout.