Michael Collins, 18, a Matric student at Herzlia High School, has been part of the Scouting movement for over eleven years. Starting as a Cub at the age of seven, he recently completed his journey as a Scout by achieving the prestigious Springbok Award – the highest honour a Scout in South Africa can earn.
The Springbok Award isn’t handed out lightly. Candidates must complete a long list of leadership–based tasks before they turn 18, including three major projects: a 30km hike over three days, a 40–hour community service project, planning a camp, and a large–scale leadership initiative like hosting a banquet.
“The Springbok Award is all about leadership,” says Michael. “But it’s also about helping others in your troop and inspiring younger Scouts to aim high too.”
For his community service project, Michael wanted to find something meaningful – something that would make a real impact. After exploring a few ideas, inspiration came unexpectedly.
“I was driving through Woodstock with my dad when he pointed out this old Jewish cemetery,”he explains. “We stopped to take a look and saw that it was in a really neglected state. That’s when the idea hit me: it was the perfect Springbok project.”
Over the course of a month, Michael and his team got to work. They cleared overgrown grass, removed weeds and invasive plants, uncovered a long–lost pathway, and planted a bed of indigenous, water–wise plants, including Aloes and Spekboom.
“We wanted to bring life back into the space, but also keep it sustainable,”says Michael. “It felt like we were doing more than just cleaning up – we were reconnecting with a part of Cape Town’s history.”
What surprised him most was how few people even knew the cemetery was there.
“It’s right in the middle of the city, and yet most people drive past it without realising it exists,”he says. “That really stuck with me. There’s so much history that’s just hidden in plain sight.”
Michael also found the experience a powerful way to learn more about Jewish heritage in Cape Town, going back nearly 200 years.
“It gave me a new appreciation for the community I’m part of,”he says. “It’s amazing how much you can learn by stepping into a space like that and asking, ‘Who came before us?’”
Although he’s now aged out of Scouting as a youth member, Michael plans to stay involved in the movement as an adult volunteer.
“Scouting has been a huge part of my life,” he says. “The Springbok Award was the perfect way to end that chapter – and I’m excited to keep giving back.”
His journey is a reminder that leadership isn’t just about taking charge. Sometimes, it’s about seeing what others overlook – and taking the time to care. ●
Michael credits Jeff Musikanth of the UOS Cemetery Board for arranging access to the cemetery and for the support of the project.
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