Behind-the-scenes work results in Silver Kangaroo

When thinking about a major Scouting events, the stars of the show are the fun activities on offer.

But in the background is a hardworking team putting together the less flashy, but still important, elements to ensure the event goes off smoothly.

One man who knows plenty about the transport and logistics required to support hundreds, if not thousands of Scouts at a major event is Lower North Shore District Commissioner – and 2026 Silver Kangaroo recipient – Steve Tufts.

Steve first joined Scouts in 1998 when his son Jack joined Joey Scouts at 1st Northbridge Scout Group. Starting out as a parent helper, he went on to become a committee member, Group Leader and then on to District Commissioner. While Steve’s professional background leans in the direction of national transport logistics, he said he fell into the space in Scouts, being assigned to the logistics team doing food distribution at the first Australian Jamboree he went to in 2007. Since then, he has been involved in that space for numerous events across all levels of Scouting, particularly the Sirius Cup since taking on the District Commissioner role in 2013. “I got involved with running the canoe races for the Cubs and Scouts at Sirius Cup. It was a very long, slow process when I first got involved,” he said. “I ran it the way it had always been run the first year, and the next year or two made a couple of changes and shaved a couple of hours off the run-time for both days. It was necessary because some people had to skip the canoe finals to make the sailing events in the afternoons.

“It was what seemed to me to be simple logic – when I took over the races, each Group organised their own canoes and own paddles, so each time an event would come up, each Group would have to manhandle the canoe into the right lane. I declared all Scout canoes on the beach in a pool and appointed some canoe wranglers and just lined them up across the starting line.

“As far as possible, we would make all the canoes the same or similar style. We kept them in the piles and the Groups would come and retrieve theirs on the Sunday afternoon. It was very simple logic stuff, but the fresh eyes of someone who’s experienced something a bit different to a predecessor in the role made all the difference.”

Steve’s expertise has been called upon numerous times by different organising committees throughout the years. From Cuborees to Jamborees to the Governor-General’s Camp, he has stepped up again and again to provide his knowledge, supported by a hand-picked team to make it happen – “it’s a team effort; not just one person makes it all happen.”

He has held a variety of logistics roles, including food distribution and sub-camp quartermaster. After 2010, he did his Wood Badge project based on a food distribution system, submitting it in 2012.

Steve's coordination of buses delivered thousands of NSW Scouts to AJ2025.

“The next day I got tapped on the shoulder to have a talk to the Director for the 2016 Jamboree, so I finished up as Deputy Director Logistics for 2016. I think someone at Region had passed the project onto them,” he said.

"The 2019 Jamboree in Tailem Bend was a doozy – trying to drive tent pegs into granite! While I was down there, I was called into the NSW Contingent – as logistics I was on the JOC (Jamboree Organising Committee) side – and I got surrounded by a number of people and voluntold I was doing the 2022 transport logistics role for Contingent. I was given the job, but it was cancelled due to COVID. I was asked to do the same thing again for AJ2025 up in Maryborough.

“The role varies by event, depending on its size and how the organisation team is structured. For AJ2025, the Contingent logistics role did not require any food distribution. The role there was sourcing Contingent gear and packing all that up into a container – sourcing the units and organising the packing at Cataract.

“A big part was the coach transport to go up and back. We had 60 coach movements roughly, from all over NSW. Part of the challenge is allocating people to coaches. In Sydney it’s much easier, the density allows you to have one loading point, two at the most.

“A coach out of the Riverina could start at Albury and have eight or 10 pick-up points. We need to coordinate the points, make sure there’s a coach captain appointed to all coaches from the start of the journey, and make sure all pick-up points are still valid. You also find the closer the event gets, the more people are changing arrangements, from independent travel to on the bus or the reverse. 

Some of the buses coordinated by Steve for AJ2025.

“We liaise with the bus company we contract to ensure our stops and pick-ups are aligned with when the bus needs to stop. We try not to have too many buses in a roadhouse for a meal break at the same time. We try to minimise the negative impact on roadhouses and other travellers as much as possible.

“These events are show where having a really good contractor and a good working relationship with them pays off. For AJ2025, when the buses were rolling, I got a call to say one of the buses going up Mt Ousley blew a radiator hose and there was coolant everywhere. I called the contractor, he called me back later and said there’s another bus on the way, they will go up, swap the people and gear over, swap the drivers, and the same driver would continue the trip up. That was the fastest I’ve ever had anything fixed – there were 12 minutes between me receiving the call to say we had a problem and the bus company ringing back to say the replacement bus was in transit.”

So much of the logistics space is based on the relationships already established between our volunteers and the companies they work with organising events. Steve said so many problems have been resolved – and quickly – because of the positive relationship with good contractors.

While sometimes logistics presents unexpected challenges, Steve said he understood the importance of doing it well as part of a team.

Steve Tufts has provided logistical support for many events, including AJ2025 and GG's Camp 2024.

“I’ve seen how positive an influence Scouting is on our youth members, and adult members for that matter,” he said.

“And I think the big events give a lifetime memory to those who attend, particularly the youth. I’ve run into people who talk about going to a Jamboree 60 years ago and can still remember it.

“I’ve struck so many adults who are not in Scouting now and want to tell you about their Jamboree. It’s such a positive influence on the youth and Leaders, who have so much fun at these events. They’re a peak even and youth have such good times, so I’m paying things forward by making sure the logistics goes smoothly.”

Scouts NSW ARA Honour Roll