Two new guys have joined our team! The newbies are not part of the scout group but have joined us through Adventure Africa (the guiding company). They are a father and son team and I thought it might be nice to add a bit of info about them to the blog. I'll put up some photo's as soon as I get them. hint hint.
DOUGLAS HOBART MCCLURE:
“I am a retired 53 year old who spent ten years in radio and television after lecturing at Wits and UCT in international relations and strategic studies. Prior to retiring in 2000 I worked for ten years at Cabinet level in the Ministry of Public Enterprises of the SA government on the constitutional negotiating transition team for the new South Africa, the declassification of the atomic bomb and inter-continental ballistic missile programmes, the establishment of Denel and the weapons procurement project for the post-1994 SA government. Although retired I lecture occasionally on Al Qaeda, the international environment and related topics of international interest. In July last year my son, Ruxton, my wife, Fiona and I joined a team of Bishops boys who climbed Kilimanjaro, a project in which they succeeded and I failed. This time the outcome will be different.”
RUXTON MCCLURE:
“Howzit going all?!? I’m nineteen years old. I went to Bishops for several years, matriculating in ’05. Whilst at Bishops I became captain of rock climbing and captain of fencing. After school I spent a year working in a game reserve in Limpopo, and also temporarily working at the Kruger Park Times, a conservation-related newspaper. I won a small scholarship to UCT, which I will begin attending this year (2007), studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. I love climbing, formula one, rugby, writing, poetry, music, and my exceptionally beautiful and wonderful girlfriend, Eleana.
I’ve had a love affair with mountains for years. I cannot explain the attraction; at times it seems chronically masochistic! I suppose more than anything I love great beauty, and to me the most beautiful objects on this earth are the unspoilt, untarnished rocks of ages that are barely disturbed by both Time and Man. To journey to the tips of these peaks is representative of Man’s eternal struggle to better himself, and all life around him. I’ve already climbed Kilimanjaro once, and loved the experience. My father unfortunately didn’t make it to the summit, and on this – his second attempt – I’m accompanying him to give moral support.”
Proudly South African - except for the aussie and the pom but at least they are ex-pats!