A prominent local icon, Bayside Sea Scouts Hall, on the foreshore at Darling Point in Brisbane’s Wynnum-Manly, means a lot to people, even those with no connection to the Bayside troop.
For decades, the building was the Wynnum branch of the National Bank before it was relocated as the ‘new’ home of the Sea Scouts in 1959. It now means something extra special to the many generations of scouts who have met at the troop’s beloved ‘Landship’ to polish up their scouting, survival and boating skills.
Ten years ago, the old building was attacked by termites, so time has been running out for its protective treatment to be renewed. With recent borer damage and rodent activity to contend with as well, not to mention plumbing and other maintenance issues, the Sea Scouts needed help.
Luckily, Cassandra Court of Results Home Services in nearby Ransome, had heard about BASF’s ‘Treat Your Community’ competition, launched last year to help mark the twentieth anniversary of the launch of Termidor® in Australia. Pest controllers were invited to nominate worthy local organisations in need of premium protection against termites.
Results Home Services is a small family-owned company that has had a long association with the scouts. “We like to look after the scouting community,” Cassandra says. For over thirty years, they have helped out not just various troops in their immediate area, but many of the families of current and former scouts as well.
As Cassandra points out, the scout troops are often based in old timber buildings that are particularly susceptible to pest infestations, so they could have named several worthy candidates on their ‘Treat Your Community’ entry.
Cassandra entered on the Sea Scouts’ behalf, mentioning the significance of the building for the wider community and the history of termite attack. Cassandra’s entry was one of five chosen winners and BASF donated over 300 litres of Termidor HE, so the Results Home Services team could install a new protective zone around the historic hall. Because they were using the HE – high efficiency – formulation, the job was done in a single afternoon. That new treatment will keep the building safe from termites for at least another decade.
“We had a team meeting and put our heads together. We knew that the Bayside Sea Scouts’ building had a lot of problems, and they were applying for grants to help solve various issues. There are a lot of gaps in their building where rodents could get in through, so we were already looking after that problem. Our pest controllers had noticed some recent termite damage as well, so they needed the protection and we wanted to look after them.”
Knowing how vulnerable the scouts’ hall is, Cassandra was really relieved to get the protection in place before any further damage occurred. “It was one of those things where I was really excited once it was done.”
Brad Thompson, the recently appointed Leader in Charge at Bayside Sea Scouts, expressed his relief and appreciation on behalf of all the scouts and their parents. “We wish to extend our gratitude to BASF for the opportunity to update our termite protection, using Termidor HE, at our local Bayside Sea Scouts Den,” he said. “This opportunity has allowed us to focus on other projects and your support of a small community group is invaluable, as we didn't have the money for treatment and to have this opportunity is fantastic.
“Thank you also to the team at Results Home Services for putting us forward in this competition.”