It's been a tough year for Tamworth's scouts.
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Even the fifty-year-old organisation wasn't prepared for back-to-back drought, bushfires and then pandemic crises.
As a result, for the second year in a row, Tamworth's scout troops will not be able to attend their annual massive state meeting.
But a local leader has big plans for 2021 despite the hardship.
Group Leader Sarah Heinz said her Tamworth Oxley Scout Group had nearly doubled in size from 2019.
"At the beginning of the year, we had probably about 11 cubs and now we're nearly 20. We had 6 leaders, now we have 10," she said.
"We had our Joey section closed; we're about to open it back up again. We've come a long way in a short time."
And she says the troop has set its sights even higher, with plans to start a major recruitment blitz next year.
The city currently has two troops: the Oxley and Hillvue Scout Groups.
It once had as many as half-a-dozen, she said.
Mrs Heinz wants to bring back "at least" the third group "in the next 12 months."
"There's so much potential here. We, apparently, had five or six groups in Tamworth [once]. We've only got two now, and that's just crazy. There should be way more groups because there's so many kids here," she said.
"In the next probably 12 months we'll be organising different things so the community can see us and what we can do and what we offer."
The Tamworth recruitment drive should kick off in the new year with coronavirus restrictions easing.
"With that you need leaders, with that you need training, all that sort of stuff," she said.
"We'll fill our groups that we've got now and then we'll open up another one."
The new year will bring more outdoor activities for scouts of all ages, Mrs Heinz said.
Local Scouts troops were forced to conduct most of their learning over Zoom through 2020, but have since returned to in-person activities.
COVID-19 restrictions also prevented them from doing overnight camping all year.
And for the second year in a row, the movement's enormous state-wide event has been canned.
The 2020 Cuboree was cancelled over fears the city-sized camp to be established south of Sydney could be threatened by bushfire during the 5-day event.
The 2021 Oz Venture, which is designed for scouts aged between 14 and 18, has this year become a victim of coronavirus.
Mrs Heinz said some scouts would age out and therefore miss out on ever experiencing the 13-day Oz Venture event.
"For them to not experience that in their scouting life, they're missing a major part of their scoutiing career," she said.
"It is a shame."