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Emerald Scouts boast the tallest abseiling tower in Melbourne, possibly the state. As a local landmark you can not go past the 12 metre Abseiling Tower located next to the Scout Hall. 1st Emerald Scout Group erected the tower in October 1998 to celebrate 75 years of Scouting in Emerald. Hours of volunteer labour from Scouts, parents and helpers literally lifted the project off the ground. Under the leadership of David Wilson the project took two years, taking in planning and fundraising. The tower consists of 14 metre power poles from New South Wales. The first level, which is six metres high, was built using scaffolding. The top level was built on the ground and lifted to the top using a 30 tonne crane. It was initially named the Bell Tower after Bell real estate of Emerald in recognition of the company's support in the erection of the tower. The Andrews Foundation, Sports and Recreation Victoria, Scouts Australia Victorian branch and the Emerald Scout Group also contributed to the construction. The tower is open to the wider Scout and Guide community and the Abseiling Team has trained instructors to assist other groups. In the past the abseiling team has held sessions for, Cub Scouts, Scouts, Venturers, Rovers, Guides, youth groups, church groups, SES, CFA and visiting American students from Cockatoo Primary School. Regretably today we can only abseil Scouting and Guide groups due to insurance concerns.
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