When Clements MacDonald, a member of Bangor 2nd congregation in the Belfast area, joined the scouts as a 12 yr old boy, 68 years ago, his uniform was a pair of shorts, a shirt and a Mountie style hat. Little did he think back then, that, at the age of 80, he would still be attending scouts. Over the years, however, Clem has found that being involved in the scouting programme is so rewarding that he has refused to let his age stand in the way.
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Clem first became a scout leader in 1968 and he was one of the original leaders of 13th Bangor (LDS) Scout group. This group was organised in 1985 and Clem was a leader for nearly 20 years.
Nowadays, Clem heads out every Wednesday night to be a leader to the 35 or so energetic young boys of 12th Bangor. Graham Crawford, the father of scouts James, Michael and Sam commented, "Clem has been a consistent example of service over the years, always being there for the boys and not letting his age get in the way. In fact, at heart, I think he is still a teenage scout".
Clem says "Although there have been changes in the programme over the decades, scouting is still exciting and adventurous. The scout programme teaches the boys about service, kindness to others and a love of life and nature which are God's creations". He would encourage any young boy to become a scout. To prospective leaders he would say get involved - it keeps you young.