Life has been all about the Scouts for Liz Golec, who has been a leader with the youth organisation since 1963.

The Wangaratta retiree’s devotion has been recognised with an Order of Australia Medal for “service to youth through the Scouting movement”.

“Scouting has taken me all over Victoria, because I was a state commissioner and a regional commissioner and a district commissioner,” Mrs Golec said.

Her involvement began in the Melbourne suburb of Deepdene and continued after moving to Wangaratta as a 21-year-old in 1967.

Mrs Golec met her husband Ed via the Yarrunga Scouts and their boys became part of the unit with grandson Tyiren now a Joey Scout.

“The best part is we have Scouts coming back with their children and joining up,” Mrs Golec said.

“Our treasurer in our group now was actually a Cub Scout and Venturer in the group.”

Mrs Golec has seen Scouts changed through switches in technology and generational attitudes.

“With the emphasis on electronics the type of activities they do with networking by phones and communications has changed,” she said.

“They also now are more involved and have more of a say, it’s all about the young people making their own decisions.”

Mrs Golec has spent recent years building up numbers from 20 to 40 at the Yarrunga unit.

“Scouting appeals to all youths, it provides leadership and team-building to all youngsters,” she said.

“There are other organisations that are very competitive and some children don’t fit in whereas with Scouting anyone can be involved.”