Scouts Fall Edition

Jamborees and Moots. Bears. Volunteer Support.

SCOUTING LIFE OURCE FOR LEADERS A RES

FALL 2012

PM 40064684

VOLUME 42, ISSUE 4

Save the date!

Good turn Week iS april 13 – 21, 2013 One “Good Turn” can make someone’s day. Imagine what 100,000 “Good Turns” could do!

Start planning now to be part of this annual event that not only highlights the good work Scouting does in the community, but also calls on all Canadians to step up and do a “Good Turn” for a friend, family member, neighbour or the community.

So save the date and stay tuned for more information on how you can make Good Turn Week 2013 another huge success!

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FALL 2012 VOLUME 42 ISSUE 4

CONTENTS

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Commissioner’s Corner: a parting word from our departing leader

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Message du commissaire : Message d’adieu de notre commissaire sortant

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Learning is the Key to Scouting Safety: thoughts on Child and Youth Safety L’apprentissage est essentiel à la sécurité dans notre organisation

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myscouts.ca: a registration reminder myscouts : rappel pour l’inscription

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Preparing for the World Jamboree: time to start planning

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Jamboree Calling: time to start getting excited A Strategic Framework for Volunteer Support: keeping the team happy and engaged Scouts Abroad: a world of Scouting connections through Jamboree On The Air and the International Pen Pal Program

Scouting Life Magazine addresses timely topics about leadership in Scouting. Editorial contributions are made on a voluntary basis. Unsolicited submissions welcome.

Advertising policy: Advertisement of a product or service does not indicate endorsement by the publishers. The publishers do not assume any responsibility by warranty or otherwise with respect to products advertised.

Publisher Yolanda Thornton Editor James Morris Contributing Editor Ted Morris Advertising Sales Manager Madeleine Hague Graphic Design soapboxdesign.com Mailing house Poste Destination, St. Laurent, QC

Publications mail agreement No. 40064684 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 1345 Baseline Road, Suite 100, Ottawa, ON K2C 0A7 Phone: 613-224-5131 Fax: 613-224-4571 E-mail: scoutinglife@scouts.ca Web site: www.scouts.ca

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MOOT Canada 2013: a congregation of Rover Scouts

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The Bear Facts: a Pack adventure

Scouts Day on the Hill: putting politics into the Movement Program Review: an update on the update A New Colony Experience: An old Scout faces a new challenge Whetting Your Skills: pool training for Scouts An Awesome Adventure: notes and images from ADVenture 2012

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Powered By Popcorn: a fundraising solution Propulsé par le maïs soufflé! Propulsé par vous!

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Notice of Annual Meeting Avis de l’assemblée générale annuelle de Scouts Canada

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Oh Shoot: we need your fantastic photographs!

Look What’s New: Changes at Scouting Life STEM: moving towards implementation

SCOUTS CANADA EDITORIAL BOARD Chief Commissioner and Chair of the Board of Governors Steve Kent Executive Commissioner and CEO Michael McKay Deputy Chief Commissioner Andrew Price Deputy National Commissioner, Program Services Doug Reid Deputy National Commissioner, Communications Charlie Brenchley Deputy National Commissioner, Organizational Development Norm Williams Leader, 35/37 Toronto Scouting Group Megan Bingley Council Youth Commissioner, Tri-Shores Council Alex Killby National Communications Advisor Clément Bélanger

YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION: Registered members of Scouts Canada: $13.56 (includes HST) Non-members: $13.56 (includes HST) Outside Canada: $27 (U.S.); $37 (Other foreign) Single copy: $3.00

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

Scouting Life is printed on recyclable paper.

ISSN 0711-5377

ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

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Commissioner’s Corner Steve Kent

Looking Back and Moving Forward

I’ll admit that I’ve approached this article with mixed feelings.

While it’s a welcomed opportunity to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments and express my excitement for the new Scouting season, it’s also the last Commissioner’s Corner that I will be sharing with you. I’m looking forward to passing on the torch, and I’m excited about taking on new Scouting challenges, but the past four years have been an incredible experience for me and my family, and there’s a lot that I am going to miss.

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I’ve mentioned in past articles that when we launched the SCOUTING NOW Action Plan three years ago, we were an organization that was living out a legacy.

Through our work together, we have created our own.

We have transformed the Movement with an energy that captures the spirit of Canadian youth, and they are joining Scouting in greater numbers than we have seen in decades. We have also introduced new standards of training and support for our volunteers that make it possible for them to deliver great Scouting experiences, and to have a terrific time doing so.

The SCOUTING NOW Action Plan (Scoutingnow.org) challenged us to make Scouting great again, to make Scouting a relevant and exciting option for youth and their parents. The results speak for themselves. We have risen to the challenge, and we will continue do so as we grow Scouts Canada in the future. Now we need to sustain the momentum we’ve built since launching the Action Plan, and that’s where our next adventure begins.

Defining our future, together At its most recent meeting, the Board of Governors endorsed our plan to launch an initiative called Scoutlook 2020.

Much like the Action Plan, Scoutlook 2020 will establish a vision for Scouts Canada’s continued evolution, and much like the Action Plan, this vision

will be defined by you – Scouters across Canada who have the best understanding of our roots, our strengths, and our opportunities.

In the coming months, you’ll be hearing more about Scoutlook 2020. You’ll be invited to participate in Town Halls, Area meetings and online forums. You’ll see lots of discussion on our social media sites, and you’ll receive regular updates as we listen and learn from your ideas and observations. I can’t state strongly enough how much we need your input if we are going to continue to grow our Movement.

The momentum continues While Scoutlook 2020 will help us set our course for the coming years, there is no lack of forward thinking currently taking place. Two initiatives that you’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming months are STEM and Program Review.

You’ve probably already heard of STEM – a five-year program initiative funded by Imperial Oil. STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, will provide Scouts of all ages with knowledge and skills that position them for success in the future. A volunteer team is developing programs that promise to be challenging, educational and fun. It’s part of our long-term strategy to keep the Scouting experience dynamic, relevant and competitive, particularly through partnerships with organizations that share our commitment to Canada’s youth. Look

We’ve created new ways for youth to get more out of Scouting. We’re involving youth at every level, and we’re training them well. We’re giving them new opportunities to represent Scouting at home, and all around the world.

for STEM’s official launch this fall.

Program Review is another example of how Scouts Canada is being revitalized. A volunteer team has been working on it throughout the past year, and there’s been lots of lively discussion on our Facebook page. Program Review will help ensure that Scouts Canada’s programs are as relevant as possible to the young people of today and tomorrow. It's about making sure that our programs respond to today’s needs and stay rooted in our Scouting tradition.

I’d really encourage you to join the conversation.

A new chapter in Child and Youth Safety Along with increased growth comes increased responsibility, particularly as it relates to Scouts Canada’s role in providing a safe environment for youth.

As Canada’s largest youth organization, we are deeply committed to showing leadership in the area of child and youth safety.

I recently saw an opportunity for Scouts Canada to act on our leadership duty when I chaired the World Organization of the Scout Movement's InterAmerican Regional Communications Network in Colombia this past July. As I addressed questions from the audience, it became obvious that of the 12 National Scout Organizations in the room, few had robust Child and Youth Safety policies, training resources for leaders, or educational tools for youth and

their parents. We’ve learned a great deal over the past year, and we’re stronger for it. Now it’s time for us to share our knowledge and the updated policies and resources that we’ve created with other Scouting organizations in the coming year. It’s one of the new Scouting challenges that I look forward to helping address as I step away from the Chief Commissioner’s role.

A vibrant organization with a bright future Since launching the Action Plan three years ago, we’ve turned Scouts Canada from an easily ignored, slow-moving, old-fashioned organization, to a fastflowing, attractive, energetic movement that embodies the spirit of the youth that drive everything we do.

We’ve created new ways for youth to get more out of Scouting. We’re involving youth at every level, and we’re training them well. We’re giving them new opportunities to represent Scouting at home, and all around the world.

We have found ways to support our volunteers so they have a great Scouting experience in which they receive almost as much as they give. Those Scouters will automatically turn that experience into great Scouting adventures for our youth, ensuring that the cycle continues.

Thanks to your hard work, Scouts Canada has once again taken its rightful place as the leading organization for youth in our nation. I’d like to thank

each and every one of you for helping that dream come true. The pride I feel in having had the opportunity to serve as your Chief Commissioner over the past four years runs very deep, and I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life.

The past four years have also shown me is that there is nothing that can stop us from bringing Scouts Canada even higher. SCOUTING NOW was a call to action. Nothing can stop us from connecting more youth with Scouting, because we need them to keep us young, and because they need Scouting to help them grow into the confident, capable citizens of tomorrow.

We have an opportunity to be even greater, both as a Movement and as individuals. Looking back, I can’t tell you how honoured I have been to have served you. Moving forward, I can’t wait to continue working with you, side by side, to keep this fine organization growing and responding to the needs of our society and our world.

Our greatest moments are still to come.

Thanks so much for everything you have done and continue to do. Keep Scouting. And keep in touch.

Steve Chief Commissioner and Chair of the Board of Governors

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Message du commissaire Steve Kent

Regard sur le passé et sur l’avenir J’ai mentionné dans d’autres articles que lorsque nous avons mis en œuvre le Plan d’action Scoutisme aujourd’hui, il y a trois ans, nous étions une organisation qui vivait dans le passé.

Je dois vous avouer que c’est avec des sentiments partagés que j’ai écrit cet article. Bien que ce soit une bonne occasion de souligner les réalisations de la dernière année et d’exprimer mon excitation pour la nouvelle saison de scoutisme, c’est également le dernier article que je partagerai avec vous dans ce magazine en tant que commissaire en chef.

Je me réjouis à l’idée de passer le flambeau à mon successeur et j’ai hâte de relever de nouveau défi au sein du mouvement. Toutefois, les quatre dernières années ont été une expérience extraordinaire pour ma famille et moi, et je m’ennuierai de beaucoup de choses.

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Grâce à notre travail d’équipe, nous avons créé notre propre identité.

Nous avons transformé le mouvement avec une énergie qui reflète l’esprit de nos jeunes, et ils se joignent maintenant au scoutisme en plus grand nombre qu’au cours des dernières décennies. Nous avons aussi instauré de nouvelles normes de formation et de soutien pour nos bénévoles afin de leur permettent de mettre en œuvre d’extraordinaires expériences de scoutisme et d’avoir beaucoup de plaisir à le faire.

Le Plan d’action Scoutisme aujourd’hui (Scouting Now) (www.scoutingnow.org) nous met au défi de rendre le scoutisme intéressant à nouveau, de le rendre pertinent et stimulant pour les jeunes et leurs parents. Les résultats sont éloquents. Nous avons relevé le défi, et nous continuerons de le faire en stimulant la croissance de Scouts Canada. Nous devons maintenant poursuivre sur la lancée du Plan d’action, et c’est ici que commence notre nouvelle aventure.

Définir notre futur, ensemble Lors de sa dernière réunion, le conseil des gouverneurs a approuvé notre plan qui consiste à lancer un projet appelé Vision scoute 2020 (Scoutlook 2020). Vision scoute 2020, semblable au Plan d’action, établira une vision de l’évolution de Scouts Canada, et comme pour le Plan d’action, cette vision sera définie par vous, les membres de Scouts Canada, qui con-

naissez mieux que quiconque nos origines, nos forces et nos possibilités.

Dans les prochains mois, vous entendrez davantage parler de vision scoute 2020. Vous serez invité à participer à des assemblées générales, des réunions de secteurs et des forums en ligne.

Vous verrez beaucoup de discussions à ce sujet sur nos médias sociaux et vous recevrez des mises à jour régulières concernant vos nouvelles idées et observations. Je ne peux affirmer avec trop de vigueur à quel point nous aurons besoin de vos commentaires si nous voulons continuer à faire grandir notre mouvement.

Poursuivre sur notre lancée Bien que vision scoute 2020 nous aidera à déterminer la voie à suivre pour les prochaines années, de belles initiatives sont actuellement en train d’être mises en place. Vous entendrez beaucoup parler du programme STIM et de la révision du programme au cours des prochains mois.

Vous avez probablement déjà entendu parler du STIM, un programme de cinq ans financé par L’impériale. L’acronyme STIM signifie science, technologie, ingénierie et mathématiques, et le programme permettra aux scouts de tout âge d’acquérir des connaissances et des compétences pour favoriser leur réussite. Une équipe de bénévoles est en train d’élaborer le programme qui promet d’être stimulant, éducatif et amusant.

Ce dernier fait partie de notre stratégie à long terme pour s’assurer que l’expérience scoute demeure dynamique, pertinente et attrayante en particulier dans le cadre de partenariats avec des organisations qui partagent notre engagement envers les jeunes Canadiens. Surveillez le lancement officiel du STIM cet automne!

Nous avons fait en sorte que les jeunes bénéficient davantage du scoutisme. Nous faisons donc participer les jeunes dans toute l’organisation et nous les formons bien. Nous leur avons donné la chance de représenter le scoutisme dans leur communauté et dans le monde.

La révision du programme est un autre exemple de la revitalisation de Scouts Canada.

Une équipe de bénévole travaille sur la révision depuis l’an dernier, et de nombreuses discussions animées ont eu lieu sur nos pages Facebook. La révision du programme nous permettra de nous assurer que les programmes de Scouts Canada sont aussi pertinents que possible pour les jeunes d’aujourd’hui et de demain.

Nous devons nous assurer que les programmes correspondent aux besoins actuels et respectent nos traditions scoutes. Je vous encourage fortement à participer aux discussions.

Un nouveau chapitre sur la sécurité des enfants et des jeunes La croissance de notre mouvement entraîne une responsabilité accrue, particulièrement en ce qui concerne le devoir de Scouts Canada d’offrir un environnement sécuritaire pour les jeunes.

En tant qu’organisation jeunesse la plus importante au Canada, nous nous engageons à demeurer une référence en matière de sécurité des enfants et des jeunes.

J’ai récemment vu une occasion pour Scouts Canada d’agir en tant que figure de proue lorsque j’ai présidé le réseau de communication de la région interaméricaine de l’Organisation Mondiale du Mouvement Scout en Colombie en juillet dernier. Pendant que je répondais à des questions, je me suis rendu compte que parmi les douze organisations scoutes nationales qui étaient présentes dans la salle, très peu d’entre elles avaient des politiques rigoureuses, du matériel de formation pour les animateurs et des outils éducatifs pour les jeunes et leurs parents liés à la sécurité des

enfants et des jeunes. Nous avons beaucoup appris au cours des dernières années, et nous en sommes ressortis plus forts. Il est temps pour nous de partager nos connaissances et les nouvelles politiques et ressources que nous avons élaborées avec d’autres organisations scoutes cette année. C’est un des défis au sein du mouvement scout que j’aimerais relever lorsque mon mandat de commissaire en chef prendra fin.

Une organisation dynamique à l’avenir prometteur Depuis le lancement du Plan d’action, il y a trois ans, Scouts Canada, qui était une organisation pratiquement invisible, ralentie et trop traditionnelle, est devenue un mouvement dynamique, attrayant et énergique à l’image des jeunes qui sont l’inspiration de tout ce que nous faisons.

Nous avons fait en sorte que les jeunes bénéficient davantage du scoutisme. Nous faisons donc participer les jeunes dans toute l’organisation et nous les formons bien. Nous leur avons donné la chance de représenter le scoutisme dans leur communauté et dans le monde.

Nous avons trouvé des façons de soutenir nos bénévoles afin qu’ils vivent une expérience scoute des plus enrichissantes. Ces membres pourront à leur tour faire vivre une belle expérience scoute à nos jeunes et perpétuer la tradition.

Grâce à votre travail acharné, Scouts Canada a pris, une fois de plus, la place qui lui revenait en tant qu’organisation jeunesse la plus importante au Canada. J’aimerais remercier chacun d’entre vous de nous avoir aidés

à faire de ce rêve une réalité. Je suis extrêmement fier d’avoir eu la chance de vous servir comme commissaire en chef et je chérirai cette expérience pour le restant de mes jours.

Ces quatre dernières années m’ont aussi démontré que rien ne pourra nous arrêter de faire grandir notre organisation. Scoutisme aujourd’hui était un appel à l’action. Nous devons continuer de faire connaître le scoutisme au plus grand nombre de jeunes possible, puisque nous avons besoin d’eux pour rester jeunes, et parce qu’ils ont besoin du scoutisme pour devenir les citoyens confiants et compétents de demain.

Nous avons la possibilité de devenir encore meilleur en tant que mouvement et en tant que personnes. Lorsque je regarde en arrière, je ne peux vous dire à quel point ce fut un honneur pour moi de vous servir. Lorsque je regarde vers l’avenir, j’ai très hâte de continuer à travailler avec vous, à vos côtés, pour continuer de faire grandir cette merveilleuse organisation et pour qu’elle continue de répondre aux besoins de notre société et de notre monde.

Les plus beaux moments sont encore à venir.

Merci beaucoup pour tout ce que vous avez fait et continuez le bon travail. Continuez de faire partie de ce mouvement et j’espère que nous resterons en contact.

Steve Commissaire en chef et président du conseil des gouverneurs

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safety

By Michael McKay: Executive Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Scouts Canada Commissaire général et directeur général Scouts Canada

Learning is the Key to Scouting Safety L’apprentissage est essentiel à la sécurité dans notre organisation Safety, always prime, has become paramount at Scouts Canada. We have undertaken an in-depth look at our internal policies and procedures regarding child and youth safety. We are developing a strong action plan to improve our capabilities in this area. • La sécurité, qui a toujours été à l’avant-plan, est maintenant une priorité chez Scouts Canada. Nous avons entrepris une analyse approfondie de nos politiques et procédures internes concernant la sécurité des enfants et des jeunes. De plus, nous élaborons un plan d’action ambitieux pour améliorer nos compétences dans ce domaine.

A

The matter of judgment An important part of this plan is improving the way we learn from our experiences. As an organization and as individuals we must be better at keeping our members safe. The old adage says, “Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from poor judgment.”

We all need to learn. Individuals can learn good judgment by reviewing incident reports and analyzing the decisions that caused problems for others. For the organization, learning comes in the form of root-cause analysis, corrective-action plans and changes to policies and procedures.

Communications is key We need to communicate safety issues and training to facilitate the learning. To that end, we are going to share accident and incident reports on a regular basis. Leaders can study them to understand not just what happened but why.

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There are far more close-call situations than actual incidents. These “camp fire stories” are also really important to communicate. Please feel free to send us an e-mail and describe the incident. We will share the story to let everyone benefit from your experience.

Case Study: Maintaining a safe environment At a summer camp, two Leaders-in-Training and a camp staff member were horsing around after a work party. They found a small bottle containing gasoline that had been hidden near a campfire. Gathering some matches, the youth started to light small puddles of the gas on fire.

One youth splashed the last of the gas from the bottle onto a puddle that was already burning. It splashed onto another youth’s shirt, igniting it. The youth stopped, dropped and rolled but suffered second degree burns to his torso, neck, and ear.

Initially, the group decided to hide the accident, but within

a few hours, the injured youth was in too much pain and reported to the camp nurse. He was taken to hospital where a tube was inserted in his neck to reduce the risk of the burninduced swelling cutting off his airway. He was released from hospital after a few days.

Case Study: Assessing the risks During a long portage between lakes, a youth slipped and fell hard on his left knee. He had twisted the same knee at a local fair a week earlier, causing a sprain that was not treated. He did not want to leave the trip and did not want a report filed out of fear of being sent home.

Two days into the trip the youth sought medical attention. A tensor bandage was applied and Leaders made numerous suggestions to minimize the pain and promote healing. There is no record of whether any of this guidance was followed by the youth, as the leader in charge recommended no report be filed.

The youth did not feel that the incident was “that serious”.

A Council representative called the parent after trip to check on youth and learned that he was still experiencing some pain. The Leader had mentioned to the mother that the youth had fallen during a portage, but that he was okay, and had not explained that a re-injury might be possible without proper care. The mother took the youth for further testing.

Remedial Action The injuries and risks in these cases were relatively minor, but the potential for a more serious incident was very real.

As Leaders, can you identify the root causes of each incident?

What was the chain of errors that occurred prior to the youth being injured or put at risk? What should be done to prevent a recurrence?

In thinking of these things, part of the solution rests in changing attitudes. We cannot accept accidents and incidents as a normal part of Scouting. Let’s learn, so we can reduce the number and the effect of them.

L’importance du jugement Une des parties importantes de ce plan consiste à améliorer la façon dont nous tirons des leçons de nos expériences. En tant qu’organisation et comme personne, nous devons être capables de mieux protéger nos membres, et comme le dit si bien le dicton : « C'est en faisant des erreurs que l'on apprend! » Nous avons tous besoin d’apprendre. Les membres peuvent développer leur sens du jugement en consultant les rapports d’incidents et en analysant les décisions qui ont causé des problèmes aux autres. Dans le cas de l’organisation, l’apprentissage peut se faire sous forme d’analyse des causes fondamentales, de plans de mesures correctives et de changements apportés aux politiques et aux procédures.

La communication est fondamentale Plus que jamais, nous devons vous parler de la formation et des questions liées à la sécurité afin de favoriser l’apprentissage. Dans cette optique, nous partagerons régulièrement avec vous les rapports

d’accidents et d’incidents. Les animateurs pourront les consulter pour comprendre ce qui s’est passé.

Il existe beaucoup plus de cas où des accidents ont été évités. Ces « histoires de feu de camp » doivent également être rapportées. N’hésitez pas à nous envoyer un courriel pour nous raconter l’incident. Nous partagerons l’histoire pour que tout le monde puisse bénéficier de votre expérience. Étude de cas : Maintenir un environnement sécuritaire Lors d’un camp d’été, deux animateurs en stage et un employé du camp flânaient après une fête de travail. Ils trouvèrent une petite bouteille contenant de l’essence qui avait été cachée près d’un feu de camp et se mirent à mettre le feu à de petites flaques d’essence avec des allumettes.

Un des jeunes aspergea une des petites flaques qui brûlait avec le restant de l’essence éclaboussant ainsi le gilet d’un des jeunes. Le gilet prit aussitôt en feu et le jeune se mit à se rouler par terre, mais il fut tout de même brûlé au deuxième degré sur le torse, le cou et les oreilles.

Au départ, les jeunes ont tenté de cacher l’accident, mais après quelques heures, le jeune qui s’était fait brûler souffrait beaucoup trop, et il est finalement allé voir l’infirmière du camp. Il a été amené à l’hôpital où un tube a été inséré dans son cou pour éviter que ces voies aériennes soient bloquées par les enflures causées par ses brûlures. Il a obtenu son congé de l’hôpital après quelques jours. Étude de cas : Évaluation des risques Lors d’un long portage entre deux lacs, un jeune est tombé très fort sur son genou gauche et s’est fait très mal. Le jeune s’était foulé le même genou lors de la foire locale une semaine auparavant, et cette entorse n’avait pas été soignée. Le jeune ne voulait pas être retiré de l’expédition et ne voulait pas qu’un rapport soit soumis de peur d’être renvoyé à la maison.

Deux jours plus tard, le jeune demanda des soins médicaux. Les animateurs lui firent un bandage de contention et lui donnèrent des conseils pour diminuer la douleur et favoriser la guérison. Cet incident n’a pas fait l’objet d’un rapport à savoir si le jeune a suivi les conseils des animateurs, puisque l’animateur responsable a recommandé de ne pas rédiger de rapport. Le jeune considérait que l’incident n’était pas « assez sérieux ».

Un représentant du conseil appela les parents après l’expédition pour prendre des nouvelles du jeune et apprit que ce dernier ressentait toujours de la douleur. L’animateur avait mentionné à la mère que le jeune était tombé pendant un portage, mais il lui avait dit que ce dernier était correct, et il ne lui avait pas expliqué que si la blessure n’était pas soignée adéquatement, le jeune pourrait se blesser à nouveau. Finalement, la mère amena son fils se faire examiner à nouveau.

Mesure corrective Les blessures et les risques dans ces cas étaient relativement mineurs, mais des accidents beaucoup plus graves auraient pu avoir lieu. Comme animateurs, pouvez-vous déterminer les causes fondamentales de chaque incident? Quelles erreurs ont été commises avant que le jeune ne se blesse ou qu’il soit mis en danger? Que pourrait-on faire pour éviter que ces incidents ne se reproduisent?

N’oubliez pas qu’une partie de la solution consiste à changer les attitudes. Nous ne pouvons pas tolérer que les incidents et les accidents fassent partie du scoutisme. Apprenons de nos erreurs afin de réduire le nombre d’incidents et d’accident et de minimiser les conséquences.

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feature

myscouts Remember myscouts for Your Scouts

Souvenez-vous de myscouts pour vos scouts

Before you get too caught up in the excitement, energy and confusion of the new Scouting year, you should remember that there’s a tool to help you to keep your Group’s registration information in order and at hand.

Avant que l’excitation, l’énergie et la confusion de la nouvelle année de scoutisme s’emparent de vous, souvenez-vous qu’il existe un outil pour vous aider à garder les formulaires d’inscription de votre groupe en ordre et à portée de mains.

Tell me about it, you say? Here’s the deal, in a nutshell.

Vous voulez en savoir plus? Voici, en quelques lignes, comment ça fonctionne. myscouts est un excellent système dans lequel inscrire chaque membre de votre groupe, les jeunes et les animateurs, pour pouvoir suivre leur progression dans l’organisation de Scouts Canada.

Il est très pratique d’avoir tous les renseignements importants concernant les jeunes et les animateurs de votre groupe dans un seul et même endroit prêts à être utilisés. myscouts un outil web, à jour, compatible avec les cellulaires pour les animateurs et les parents afin qu’ils puissent gérer leur compte Scouts Canada.

Aujourd’hui, nous ne sommes plus émerveillés devant les avantages des outils de communication électronique. Nous utilisons les ordinateurs et les téléphones intelligents et ils sont pratiques et utiles. Faites-en l’essai et voyez par vous-même!

Ce système rassemble de nombreux outils et se connecte automatiquement à notre plateforme d’apprentissage en ligne.

En plus de permettre l’inscription, myscouts fait le suivi de votre progression et de vos réalisations.

L’inscription de vos scouts sur myscouts permettra de combler vos besoins en matière de gestion de l’information et ceux de Scouts Canada.

Nous avons créé ce système pour répondre à plusieurs besoins. Inscrivezvous maintenant sur myscouts et voyez l’évolution de ce système en portail unique pour les inscriptions aux évènements, les votes lors des élections, les communications, et bien plus!

Inscrivez-vous maintenant et participez à l’évolution!

myscouts.ca is a great way to register every member of your Group – youth and Leaders – and to track their progression within the Scouts Canada program.

It really is handy to have the information that you collect from the youth and Leaders in your Group in a place where you can find it and use it.

It is an up-to-date, Web-based, mobile-friendly tool for Leaders and parents to manage their Scouts Canada information.

Surely we’re past the point where we marvel at the benefits of electronic communication tools. Computers and smart phones are here, they’re handy and they’re helpful. Try it out and see for yourself.

It provides single sign-on integration and direct reporting with our e-learning platform. Beyond registration, myscouts.ca tracks progression and achievement.

Implementing your Group registration through myscouts will benefit future information management needs for you and Scouts Canada.

We’ve created the platform with more in mind. Starting now means benefiting in real time as myscouts.ca grows to become a one-stop portal for event registration, voting, communication and much more.

So start now and grow with us!

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feature

A Callout for Scouts and First-Year Venturer scouts Preparing

for the World Jamboree

Youth don’t typically plan their activities two years in advance, especially those as young as 12. But the planning should start now for anyone who is likely to be interested in attending the next World Jamboree, in Japan, 2015. And that puts a responsibility in the hands of Leaders and Groups to get the word out, sell the idea, gauge parental and youth interest and make and facilitate plans.

world history

Why go?

Scouting is an international movement.

The World Jamboree will give Scouts and Venturer Scouts a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience that fact, firsthand. Scouts from the world over will be in attendance, representing their countries, learning about other cultures and experiencing the commonality that gives the Scouting Movement its singularity.

There are a few times in life when you can plan for memories. This is one of them.

As Leaders, this is your opportunity to plant the seeds of intrigue and nurture them to fruition. Mainly it’s a matter of floating the idea and keeping it alive. The benefit to the kids is a life-altering, mind-blowing, totally awesome, international experience.

Why plan?

There are a few reasons to plan ahead.

The first is the significant expense.

We are, after all, talking about a trip to Japan here. Few people can make a trip like that at the drop of a hat.

But there’s also the notion that those who really want to attend should have the support of their Group. Some Scouts may be the only members of their Group to attend. Other Groups may assemble an entire patrol. Whether your Group is working to support the travel plans of one or nine will make a real difference.

As well, it is important to note that there are age restrictions at play here.

The Jamboree is for youth between the ages of 14 and 17 as of July 28, 2015. So new Cub Scouts coming up this year will be too young. But older Scouts can look ahead to attending as Venturer Scouts.

Older Venturer Scouts and Rover Scouts will have the opportunity to apply to work on the service team.

What now?

If you know a youth or group of youth who are interested in participating in the next World Scout Jamboree, contact Marlene Cole (mcole@scouts.ca) to get on the mailing list.

1920 – United Kingdom 1924 – Denmark 1929 – United Kingdom 1933 – Hungary 1937 – Netherlands 1947 – France 1951 – Austria 1955 – Canada 1957 – United Kingdom 1959 – Philippines 1963 – Greece 1967 – United States 1971 – Japan 1975 – Norway 1979 – Iran 1983 – Canada 1987–88 – Australia 1991 – South Korea 1995 – Netherlands 1998–99 – Chile 2002–2003 – Thailand 2007 – United Kingdom 2011 – Sweden 2015 – Japan 2019 – United States 12

ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

THE 2012 SCOUTS CANADA CATALOGUE IS NOW AVAILABLE! Great for Registration Events!

For additional copies, visit or call your local Scout Shop at: 1-866-535-6556 Shop online today for a great selection of outdoor gear and more!

www.scoutshop.ca Scout Shop Locations / Répertoire Boutique Scoute BRITISH COLUMBIA / COLOMBIE-BRITANNIQUE Vancouver 664 West Broadway Vancouver, BC V5Z 1G1 t: 604-879-5724 f: 604-879-5433 e: vancouvershop@scouts.ca Toll Free / Numéro sans frais :

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1-877-879-5725

Victoria* 505 Marigold Road Victoria, BC V8Z 4R5 t: 250-727-3329 f: 250-727-2922 e: victoriashop@scouts.ca *Note: Please refer all mail order inquiries to the Vancouver Shop.

ALBERTA Calgary 2140 Brownsea Drive N.W. Calgary, AB T2N 3G9 t: 403-283-7060 f: 403-283-6844 e: calgaryshop@scouts.ca

Lethbridge 217-12A Street South Lethbridge, AB T1J 2S9 t: 403-327-4647 f: 403-329-3713 e: lethbridgeshop@scouts.ca Toll Free/Numéro sans frais :

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Edmonton 14205-109th Avenue Edmonton, AB T5N 1H5 t: 780-454-8561 f: 780-451-5333 e: edmontonshop@scouts.ca Toll Free / Numéro sans frais :

1-800-480-2054

SASKATCHEWAN Regina Unit 3, 1640 Albert Street Regina, SK S4P 2S6 t: 306-757-1544 f: 306-525-1890 e: reginashop@scouts.ca

MANITOBA Winnipeg 1071 Autumnwood Drive Winnipeg, MB R2J 1C6 t: 204-786-6661 f: 204-772-5248 e: winnipegshop@scouts.ca

ONTARIO Hamilton 375 James Street South Hamilton, ON L8P 3B9 t: 905-528-4662 f: 905-528-7919 e: hamiltonshop@scouts.ca

Ottawa 1345 Baseline Road Ottawa, ON K2C 0A7 t: 613-224-0139 f: 613-224-3571 e: ottawashop@scouts.ca

Kitchener 844 Frederick Street Kitchener, ON N2B 2B8 t: 519-742-8325 f: 519-742-8542 e: kitchenershop@scouts.ca

St. Catharines 32 Cherry Street St. Catharines, ON L2R 5M6 t: 905-685-8600 f: 905-685-1357 e: stcatharineshop@scouts.ca

London 531 Windermere Road London, ON N5X 2T1 t: 519-432-8202 f: 519-432-1677 e: londonshop@scouts.ca

Toronto 265 Yorkland Blvd., 2nd Floor North York, ON M2J 5C7 t: 416-490-6313 f: 416-490-6911 e: torontoshop@scouts.ca

Oakville 165 Randall Street Oakville, ON L6J 1P5 t: 905-338-9135 f: 905-844-4962 e: oakvilleshop@scouts.ca

Windsor 3085 Marentette Ave. Windsor, ON N8X 4G1 t: 519-966-0481 f: 519-966-0821 e: windsorshop@scouts.ca

Oshawa 1711 Simcoe Street North Oshawa ON L1G 4Y1 t: 905-725-5722 f: 905-571-7920 e: oshawashop@scouts.ca

Mississauga 4665 Central Parkway E. Unit 13 Mississauga, ON L4Z 2V5 t: 905-232-4555 f: 905-232-4554 e: mississaugashop@scouts.ca

QUEBEC / QUÉBEC Dorval 267, avenue Dorval Dorval PQ H9S 3H5 t: 514-334-3004 f: 514-636-8773 e: dorvalshop@scouts.ca

MARITIME / MARITÎME Saint John 201 Union Street Saint John, NB E2L 1A9 t: 506-646-9123 f: 506-646-9122 e: saintjohnshop@scouts.ca

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR / TERRE-NEUVE ET LABRADOR St. John’s 15 Terra Nova Road St. John’s, NL A1B 1E7 t: 709-722-0931 f: 709-722-5407 e: stjohnsshop@scouts.ca

Call 1-888-Scouts-Now Or visit us at www.scouts.ca

It starts with Scouts.

Tout commence avec les Scouts.

feature Some “CJ Buzz” to Share With Your Scouts

Jamb ree Calling!

We’re building…

You coming?

The buzz behind the scenes of CJ’13 is deafening, and we’re itching to share what’s been going on at Camp Woods these past few months. Of course, you all know that the 12th Canadian Scout Jamboree is taking place next summer at Camp Woods in Alberta, right? By now, you’ve started counting how many sleeps until July 6, 2013, right? In fact, you’ve probably already gathered your friends, done the fundraising for your fees, kissed your mother goodbye and got your bag packed with your thumb out on the highway, right?

Yes? No? If you haven’t thought much about having the time of your life at CJ’13 next summer, here’s the deal: CJ’13 is open to registered Scouting youth. Come as a unit consisting of no more than 10 and no less than five, including two registered Leaders. No longer a Scout? No worries. Sign up to be an offer of service (OOS) at CJ’13 – you may discover you’re having even more fun than the Scouts!

CJ’13 will cost $650 per participant (before January 1) and $300 per OOS. This fee includes your food and transportation from one of the major arrival points in Alberta (Calgary/Edmonton) out to Camp Woods. Now, getting to Alberta is going to be on your own dime – get creative! You can fly the friendly skies, ride the rails, take the Greyhound or rent some decked-out bus for the

CJ’13 fun fact 14

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ultimate road trip from Gander to Sylvan Lake. Yes, that’s lookin’ at you, Newfoundland. We want to see you out here in the Wild West too.

The Jamboree opens officially on July 6 and closes July 13, 2013. What this means is that you and your Troop should plan to arrive on the day of July 6 and set up in your new home (called a sub-camp – there will be eight of them) on this date.

You should plan to depart from the Jamboree on the day of July 13. Whew! Lots of info to process! In the meantime…

Planning and Fundraising Fundraising is one of those fabulous opportunities to get your Group into the community, share the spirit of Scouting and unite for a common cause. It’s also good, honest hard work. No word of a lie.

But the best part is that you can do this.

Scout Popcorn is your very best friend this fall. Find a motivated Leader, parent or youth in your Group to don the honoured Popcorn Kernel hat and make the most of the 2012 Scout Popcorn campaign. Set sales goals, create a strategy and be vocal about the reason for selling Scout Popcorn (send me to CJ’13!). Getting to CJ’13 on the wings of Scout Popcorn does mean that there will be popcorn all over your house, in your garage and even coming out of your ears… but it’ll be worth it. Sell, sell, sell!

While you were sleeping As you snoozed under the stars over the summer, John Witham worked hard to make Camp Woods CJ’13-ready for you and your mates next year. John’s been around the jamboree block, so to speak, with five CJ’s in his back pocket and in a number of roles from roving reporter and special events to sub-camps and programming. This year, John is the site services manager, which means he’s preparing the physical side of Camp Woods to handle 5,000 Scouts living off the land for a week.

What might make some shake in their hiking boots John just takes in stride. “I have a good Camp Woods committee and a good CJ’13 site services committee, and we’re getting a lot of

When the first settlers arrived at Sylvan Lake in 1899, the lake was named Snake Lake, from the First Nations name Kinabik, which referred to the numerous garter snakes in the area. The name was officially changed to Sylvan Lake in 1903. “Sylvan” is from the Latin sylvanus, which means “of a forest.”

CJ’13 in numbers

500 campsites prepared for participants 250 portable toilets rented 650 picnic tables being built 10,000 gallons of water trucked in daily

work done,” he explains. When John isn’t managing the major site upgrades at Camp Woods, he spends his downtime building picnic tables. CJ’13 requires 650 more picnic tables than what are already on site!

John reports that CJ’13 will use every last inch of Camp Woods 105 acres along with an additional 80 acres across the road, which will provide extra space for program activities, bus parking and staff parking. Site services built upon the basic infrastructure at Camp Woods by making several notable upgrades: • Underbrushing about 54 acres at the west end of the camp where the subcamps will be setting up. This involves removing some deadfall, scrub and brush to create a pleasant and functional camping environment that is shaded but open enough for units to have plenty of space to camp.

• Running an additional water line through Camp Woods to provide water to the sub-camps at the west end.

• Upgrading the west loop, main entrance and central roads through Camp Woods to allow for the safe passage of heavy utility vehicles, such as trucks to pump out the grey water on a daily basis.

• Creating the staging area for the opening and closing ceremonies. The stage will rest at the bottom of a small rise, where the ground then ascends and broadens into a fan shape. The entire area is seeded with pasture grass to create a good root base and, ultimately, a firm grassy area for ceremonies.

Having lived in Sylvan Lake for the past six years, John says that fox, deer, coyotes, a few resident moose and the occasional black bear frequent the area.

“I suspect with five thousand youth at Camp Woods, we’ll have our own builtin animal control system though,” he

chuckles. “We may not see any wildlife at all!”

Sylvan Lake is known for its calm, crystal-clear waters, and John says that a highlight of the Jamboree will be the awesome water activities on hand at the Camp Woods beach. He and his team are building a set of floating docks exclusively for use at CJ’13, along with a stairway down to the beach.

When you’re out at CJ’13 next year, be sure to seek John out and shake his hand. In the meantime, check out the CJ’13 website at Scouts.ca/cj13 for all the latest and greatest info and send us your questions on Facebook at facebook.com/ CJam2013 and on Twitter @CJam2013.

We want to hear how you’re getting ready for the Canadian Jamboree at Camp Woods near Sylvan Lake, Alberta!

Profiles

Katja Randall – OOS 12th St. Albert, Alberta With the 22nd World Jamboree already under her belt, Katja is ready to storm CJ’13 as an offer of service. For any Scouts on the fence about whether or not to attend CJ’13 at Camp Woods next summer, Katja says, “Do it! Jamboree is super fun, and you get to meet people from all around. It’s nothing like anything you have ever done before, and it’s just awesome!” Katja’s top five things to bring to CJ’13: sunscreen, bug spray, a camera, excitement and “maybe” a change of clothes.

Bryan Li – Leader 25th Christ Church, Alberta Scouter Bryan Li is all about sharing the adventure. His Scouting career began in Hong Kong with the 36th St. John’s Cathedral when he was 14 years old. Drawn to challenges in the outdoors, he sought adventure with his Group from the isolated islands around Hong Kong to the Pyrenees and through the fjord land of New Zealand. “We slept in shady Barcelona hostels and braved hailstorms, quicksand and whiteouts into the wild,” said Scouter Bryan. “They were rough trips, but our Leaders set the example and kept us motivated when the going got really muddy.”

Scouter Bryan brings his own style of leadership to his troop at the 25th Christ Church. “It’s about being the big brother to the youth: setting the mark, sharing responsibilities with them and giving them hints and words of encouragement along the way.”

Gearing up for CJ’13, he sees the opportunity to take the troop out of the hustle and bustle of the city and into the bush, where the youth will be exposed to the Alberta wilderness and be challenged by each other.

“One of the central ideas about being a Scout is that we’re part of a worldwide brotherhood of Scouting. It’s the exposure to different people and ideas that shape the way we learn,” explained Scouter Bryan. “Experiences and methods vary from Scout to Scout, Leader to Leader and Group to Group. CJ’13 is a fantastic opportunity for exchange, fellowship and fun with others from across Canada!”

Watch for Scouter Bryan at CJ’13 next summer! Rumour has it he’ll be munching on burgers with Albert, the Albertasaurus, and challenging him to a game of bocce ball.

ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

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framework

A Strategic

for

Volunteer

Support

Scouting in Canada promises youth, parents, and the community at large that “It Starts with Scouts”. Scouts aims to provide youth with opportunities to experience new things and to develop into capable and well-rounded individuals – Scouts is truly the start of something great! Delivering on our promise to more Canadian youth than ever before ultimately requires an unwavering commitment to volunteer support. To achieve our mission and our growth goals, we must stay true to our internal mantra “It starts with Scouters”.

Why Volunteer Support is Key Competent and confident leadership is the cornerstone of a high-quality and successful youth program that will enable Scouts Canada to attract and retain more members, volunteer and youth alike.

• Consistent, high-quality youth programming is required to attract and retain youth members • Competent and confident section leadership is the key enabler of consistent, high quality program • Engaged and effective section leadership teams improve Scouts Canada’s ability to attract and retain volunteers • Competent and confident leadership is attained through effective volunteer support Clear commitment to and understanding of the brand promise is key to building and retaining an engaged cadre of volunteers. Scouts Canada must maintain a singular focus on supporting all Scouters so that they ultimately possess

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the knowledge, sense of commitment, and enthusiasm they need to thrive.

Vision for Volunteers Scouts Canada’s volunteer support activities are undertaken with the aim of achieving its overall volunteer vision: • Quality section programming is the primary objective of all volunteers: volunteers know what a quality program “looks like” and confidently deliver on the brand promise • Section volunteers understand the Scouting Method, and they are mentors and coaches for youth Volunteers feel empowered, a sense of belonging, and a commitment to the Scouting Mission • Volunteers believe that participation in Scouting has value for them as individuals and that they can contribute to Scouting from Day 1 • Volunteers are not in this alone: there are other volunteers willing and able to support them to achieve success

• Volunteers derive value from developmental experiences attended • All volunteers receive the feedback necessary to help them grow Five Pillar Approach to Volunteer Support Achieving the volunteer vision requires a holistic and sustained approach to volunteer engagement and support.

Volunteer performance and engagement are underpinned by five key pillars: orientation, program tools, formal training, in person support, and feedback & recognition. The activity undertaken to deliver on these five pillars must be the primary focus of all Support Scouters and employees. Specific attention must be paid to successful initiation and support of new volunteers such that their first experiences as members are positive and fulfilling.

Each of the five pillars is comprised of key support activities and behaviours alongside associated standards and

tools. These standards and tools are maintained as part of the Volunteer Support Toolkit (Scouts.ca/vstk).

The aim of each of the five pillars is summarized as follows: Orientation Each new volunteer is appropriately screened and provided with an orientation to Scouting that is facilitated by the New Scouter Welcome Kit (NSWK).

The aim of the orientation is to: 1. Welcome the volunteer and set him/ her up for success 2. Provide a clear understanding of the brand promise and how it relates to program 3. Clarify expectations, program goals and standards 4. Outline the overall volunteer support strategy and approach 5. Outline local support and opportunities for training Program Tools Each volunteer is aware of and has access to the key program resources that enable him/her to plan and execute high-quality programs that are aligned with Scouts Canada’s standards. Each volunteer believes that these tools add value and contribute to his/her effectiveness as a volunteer.

Examples of these resources include: 1. Program Leader Handbooks in both electronic and paper formats 2. Section specific Jumpstarts (ie prepared programming) 3. Program planning aids including the prepared programming calendar and Scouter Wiki 4. Scouts Canada program standards and accompanying Quality Section Award Formal Training Each volunteer has access to relevant and high-quality training opportunities that assist him/her in developing the knowledge, skills, and attitude required to function effectively as a Scouts Canada volunteer. Each volunteer understands the benefits of available training and derives value from training attended.

Scouts Canada directly manages content and delivery of training including Wood Badge I and Wood Badge II (program planning and delivery courses) and Outdoor skills courses.

It is equally important for Scouting volunteers to engage in other personal development activities that improve their capacity; these would include accreditation from other agencies (e.g. First Aid, Recreational Canoeing) as well as participation in specific skills workshops.

In-Person Support Each volunteer receives the personal, face-to-face support required for him/ her to thrive. This support can take many forms and be provided by a variety of individuals including Section Scouters, Group Commissioners, Service Team members, and Council staff. The focus of in-person support is to assist volunteers in planning for success and identifying skills and resources that would help to increase the capacity of their leadership team with the aim of enhancing overall program quality.

Modeling the key elements of the brand promise is of paramount importance.

In-Person Support is further defined by: 1. A desire to lead by example and support shared leadership 2. Minimum servicing standards 3. Tools to support effective volunteer support by Group and Area Commissioners Feedback and Recognition Each volunteer receives relevant and timely feedback and recognition for his/ her contributions to Scouting. Each and every volunteer feels appreciated and understands how his/her individual performance relates to the overall goals of the organization.

Effective feedback and recognition is supported by the following: 1. Ongoing feedback in the form of coaching and mentoring by Support Scouters and Commissioners 2. Frequent informal recognition of contributions 3. Formal Scouts Canada recognition programs: Milestone Recognition for

years of service and Outstanding Service Recognition for quality of service 4. Assessment of results against overall program and organizational objectives Desired Outcomes Implementation of the Volunteer Support Strategy will be measured and tracked with the aim of achieving the following outcomes by 2014: 1. 75% of new volunteers are recruited and registered by August 31 in prior Scouting year 2. Orientation and NSWK provided to all new volunteers within 2 weeks of accepting volunteer role 3. 100% volunteers trained with Wood Badge I for their primary role 4. Training quality is measured at each Scouts Canada accredited course; 60% of participants strongly agree with core quality statements 5. 80% of sections achieve the Quality Section Award 6. Each Section, Group and Area receives three service visits annually 7. Each volunteer receives personal feedback three times annually 8. 20% of volunteers receive Scouts Canada recognition for outstanding service annually 9. Each Group Committee has a minimum of three non-Section Scouters to support Group activities (e.g. registration, fundraising, financial and HR planning) From Strategy to Action The primary role of all support Scouters and staff members is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality programs. This requires focus on appointing the right people to the right roles, ensuring that volunteers receive clear and meaningful orientations, and seeing to it that experienced Scouters are in place and willing to provide regular coaching accompanied by meaningful recognition.

With a constant and steady commitment to our volunteers, the number of youth reached by Scouting will increase.

The quality of their experiences will improve. Our ability to shape the leaders of tomorrow will grow.

Tools and resources to help you bring the Volunteer Support Strategy to life can be found in the Volunteer Support Toolkit (www.scouts.ca/vstk) ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

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feature

By Susan Muehlherr

Scouts Abroad

The World of Scouting Join Scouts, see the world! This could be one of our unofficial slogans because once you join Scouting, you become a member of the worldwide Scouting movement. Opportunities abound to explore the world when you are in Scouting – through our programs, international events, Brotherhood projects, JOTA and JOTI and the International Pen Pal program.

Here are just some of the ways you can engage your children and youth in international Scouting.

International Pen Pal program Cub Scout and Scout sections can fulfill program requirements by applying to the International Pen Pal program (World Cubbing, Cub Scout Canadian Heritage Badge, Chief Scout Award, Scout Computer Badge). A few simple steps and your section will be well on their way to communicating, exchanging program ideas and learning about the differences or similarities that exist

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between Scouting Groups abroad. Just think of the opportunities to not only exchange messages, but possibly even meet one day at an international Scouting event!

How it works To be part of the International Pen Pal program, you must be a registered Scouts Canada member (youth or adult). If your section would like to communicate with other Scouting Groups, please send send an email to intl@scouts.ca providing: • Leader’s name • Address

• Group name • Section you want to link with • Email address This information will be verified through myscouts.ca before we link you with an overseas Group. Scouts Canada staff will post your Section, province and country of origin on the Available Pen Pal Links page on our website. Go to Programs, click on ScoutsAbroad, select Get Involved and click on Pen Pal Program. There you will find two lists: one of Canadian Groups looking for Pen Pals and another list of international Groups looking to link up with Canadian Groups.

Upon confirmation of membership, we

will forward you the Group’s contact info to begin your communication!

International Groups wishing to post invitations must forward their requests through their national Scouting association to the intl@scouts.ca. Only approved contacts are provided to Scouts Canada members. *NOTE: Personal contact information such as names, email addresses or phone numbers will not be posted on the website for privacy reasons.

All contact information will be held by Scouts Canada staff until a link has been confirmed and approved between the countries.

Scouting has always promoted international peace, understanding and co-operation through encouraging contact between young people from various countries and cultures. Joining the International Pen Pal program is just one of the many ways to do so.

Jamboree on the Air – Jamboree on the Internet (JOTA/JOTI) The 55th Jamboree on the Air will take place on October 20 and 21, 2012. This year’s theme is: How big is your world?

JOTI and JOTA are for members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

Scouting members reach out to each other over this weekend, by either radio or Internet. More and more Canadian Groups are participating in this international event each year, making friends around the world. Participants receive JOTA/JOTI participation cards as confirmation of their participation and a souvenir of the event.

JOTA ideas to share • The global weather situation. Take a large wall map of the whole world. Ask the Scouts who you speak to to give you the local weather report. Indicate this on the map for the area where they are located. At the end of the weekend you will have the global weather view.

• Determine the distance of each radio contact that you make and add them all up. Can you reach 100,000 kilome-

tres in one JOTA weekend?

• Make a simple drawing. Give instructions by radio to other Scouts how to draw the same picture, line by line, without telling them what the picture is. Can they reconstruct your drawing and tell you what it is?

• Ask what the local names are for “Scouts” and “Guides” in at least 10 different countries. Make a list.

• Learn to sing the first lines of a foreign song. Find some Scouts on the radio from the country where the song comes from. Sing their song and see if they can join you in it.

Find more ideas such as directions for antennas pulled into the air by kites or Morse code games on the WOSM JOTA site at (scout.org/en/information_ events/events/jota/the_55th_jota_2012.)

Join in Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) The year 2012 is the 16th edition of Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) – fast becoming one of Scouting’s most popular international activities. JOTI is officially open 48 hours, from midnight on Friday to midnight on Sunday.

First-time participants might find useful information in JOTA-JOTI for Newbies at (scout.org/en/information_events/events/joti/jota_joti_for_ newbies.) The following tips have been gleaned from this page.

Set up a JOTI station For a JOTI station, you need to set up an Internet connection with at least one computer connected to the Internet. A small computer network is generally a good idea so that Scouts can share the connection.

Depending on the operating system in use, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), which is very popular during JOTI for Scouts to communicate around the world with Scouts from different countries, can require a dedicated piece of software. It may also be possible to connect directly using your Web browser and a Java applet.

Register for JOTA/JOTI Registration is not mandatory but is highly recommended. It gives you access to various tools that will ease your participation and enable you to reserve a nickname for your use throughout the weekend. After registering, you will have unlimited access to the available tools including: •U ser name/nickname protection When you register your chosen user name or nickname for the event, you’ll need to provide a password to use it. No one else can use your nickname. It’s always a good idea to register your station well in advance to avoid the peaks of connections that occur during the event itself and that can result in very slow response times from the server at times.

• Temporary email address Protecting privacy and security is an important consideration when planning your participation. Your registration provides you with a temporary email address.

All messages sent to this temporary address during the JOTA/JOTI event will be forwarded to your real email account. In this way, your personal email address need never be exposed during the event, and your temporary address will be disabled automatically one month after the event.

• Search stations You can search for a station or list all stations in a country.

•G oogle Earth During the registration process, you’ll be asked to indicate your location (optional). This world map will show you the name and location of all registered stations during the event.

Experience the world Whether reaching out to other countries by the International Pen Pal program, JOTA or JOTI, your world will continue to expand through Scouting. And don’t forget to send in your JOTA/ JOTI reports to intl@scouts.ca for inclusion in Scouts Canada’s national report to WOSM.

ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

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crew

M o ot C a n a da 2 013 M o ot C anada 2 013 M oot C a n a da 2 013 M oot C a n a da 2 013 M oot C a n ada 2 013

Meet Me at the Moot, Mate A Scouts Canada/Association des Scouts du Canada Event oose, Mounties and snowdrifts are the international stereotype of Canada. That is about to be challenged. From August 8 through August 18, 2013 up to 5,000 young people from around the world – including Rover Scouts and other young adults within the Scouting movement – will see for themselves our mix of farms, forest and cosmopolitan centres as they attend the 14th World Rover Scout Moot next summer, Moot Canada 2013.

Rover Scouts, for those who are unfamiliar with the program, are young people from 18 to 26 who generally provide their own leadership and plan their own programming.

The outdoors is an essential part of Rover Scout programs as they pursue adventurous activities like mountain climbing, whitewater rafting or parasailing. They also explore the world of cyber communication. Rover Scouts lead or help with food drives, park cleanups and tree plantings in their home communities. Their motto is “Service.”

Not everyone attending will be a Rover Scout. Scout organizations in other countries have similar programs under other names. A “Rover” is, basically, someone who travels from place to place, sampling as he or she goes and growing as he or she samples.

The organizers at l’Association des Scouts du Canada want to teach young people to become involved and to remain true to commitments, based on humanitarian values that are indispensable to ensuring peace and solidarity among human beings. This means establishing respect for themselves in order to conduct themselves with dignity, banishing discrimination and prejudice to respect every human being, treasuring and protecting the gift of our environment, becoming responsible consumers, rejecting any form of violence and taking a personal part in their community’s development.

M

what is moot?

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Moot Canada 2013 is the first such gathering held in Canada. It will highlight the modern and traditional aspects of Canada for Scouting visitors from around the world. “Once they return home,” says Robert Nowlan, Commissionaire National, l’Association des Scouts du Canada, “we hope the participants will become true agents of change by spreading their knowledge throughout their communities.” His group is in charge of organizing the Moot.

Better than the best A focus on the outdoors dictated the location of the base camp for the Moot. Awacamenj Mino is a 750-acre wilderness reserve located 75 miles north of Ottawa/ Gatineau. The name, translated from native Algonquian, means “better than the best.” The camp has established sites capable of absorbing thousands of visitors, as well as wilderness for lakes-and-forest experiences with no fences on its boundaries.

The 2-3-1-3-2 formula The first two days of the Moot will be dedicated to recovery from jet lag, welcoming participants to the Moot and the opening ceremonies. Then there will be team meetings, technical training and preparation for expedition challenges.

The next three days will be spent by half the participants in Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. The other half will remain at camp for outdoor activities and adventure.

Both groups will reunite at Awacamenj Mino for one day of cultural activities.

Then those who stayed at camp will have their three days in the city, and the early travelers will have the wilderness activities.

The final two days are when everyone gathers at the Awacamenj Mino base to share their discoveries and for the closing ceremony.

The word comes from the grandfather of English parliaments, the Witenagemot, or “meeting of wise men” where, from the seventh century until the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Anglo-Saxon nobles and clerics advised their kings. Worldwide Scouting has been holding Rover Moots since 1931 – gatherings of young people seeking wisdom through experience.

Programs – Plan your own At Moot Canada 2013, participants will create their own programs. Months ahead of their arrival in Canada, each participant will create a personal Moot experience by making a series of choices individually or with their international patrol. By offering each participant the opportunity to build their own programming, Moot Canada 2013 wishes to establish new grounds for future international Scouting events.

Each participant must choose one path according to individual interests. Each path offers a variety of activities around the chosen theme.

The Life Path Those who take the Life Path will discover numerous ways to help others throughout their travels. For them, the journey toward a better understanding of the world clearly starts from within. The Moot will give them the opportunity to interact with Scouts from every part of the world then share this experience upon their return, thereby helping to bring peace in their community.

The Eco-responsible Path Participants who choose the Eco-responsible Path will become more aware of their connection with the environment by achieving a better understanding of their ecological footprint and how to reduce it. By working with groups committed to the planet’s future, they will return with a set of interventions that will enable them to provide some environmental leadership in their community.

The Culture Path Trekkers on the Culture Path are open to the world and are fascinated by people’s identities and their various manifestations. The Moot will give them the opportunity to interact and add to their rich cultural awareness as they observe and take part in local cultural events and become ambassadors for multiculturalism upon their return.

The Adventure Path Trailblazers along the Adventure Path choose to face the challenges involved in surpassing themselves, both physically and psychologically. For explorers and those with experience alike, in this group nature is a playing field without borders. Upon their return, they will want to pursue and share their passion for adventure with their fellow Scouts.

The Urban Challenge This is an inspiring service opportunity in three major Canadian cities, each with a different flavour. During their three-day stay in one of these cities, Rover Scouts will have the opportunity to live an enriching service experience through work with dynamic local organizations while discovering the city through collective activities.

Participants are urged to look now at each of the urban destinations in order to make an informed choice. Visit the following sites for more information:

Quebec: quebecregion.com/en Montreal: tourisme-montreal.org/ Toronto: seetorontonow.com These sites cover the activities, history, geography and culture of the cities and their surrounding area.

Mix ’em up Registering the contingent is the first step. At that time communication starts. Based on the interests of the applicants, the Moot team will create patrols of eight, then put members of each patrol in contact with each other. Participants will live their entire Moot experience with their patrol. And for sure, thanks to various online discussion platforms like Facebook and Skype, they will not be strangers when they arrive.

On their arrival at Moot Canada 2013, participants will finally meet members of the patrol with whom they’ve worked on the Web over the last few months. Together, they’ll share the Moot Canada 2013 experience: activities, meetings, camping, cooking, travel and services.

The official logo of Moot Canada 2013 is a representation of Canada today, with the modern font in graffiti style symbolizing the urban environment and the dream catcher designating our Native Canadian roots, which are still very much alive, particularly at the heart of the 2013 international gathering at the Awacamenj Mino base camp.

The mix One reality of life is the expense of travel. Rover Scouts from Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, for example, will have heftier airfares than those from Winnipeg and Windsor. Participants from Canada and the United States are most likely to attend. That is why the organizers are concentrating on international patrols to give everyone a wider experience.

The 10-day Moot will give visitors a taste of Canada and the urge to see more. Having paid the fare from Taiwan to Ottawa, for instance, visitors are unlikely to be satisfied with a mere 10-day stay. Toronto is so close to Niagara Falls. The Tadousac and whale-watching are such a short flip from Quebec City.

Canadian participants emailing or Facebooking a new friend in Japan might want to suggest a stopover in Calgary or Banff or, for a Londoner, a visit to Halifax written into the itinerary.

Perhaps even home hospitality.

The fee for participating is $1,240.00 Contact Doug Proud (dproud@scouts.ca) for more information.

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feature

Scouts Day on the Hill All kinds of official delegations visit Canada’s halls of power: princes, emirs and heads of state, Olympians, lamas and First Nations chiefs.

And now, Scouts.

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In February a delegation of 60 youth members, volunteers and staff made the trek to Parliament Hill to meet with Honourable Members, Ministers and Senators. One hundred people attended the reception and took part in 25 meetings in the first official Parliament Hill event hosted by Scouts Canada and L’association des Scouts du Canada.

The Scouts Day on Hill was a rekindling of the longestablished Scouts Canada/Group-groupe d’amitie parlementaire de Scouts Canada parliamentary friendship.

Many of the current group members from the House of Commons and Senate have roots in Scouting, but that is not a requirement of membership. Some have children in the organization and others are just interested in what we do.

The group’s aim is to offer a way for Parliamentarians to stay connected to the organization, to learn about what it is doing for youth in Canada, to help by sharing information on upcoming legislation and offering ways for our young people to get involved in the political process.

The Scouting delegation comprised of 40 Venturer Scouts and Rover Scouts as well as 20 volunteers and staff members.

They were from Ottawa-Gatineau, Kingston, Peterborough, Dorval and Montreal. There were an equal number of males and females.

Cold and canoes February in Ottawa is cold, but the date was chosen to coincide with Lord Baden-Powell’s birthday. Venturer Scouts and Rover Scouts pitched several tents on the snowy lawn of the Parliament Buildings to showcase what we do and share information on Scouting for any interested visitors. Yes, it may have been out of season, but a canoe was featured outside of the main tent, flanked by flags.

Dialogue established Who were our former Scouts?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Interim Leader of the Liberal Party, Bob Rae, the Speaker for the Senate Noël A. Kinsella and Senator Consiglio Di Nino, just to name a few.

During our meetings, we also heard many exciting stories from MPs and Senators about their wonderful and exciting stories of their time in our organization.

And why did MPs and senators want to meet with Scouts? It’s very likely because many of them were in the program as youth, were shaped by the Scouting Movement and have continued the ideals of moral commitment, social harmony, fairness and public service. The meetings were a terrific two-way dialogue with Parliamentarians recalling wonderful and exciting stories from their past experiences and our current Scouting members

explaining our current programs and activities.

The Scouts Day on the Hill is currently a National program but an expansion to the provincial legislative houses and assemblies is a natural progression.

Chief Commissioner Steve Kent said, “This event represents a first step in our efforts to reconnect with governments. We also want to better enable Scouting Groups across the country to reach out to their local governments. In the coming months you will see new tools and resources to help you do just that.”

Already active Youth interest in the democratic process is firmly established in Scouting. The Queen’s Venturer Award requirements are part of the development of responsible citizens ready to assume responsibilities. An excerpt from the QVA requirements is as follows:

“ Investigate the structure and services of three levels of government. Attend meetings where possible. Explain how government works, how individuals can become involved and how people can make changes.”

A success worth repeating “Many Senators and MPs approached me throughout the day,” continued Commissioner Kent, “to applaud the work of our volunteer leaders, who serve as outstanding role models to help our young Canadians achieve their true potential.”

Scouts Day on the Hill was a successful project this year and there are plans for a return in 2013. In the new Scouting season let’s continue and grow our involvement with all levels of government across the country.

What can you do? Visit your local city councilor, provincial representative or MP and tell them about Scouting and what you are doing in their community. Invite them to a Scouting event or meeting and have them share their experiences with the youth.

And then tell us about it. Send your experience along with photos to scoutinglife@scouts.ca and you may see yourself in a future issue of Scouting Life!

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Program Review

By Doug Reid Deputy National Commissioner – Program Services

The Program Review Team continues to look at our existing Section Programs and work on making recommendations that will help us both retain and grow Scouting in Canada.

Our initial focus was on the ideas behind the Scouting program, “Why We Do What We Do.” From this came the concepts behind our own education objectives for Scouts Canada and the promotion of SPICES, the acronym representing the development of a young person. Details can be found on the Program Review page at www.Scouts. ca/program-review.

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A Progressive Badge System – Adventure Skills One of the main concepts that we have identified is in the area of outdoor Scouting skills. The team realized that this was an area that needed attention.

In particular, the idea that youth continue to gain a level of skill and proficiency as they move through the various Sections needs to be recognized.

We wanted to provide a way to link the various Sections together so there is a purpose, and the badge system is a logical way to accomplish this.

The Adventure Skills are a progressive badge system with a number of levels emphasizing a continued path of skills and knowledge development. It offers youth a way to track their progress and to acknowledge a growing set of skills on a number of outdoor pursuits, including camping, hiking, Scoutcraft, winter skills, paddling and boating. Emergency skills are also part of this and would include the first aid components that we currently have in the various programs. Adventure Skills would start at some level of Beaver Scouts through to Rover Scouts. The higher levels, where necessary, would align with outside agencies, such as Paddle Canada, giving youth an opportunity to gain certification in specific skills.

The Adventure Skills are still in the development phase, so look for more information on these as the review process continues.

One Program The online document has the concepts outlined to date. This document refers to a revamped One Program, which basically means the adoption of Adventure Skills along with the personal journey of each youth.

One Program simply means that using a progressive badge system, along with the individual’s person journey, we are wanting the young person to see what Scouting has to offer by becoming a member and working his or her way through the various Sections.

We also want parents to be able to look at Scouting as the informal educational system that it is and the development that takes place around the SPICES. Our work has concentrated on asking the question, “What would a child/youth have gotten from being a member of Scouting?” Currently our programs seem to be silos unto themselves, and we want to develop Section Programs that are clearly identifying a continuing journey.

Timelines The plan currently is to pilot any new materials in the fall of 2013, with a full rollout to the field in September 2014.

Please look for avenues to provide your feedback to the team. This can be done on the “Talk Scouts” discussion forum. talkscouts.ca

colony

By Greg Oliver

A New Colony Experience At the start of another Scouting year, and looking back at the last one, I can honestly say it was different than any other.

Unlike the previous 25 years or so as a Scouter in Training and a leader in Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and on the Group Committee, this time I had my own son in my Colony.

I have always been in Scouting and was one of those early Beaver Scouts in 1976. To get the chance to share the experience with my five-year-old son was pretty fantastic, though the change in the uniform meant he didn’t wear the exact same uniform that I did – and fortunately his parents wouldn’t like him to be caught dead in the striped cords I’m wearing in photos from that time frame.

My son didn’t like everything we did at the meetings, and I heard about it if things dragged or were boring. Some days it felt as if I were dragging him to the meetings, too. For some reason, he wasn’t always into the games either, though he is pretty competitive in other ways.

After so many years in the organization, and almost 20 with the same Group in Toronto’s west end, I am often looked to for advice from other, less-experienced leaders, especially when it comes to program planning.

My advice is pretty simple: Don’t panic.

Staring at blank calendar and wondering how you are going to fill a Scouting year is pretty daunting. But once you start filling in a few dates with the various parties, like Halloween and the Christmas holidays, it doesn't look as bad. Maybe there’s a craft you want to do in the spring or an end-of-year barbecue to set in stone. No doubt there is a Baden-Powell

Sunday to schedule, and what about Remembrance Day? Knowing you have a camp booked means that you can concentrate on campcraft for a week or two leading up to it.

(Book your camps early too, and be sure to share the info with your other sections so maybe they can piggyback on your booking.)

With so many years under my belt, I can pop back into old program ideas but, I have to admit, many are way outdated.

Anyone else remember teaching phone etiquette? Putting a dime into your emergency kit for a phone call? Shoe scrambles are less, hmm, stringy, with Velcro. And we sure as heck can’t use peanut butter in our pinecone birdfeeders.

The wealth of “Jump Start” kits on the Web is pretty awesome, designed to fill up weeks at a time, and sure beats the heck out of hunting through stacks of Leader and Scouting Life magazines for that article you know you saw ... sometime in the previous 10 years.

Finally, never be feel ashamed for booking “lazy” nights, whether it’s a movie at your meeting hall or just a meandering hike around the neighbourhood. You need them, and the kids do too.

Sometimes we forget that Scouting is not meant to be a be-all and end-all as we overplan and stress about all the paperwork and getting our volunteers police-checked and trained. It is meant to be an enhancement to already busy lives, not the life itself. I know that might sound like sacrilege to some – especially in a magazine like Scouting Life – but it’s the truth.

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pack

The Bear Facts A Pack Adventure People live in towns, and bears live in the bush. But have urban expansion and wilderness trips changed the rules of the game?

By Ted Morris (with Keith Nelson)

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Keith Nelson, Akela of the Mckenzie 210th Pack in Calgary, told Scouting Life a story of colliding frontiers that ended tragically for a young black bear. His experience also outlines how young people and their Leaders learn from their adventures.

The 210th was celebrating the year-end with a weekend camp at Lost Lake, 80 kilometers from their home base. The uninvited attendee was a 100-pound two-year-old black bear.

What happened A parent sighted a black bear half a kilometer from the campsite. The Leaders immediately did a head count and moved the Pack into a protective shelter. No one was permitted to leave without Leaders, and trips to the bathroom were made in convoys.

A Venturer Scouts Group at another

site banged pots and pans and blew whistles to scare the bear away. It opted to stick around, retreating up a tree to feed on the fresh leaves.

With a safe, bear-proof retreat nearby, the Pack took the opportunity to view the animal. It decided to view them too, coming back down from its tree. So it was back to the shelter for all.

Eventually a truce was established.

Adults kept it under surveillance and the Group returned to the main campsite to resume some activities one to two kilometers away from the bear.

Venturer Scouts and parents stood guard with noisemakers.

The cooks were able to heat some of the canned goods the Group had brought, and they had lunch inside the sleeping shelter. The bear was not making a significant move away from the camp and showed continued

interest in the cooking shelter area.

The group re-examined what was in the tents and removed all food (even packaged snacks) and toothpaste and stored them in a cargo trailer bear-proof shelter.

The truce ends The standoff could not continue.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife was called in.

After an extended conversation with the conservation officer, the Leaders explained to the Group why relocation of the bear was not possible. The conservation officer said the bear had been “habituated to people” and would continue (like Yogi Bear) to steal food from campers. It had to be destroyed.

All the group heard the three shots, but no one witnessed the execution.

All youth were then encouraged to ask questions of Leaders or other adults, and the event was used as a learning opportunity to further discuss conservation and “bear-safe” camping.

The bear, remembered The Group had a moment of silence for the bear during their Sunday Scouts Own. Lessons learned The Group was able to assure parents of additional measures in the future that would ensure all of the youth would be aware of bear-safe camping and understand “bear emergency plans” at future camps. They also committed to taking advantage of the offer by the conservation officer for additional bear training.

Overall, Keith believes that nobody was, at any time, in any danger from this experience. Except for the fact that the bear is no longer with us, it was an excellent opportunity for the youth, Leaders and parents to see some wildlife up close and to learn some valuable life lessons about respecting nature.

Keith’s email to parents Keith knew how children can exaggerate. By the time they were ready to break camp, that bear had “grown” to 1,000 pounds. So as soon as the Pack got home, he sent a report to all parents.

Provincial authorities Keith knew to call Alberta Fish and Wildlife for help. He also asked about a follow-up for the Cub Scouts and their Leaders. Every province has a similar department charged with keeping the wilderness available and safe.

When planning a camp, ask them for information. Is your site in bear country? What precautions should be taken? Are bears on the prowl because of a bad berry crop in the bush? Are there any reports of bear attacks?

Some conservation authorities offer visits from their staff or access to movies or instructional DVDs. Remember: The success and safety of a camp are in the planning.

Bear fiction Disney epics have city dwellers believing bears are just cuddly folks in fur coats.

Hanna-Barbera’s Yogi Bear is a lovable food-mooching picnic-pilfering pest living in Jellystone National Park. And let’s not forget Smokey, with his shovel and stetson, saying “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Youngsters can understandably be confused when adults hustle them away from their first face-toface confrontation with a real bear.

Bear facts The reality is that bears are dangerous.

Like the bear in Whistler, B.C., that attacked a man in a hot tub or the bear that dragged a Winnipeg man from an outhouse. Keith Nelson did absolutely the right thing when he saw a bear 500 meters away. He rounded up the Pack, did a head count, got them into an enclosed area, then called for assistance.

Plentiful and powerful Canada has 600,000 black bears, with 40,000 of them in Alberta – mostly resident in the wilderness. Fully grown, they can weigh 160 kilograms, stand three feet high at the shoulder and rear up to six feet tall. Their claws can rip the bark from a poplar or disembowel a deer, and even the bear cubs searching for grubs can flip over a flat rock of 140 kilograms with one paw.

Anything – animal or vegetable,

moving or still, alive or dead – can be seen as food by a bear. Our household garbage, dog food on the back porch or even bird feeders attract bears. They’re mainly shy of people, but some rogue bears will hunt, attack, kill and eat humans. Almost all attacks on humans come from bears that have been surprised.

Bears pick the same wild blueberries and raspberries that we do, so travel in close groups and make enough noise to let them hear you coming. Some people wear “bear bells” and carry referee’s whistles.

Facing a bear Forget trying to outrun a bear. You will lose. They sprint at up to 40 kilometers per hour. Instead, face them, make eye contact, stand tall, make noise and cluster together with the smallest member of your group in the middle.

Avoid close encounters If you can prevent an encounter with a bear, the rest of the steps are unnecessary.

Bears are reclusive creatures, and they generally prefer to steer clear of humans.

You can help them to do so by announcing your presence when you’re exploring their home environment: Talk loudly, sing or carry “bear bells” so bears have time to escape you. Read up on bear behaviour to decide which of the “noise” methods you are comfortable with as there are different views by professionals on the effectiveness of making noise. Be sure to heed local bear advisories and practise proper food storage techniques while camping and try to hike in open areas so that a bear can see you (or you can see it) from a distance. Leave dogs at home or keep them leashed. If you see bear tracks, make a detour or leave the area. Avoid surprising bears.

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CANADIAN SCOUT JAMBOREE 2013 JAMBOREE SCOUT CANADIEN 2013 Camp Woods • Sylvan Lake, Alberta July 6 – 13, 2013 / Du 6 au 13 juillet 2013 Looking for fun, adventure and challenge? Join thousands of Scout-aged youth, young leaders and volunteers at the ultimate Scouting experience — the Canadian Scout Jamboree!

For more information, visit Scouts.ca/cj13.

Es-tu à la recherche d’une aventure? D’un défi? D’un évènement hors de l’ordinaire?

Joins-toi à des milliers de jeunes d’âge scout, de jeunes animateurs et de bénévoles pour vivre l’expérience scoute ultime : le Jamboree canadien!

Pour obtenir plus d’information, visitez le Scouts.ca/cj13.

Register early and save $100!

Fee before January 1, 2013: $650* per unit participant.

After January 1, 2013: $750 per unit participant.

Offer of Service Registration Fee: $300 * Registration must be received and fees paid in full by January 1, 2013 to qualify for this rate.

Inscrivez-vous tôt et économisez 100 $!

Frais avant le 1er janvier 2013 : 650 $ par participant.

Frais après le 1er janvier 2013 : 750 $ par participant.

Frais d’inscription pour le personnel de services : 300 $. * L’inscription doit être reçue et les frais doivent être payés en totalité d’ici le 1er janvier 2013 pour avoir droit à ce prix.

It starts with Scouts.

Tout commence avec les Scouts.

troop

By James Morris

Whetting Your Skills

If you want to really get how not to tip a canoe, the first thing you should do is tip one – in a safe environment – just to know what it feels like. There are some other safety-related things that you should get a feel for too.

Like the difference between swimming fully dressed and in your bathing suit. And how a paddle feels when you pull it through the water.

That’s how Rene Bruneau sees it.

His group, the 101st Toronto, has been teaching these and other skills as part of a structured paddling program that they started 12 years ago. Their camps are paddle-in and paddle-out – and to participate you have to know your way around a canoe.

That’s why in May he had the Group out for a two-hour indoor pool session.

And that’s why the first exercise was for the kids to jump in, fully dressed with a PFD, and swim the length of the pool and back. Just to see what it feels like.

Then the Scouts (and a couple of third-year Cub Scouts) stripped down to their bathing suits – still in the water – and swam the length and back again.

“Do you feel the difference?” the Leaders asked. There was a general agreement that swimming with your clothes on is harder.

Then, after a poolside lecture on the parts of a canoe, Transport Canada small craft equipment requirements and general boating safety, the Group was divided up and sent to different parts of the pool.

In the deep end they practiced tipping and getting back into a boat from the water.

Off to the side there was rescue line throwing.

In the shallow end they lined up on the deck, paddles in the water, to

practice basic strokes.

This is the hands-on stuff. At an earlier meeting they had watched Bill Mason’s “Path of the Paddle.” Before that there was a weekend spent on first aid training. No first aid badge, no camp.

It’s all a precursor to the real canoeing that happens at spring and summer camp. “We get kids asking us in October if we’ll be canoeing in June,” says Bruneau.

His goal is to make sure the kids have the respect for the boats that will create safe canoeing habits. “There’s no horsing around to and from the camp,” he adds. “But there’s plenty of play when we’re there.”

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company

By Ken Shigeishi

An Awesome

Adventure

Start with over 5000 acres of semi-wilderness on two Scouts Canada camps. Add more than 400 Venturer Scouts, Rover Scouts, advisors, offers of service and summer camp staff. Sprinkle in a youth forum, a tree-planting ceremony, native songs, and a concert. Constantly stir in fun, bling, swag, mascots, adventure and challenge. Blend with biking, canoeing, geocaching, hiking, a decathlon, and lots of sunny and hot weather. Wrap it all up with a party. You get … ADVenture 2012, the first National Venturer Scout event held June 30 to July 7.

The planning team faced a number of challenges and questions to get this event off the ground. Never mind all the safety matters and logistics of supporting all the units camping on sites spread around a lake where everyone travelled by canoe. Could we meet the expectations from the youth network survey and described in the Scouting Life Magazine articles – for example, what does “limit up!” really mean to a Venturer Scout? Could we make teamwork, wilderness camping, physical, mental and social challenges “not too hard”, “not too easy”, but “just right” in terms of skills, adventure and difficulty, yet still ensure everyone had FUN? Would we be able to create “remember when” moments for Venturer Scouts to recall for years to come? Did we meet our goals? These pictures only tell part of the story. Ask anyone who attended to describe their experience. Many will use words like good, great, extraordinary, tiring, awesome, wonderful, tough, challenging, worthwhile, satisfying, and fun … Now ask if they want to do it over again! — Ken Shigeishi was ADVenture 2012 Program manager.

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They came, they saw, they engaged. They embraced challenge. They overcame obstacles. They pushed themselves. They endured. They shared skills. They shared moments. They connected and made friends.

They relaxed and laughed. They used their bodies and their wits. They lived in the moment. They arrived with expectations and anticipation. They left with satisfaction and memories.

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Powered by Popcorn!

Powered by You! Propulsé par le maïs soufflé!

Propulsé par vous!

The Scout Popcorn Program is back and better than ever, with 3 new flavours, amazing prizes, and a Post-Secondary Scholarship Program, what could be more exciting?

La campagne de maïs soufflé scout est de retour et meilleure que jamais avec trois nouvelles saveurs de maïs soufflé, de superbes prix et un programme de bourses d’études postsecondaires. Quoi de plus excitant?!

Gone are the days when popcorn was bland and white with just salt or butter.

Today, it’s impossible to read the descriptions of Scout Popcorn without salivating.

“Chocolatey Triple Delight ” “Butter Toffee Caramel Corn, a light coating of butter toffee with a caramel glaze.”

Like cheese?

“The Cheese Lovers Collection has cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, and sour cream and cheese.”

For 23 years, Scouts Canada has partnered with Trail’s End to provide Canadians with delicious gourmet popcorn; 60% per cent of the sale of Scout Popcorn goes back to support local Scouting which helps, for example, to offset costs for camping trips and equipment.

We know that education is the key to a bright future and Trail’s End wants to help Scouts along the way! A scholarship program funded by Trail’s End provides personal incentive to our Scouts, one young Scout sold $17,000 in Scout Popcorn last year, and earned her a $1,000 scholarship.

The Scouts Popcorn Program also offers educational opportunities for Scouting youth. Scouts who raise $2,500 or more will see six per cent of their total sales that year and each year going forward, invested into an account for their post-secondary education expenses. Currently, 733 Scouts are eligible for scholarships upon enrolling in post-secondary education; since the program began in 1996, 74 scholarships have been awarded to Scouts for their post-secondary education expenses.

Scout Popcorn sales begin in the fall for December deliveries. Please visit Scoutpopcorn.ca for all the information you need on the Scout Popcorn program and so much more!

Le temps où le maïs soufflé était fade et blanc est révolu.

Il est désormais impossible de lire la description sur les sacs de maïs soufflé scout sans saliver. « Triple délice à saveur de chocolat » « Maïs au caramel anglais au beurre, un enrobage léger de caramel et de beurre. » Vous aimez le fromage? « La collection pour amateurs de fromage contient du maïs soufflé au fromage cheddar, fromage cheddar blanc et à la crème sure et au fromage. » Depuis 23 ans, Scouts Canada collabore avec Trail’s End pour offrir aux Canadiens de délicieux produits gourmets de maïs soufflé. De plus, 60 % des ventes de maïs soufflé vont directement aux groupes scouts locaux et permettent de financer par exemple les sorties et l’équipement de camping.

Nous savons que l’éducation est la clé pour un brillant avenir et Trail’s End veut donner un coup de main aux scouts! Trail’s End a donc créé un programme de bourse d’études et, l’an dernier, une de nos scoutes a vendu pour 17,000 $ et s’est mérité une bourse de 1,000 $.

La campagne de maïs soufflé donne également la chance aux jeunes scouts d’obtenir des bourses d’études. Les scouts qui amassent 2,500 $ et plus se feront verser 6 % de la valeur totale de leur vente dans un compte d’études postsecondaires pour l’année en cours et les années suivantes. Actuellement, 733 scouts sont admissibles aux bourses s’ils s’inscrivent dans une institution postsecondaire.Depuis la création du programme en 1996, 74 bourses ont été remises à des scouts pour financer leur frais de scolarité d’études postsecondaires.

Les ventes de maïs soufflé scout commencent à l’automne pour les livraisons de décembre. Visitez le Scoutpopcorn.ca pour obtenir plus d’information sur la campagne de maïs soufflé scout, et bien plus!

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A G M

L G A

Notice of Annual Meeting Scouts Canada

Avis de l’assemblée générale annuelle de Scouts Canada

Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Corporation of Scouts Canada will be held on Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 4:00pm EST at the Ottawa Marriott, 100 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5R7 for the purpose of: 1. Receipt and consideration of reports including the Corporation’s annual report.

2. Receipt and consideration of the financial statement for the National operation and the auditor’s report thereon for the preceding year.

3. Election of Honorary Officers and Honorary Members.

4. Recommendation to the Chief Scout of an individual to fill the position of Chief Commissioner.

5. Appointment of Officers and election of Members of the Board (except for the Executive Commissioner & Chief Executive Officer, who is appointed by the Board, and the Chief Commissioner, who is appointed by the Chief Scout).

6. Appointment of an auditor.

7. Consideration of any matter placed before it by the Chief Commissioner on behalf of the Board.

8. Selection of three (3) Voting Members to serve on the Nominating Committee for the ensuing year.

9. Consideration of any resolution(s) introduced by the Voting Members in accordance with Article III i., and the recommendation(s) of the Board relating thereto.

10. Such other business as may come before the meeting and which the Members under applicable law are authorized to transact.

Avis est par les présentes donné que l’assemblée générale annuelle de l’organisation de Scouts Canada se tiendra le samedi 17 novembre 2012 à 16 h, HNE, à l’hôtel Marriott d’Ottawa situé au 100 rue Kent, Ottawa (Ontario), K1P 5R7, aux fins suivantes : 1. Réception et examen de rapports, notamment du rapport annuel de l’organisation.

2. Réception et examen de l’état financier des opérations nationales et du rapport du vérificateur à ce sujet de l’année précédente.

3. Élection des officiers honoraires et des membres honoraires.

4. Recommandation au Chef scout d’une personne pour pourvoir le poste de commissaire en chef.

5. Nomination des officiers et élection des membres du conseil (sauf pour le commissaire général et président général qui est nommé par le conseil et le commissaire en chef qui est nommé par le Chef scout).

6. Nomination d’un vérificateur.

7. Examen de toute question soulevée par le commissaire en chef au nom du conseil.

8. Sélection de trois (3) membres votants pour siéger au comité des candidatures pour l’année suivante.

9. Examen de toute résolution présentée par les membres votants en vertu de l’article III i., et de toute recommandation du conseil à cet égard.

10. Examen de toute autre question soulevée devant l’assemblée dont les membres, en vertu de la loi pertinente, sont autorisés à le faire.

Members and Honorary Members of the Corporation are entitled to a notice of the Annual Meeting of the Corporation and Voting Members are entitled to vote thereat.

This meeting is being held in conjunction with other sessions and workshops.

Les membres et les membres honoraires de l’organisation ont droit à un préavis de l’assemblée générale de l’organisation et les membres votants ont le droit de voter à cette assemblée.

Cette assemblée est tenue de pair avec d’autres séances et ateliers.

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To find out more about this exciting new web app, visit www.scoutstracker.ca.

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ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

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35

Oh, Shoot!

We need pictures. Good pictures.

Your pictures.

A photograph stops time in its tracks and captures the moment. Good photos can teach, document and preserve. They can share experiences with friends who could not be there and they can evoke an ideal for strangers.

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ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

Great shots sometimes come by luck or accident but never to people who leave their cameras in their bags.

But what makes a good picture?

A picture is worth a thousand words, so a thousand words shouldn’t be necessary to tell what is in the picture. Let your camera do the talking.

Who has a camera? Almost everybody. They are no longer luxury items, nor need they be. From the most primitive pinhole box camera to the artist’s tool worth thousands of dollars, the common denominator for success is an imagination and an eye.

Inside the Box If you want to take a better picture, try thinking inside the box.

Because that is what a camera is. Move that box into position where it can “see” the important elements of your broader view. Then click. And click. And click again.

The camera lens is an eye. It regulates the amount or light and establishes a focus and it can zoom in on the point of interest. The human eye does it automatically. Your camera’s eye needs some help.

For example, that field of dandelions – see it as a blanket of gold. Capture it by all means, but try all angles. Shoot as you first saw it, from a standing position, then get down on your knees and do a close-up of an individual blossom with dew drops or, if you are lucky, a nectar-gathering insect.

While you are down there, shoot from among the weeds with the plants in the foreground in focus and the background progressively blurring.

Think bird’s-eye to capture a scene and worm’s-eye to accentuate height.

Go for Interest Twenty people lined up against a wall doesn’t cut it. By the time the image is printed in a magazine, the faces are blurred.

But imagine a face lit by a flaming marshmallow! And if you want to record two Patrols or Sixes, use a tug-of-war shot from an angle. Activities outshine static poses. We’ve all seen that classic, the grip-and-grin. So instead of a trophy presentation, why not capture the Cub Scouts launching his Kub Kar down the track?

Fill the frame with the object of interest. You don’t need to see everybody from head to toe. Get in close. See the concentration, frustration or joy of the moment.

Keep on Shooting The real photographic tragedy is missing the shot because of economy. With the advent of digital cameras and smart phones, the expense of film has vanished. The more pictures you take, the better the chance of getting a really good one.

Great shots sometimes come by luck or accident but never to people who leave their cameras in their bags.

Share the Experience Pictures are meant to be shared. But while they may be worth a thousand words, some explanation is needed. When you send them to us, please identify who is sending them, what the event was, where it was held and when it happened.

Then identify the people in the picture from left to right. If possible, give us several shots from which to choose because we may want to use more than one (as in the example of the dandelion field). Be sure to include the name of the photographer because that picture is his or her creative work.

Send your photographs to us at scoutinglife@scouts.ca.

ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

37

Look What’s New! scouting life ource for leaders a res

fall 2012

S E

T Update

M

By Doug Reid Deputy National Commissioner Program Services

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ScoutingLife.ca Fall 2012

Becoming a better resource for leaders Between this issue of Scouting Life and the last one, you may have noticed a few changes in the look and focus of the magazine. And right you are!

In our ongoing efforts to make Scouting Life a helpful and valued resource to readers, the Editorial Board has engaged the services of a new publishing company and editor.

The idea was to shift the attention of the magazine more toward leadership issues and to help Leaders in the different sections to quickly find the content that relates most to their interests.

Moongate Publishing shared our vision for an engaging but useful editorial approach and brought considerable knowledge of the Scouting Movement with them. The new editor, James Morris, is a current Leader and Chief Scout who followed the program from Cub Scouts to Rovers Scouts.

So what will you now find in Scouting Life?

Well, first of all we hope you like the new

look! But more importantly, we hope you like what you read because the content is what should really make the difference. Do you like what you’re reading? Do you find it helpful?

Beyond this first new issue, the intention is also to create a conversation with Leaders at the Colony, Pack, Troop, Company and Crew level. We hope that you will see the benefit of sharing your experience with others and that you will present us with leadership issues and questions.

Most immediately, we hope that you will take us up on our photo challenge. The richness of our visual resources will have an impact on the quality of our design.

This magazine is not for the kids. It is for you, the Leaders. We hope you find it helpful and interesting. You can expect a new issue in your mailbox three times a year – in September, January and May. As well, we are currently exploring the idea of delivering ongoing Scouting Life content online. So stay tuned!

Further to the report in the last issue of Scouting Life, plans for Scouts Canada’s new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) initiative continue. The program is the result of the agreement signed between Scouts Canada and Imperial Oil in the fall of 2011 to have Imperial Oil sponsor the development and implementation of STEM-focused programs.

Recently, Barry Mitchell, a Scouter from Barrie, Ontario, was appointed the National STEM Coordinator. In this new and exciting volunteer role, Barry will lead a team of Scouters who have a keen interest in the STEM disciplines. They will be working on bringing these to life over the next several months, focusing on fun and hands-on learning for Cub Scouts, Scouts and Venturer Scouts.

These program activities will culminate with youth earning their STEM Award.

This work is also being coordinated with

our Program Review process, helping to create another path of personal interests for our youth members. We want to ensure that STEM is built into our programs and that our youth members have the opportunity to explore paths that interest them.

The timeline for these to be launched into the field is still in development.

However, the initial discussion has us looking at pilot materials for Cub Scouts to be field tested late this fall. The other sections will follow over the next couple of years.

We also have plans for a STEMrelated activity for Scouts attending CJ’13 next summer in Alberta.

The key to all these things, we believe, is to keep them fun and interesting. It’s not school-like learning, but hands-on projects and exploration.

Keep an eye out for updates here in Scouting Life and Scout Scene.

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