Five Scouts, six Cubs and three Beavers—they are the small but mighty troop that continues to keep the Scouting movement alive in Powell River.
Two joined the ranks of nearly 3,000 strong at the recent Pacific Jamboree (PJ) in Sooke, held from July 11 to 18 at Camp Barnard. Danielle Boone, 12, and Ben Pearse, 14, attended the gathering with adults Darrell Pearse and Tina Bevans.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Ben. “It was good to talk to people and just see what they’ve done, see what we can do and just take examples from their group and see if we can put it into our group.”
When it comes to activities for Scouts, options abound. “We do just about everything that a youth wants to do,” said Bevans, who is group commissioner and local administrator for the troop. “We’ll play hockey, we’ll play soccer, we’ll play basketball, we’ll swim, we’ll hike, we’ll camp.”
Locally, the members in each age group meet weekly, either inside the Scout Hall in Cranberry or outside at Camp Nassichuk near Haslam Lake. Troops are often in communication with one another, so when they can’t do a particular activity in their own area they do it somewhere else. “There isn’t anything that a Scout can’t do in this program because we have access to everything,” said Bevans.
At PJ, for example, the larger facilities gave the Powell River troop an opportunity to try fencing and water sports. “My favourite was scuba diving,” said Ben. “It was a new experience for me and it was a lot of fun. There was also kayaking at the naval base and that was really cool because who gets to go there except for military people?”
The theme for PJ was Salish Sea Adventures, and the participation of the local T’Sou-ke First Nation provided an extra educational opportunity for youth. “There was a hike up Mount Bluff, which was apparently sacred, and when we got to the top someone was telling stories about the people and how things came to be,” said Ben.
In addition to the lasting knowledge that is acquired at each provincial, world and national jamboree, many of the Scouts return home with life-long friendships. “You don’t get to stay just with your group,” said Bevans. “You are mixed in, so there are many different stories that have come back of how this relationship, as short-lived as it was in meeting, can last a lifetime and be there in the event of fun and in emergencies.”
Scouting also offers a chance for parents to bond with their children and try new things together, joining regular leaders and guest mentors every week. “I’m really hoping that this year we’ll get some more of that from our community and more youth and volunteers long-term as well,” said Bevans.
Membership fees are $175 annually and a recent update in uniform has cut down on some of the additional costs involved. “We’ve been very fortunate to have Canadian Tire in our community with Jump Start,” said Bevans. “They have been very supportive for many families.”
One of the biggest obstacles in recruiting new Scouts in Powell River is the abundance of extra-curricular options that are available to young people, explained Bevans. While she admits this is a good problem to have, it is still a problem, nonetheless. “We’re all grasping at the same pool of youth, so it is very difficult,” she said.
Scouts have been active in Powell River since William Gebbie started the district’s first troop in 1913. In 1949, former Scoutmaster Evans Furnival took a troop of 15 Powell River boys to the first Canadian Jamboree in Ottawa. Co-ed since 1998, the movement continues as a hands-on activity for youth.
Bevans remains confident that the program’s many positive attributes will allow it to thrive in the community for years to come, as it has done since 1913. “You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it, and I just love this philosophy. I really believe in it,” she said.
To learn more about Scouting in Powell River, readers may contact Bevans at 604.483.9634 or [email protected]. Registration has been open since the beginning of September.
