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The Lighthouse -- Sept/Oct 1999Scouts Canada -- Whitby District Newsletter |
Coming soon
Welcome back to all of our returning Scouters and a special welcome to the many new Scouters in Whitby District. We have been gearing up for this year's start for a number of weeks now. Most of the groups are going through the process of finding more volunteers to match the number of youth that want to be a part of our great organization. Do not lose hope. There are many people out there that just need to be asked. Use every opportunity you can to chat people up about Scouting. Even when you are in line at the bank! It is amazing the results that you can get when you try.
We have over half of our groups with new Group Chairs. Welcome and thanks to all of you for volunteering for this position. Your Executive Committee and Service Team will help you any time you have questions. In the next few months we will assign a Service Scouter just for you. In the meantime, if you have a question, I am just a phone call or email away. Remember: Group Committees are there to support the Program deliverers in delivering the best program to our youth.
We are trying a few new things at the Council meetings this year. From 7:00-7:30 will be for just Group Committee people. We will have an open question and answer, special topics for discussion and maybe some mini training sessions. I would like to email the meeting agenda along with meeting notes BEFORE each meeting as well as have the District Secretary email out the minutes. Hopefully, these changes will speed up our information exchanges at the meetings and prevent misinformation going back to the groups. Let us know if you like the changes or think that they are not working. I am always open to change if it will make things better.
I am so proud of being part of Whitby District. Of the four largest groups in White Pine Region, we grew the most from the previous year. Let’s keep this momentum going! I also recently attended my first Gilwell reunion. Most of our Whitby volunteers never stopped, barely slept and remembered occasionally to eat. They were amazing. Thanks to all of you Whitby District Gilwellians for making me feel so special and for making Whitby look so good.
Yours in Scouting,
Karen Granville
Whitby District President
Whitby District Scouts, with help from the Royal Bank and Brooklin Concrete, are now able to offer up to ten canoes to help provide an on-the-water experience for our youth. We now have six 16-ft. Evergreen Prospectors, two 16-ft. Algonquin Swifts and two 15-ft. Bob Specials.
In reviewing our rental procedure, it was felt that some changes were necessary. We will now send and damaged canoes to Evergreen for repair, to ensure that structural soundness is maintained. This cost will be paid for by the group damaging any canoe. This practice has been in effect since we started the canoe program; however, now the boats will receive expert repairs.
Some changes are also required by the most recent boating regulations. The canoes will now be equipped with both bailers and throw-ropes, while groups using the canoes will have to provide a sounding device for each canoe. It is recommended that each youth have their own whistle attached to their personal flotation device.
Bookings for the canoes are currently being made through the district water activities co-ordinator (e-mail canoes@whitbyscouts.org). Bookings are only confirmed when payment is received by the district treasurer.
The district canoes are stored in Port Whitby and must be signed out and in by one of four key-holders. Please check four days prior to your rental to arrange a checkout time. The trailer has been modified to carry eight canoes and will be available with the rental of six or more canoes. For groups renting fewer canoes, the trailer will be subject to availability.
All rentals must now supply a completed Canoe Use Application Form and out-of-district trips must provide the group committee and the commissioner (or his appointee) a float plan prior to the trip as part of our risk management. All forms and outings must be authorized by the group committee.
Due to the costs involved with purchasing the six new canoes and the ongoing costs of storing them, there is a new fee structure. Each canoe will now cost $5 per day; however, pool-training sessions are still free.
You can always benefit from all the help available to do your job well, so we’ve got training opportunities for you, whether you’re you’re working directly with the youth members or are doing a more administrative job in Scouting.
A full list of training courses offered in and around the region is available on our district web page, or by speaking to your service team member or district council representative. Here in the newsletter, we’d like to highlight just a few of particular interest.
A Part II Wood Badge correspondence course for Cub leaders is being held by White Pine Region. There is a limit of 30 Scouters and registrations will be accepted until the end of November or until the course is full. Contact Fran Pollock at 705-932-5286.
A Part II Wood Badge course for Venturer Company advisors will be held next spring. Due to lower numbers of Venturer advisors compared to other sections, this course is not offered in Ontario every year, so if you’re interested, you’d be well-advised to try to attend. The course will be held on three weekends, May 25-27, June 9-11, and June 23-25. Interested advisors should contact course leader Herb Franklin at 705-745-3144.
If you need a Part I course for Company, check the calendar immediately as the two local courses are the last weekend of October and the first weekend of November.
New policies emphasize the need for anyone training on Scouting courses to complete the TD-1 (Trainer Development I) course before performing as a trainer. If you’re interested in doing training, please look into the TD-1 course. White Pine Region is sponsoring one Jan. 15 and 16, 2000. Contact Barb Pokorski at (905) 253-8359 to register.
Congratulations to the 10th Whitby Venturers who took first place in the National Amory Adventure Award. This award, presented by the Rt. Hon. Viscount Amory, GCMG, onetime British High Commissioner to Canada, is presented each year to the Venturer company which displays the most initiative in conceiving, planning, and executing an outdoors adventure activity. The choice of the winner depends on an illustrated log book, which must be prepared by the participants, unaided by adults, and submitted for consideration.
Whitby District Scouters have received several prestigious awards recently, but we always need suggestions for who deserves awards on all levels. You don’t have to decide which award the person will get. The provincial and national committees decide on awards for their levels. Contact Jack Welsh if you know somebody who deserves an award. Jack is experienced in writing up the details for submission.
Watch for updates and links on Whitby’s World Wide Web site. There is now a new address to make it easier to locate:
[Webmaster's note: edited to new permanent address February, 2001]