21 Nov 26th Halifax Scouts Fall Update
The 26th Halifax Scouts have been active on the Canadian Path program this past quarter (September – November 2018). Here is a list of activities, with some attached photos, to document all that was done!
We started the new Scout year in a timely fashion, with our first meeting on September 6th. The focus of our first few meetings this fall, as in most years, was getting our new Scouts invested and preparing for our first camp outing, Operation Alert.
This year we have 8 new Scouts and our troop is now 15, including James Blake, who transitioned from a Scout to a Scouter in this period.
Operation Alert
We had two patrols entered in Operation Alert, with nine Scouts attending, including one add-on Scout from the 44th, Alex Ward. Our Scouts did well, in my estimate, even though they didn’t place first or second. Both teams were active and participated fully in the challenges.
Some of our Scouts were ineligible to attend Alert, so we have been working with them to build up their outdoor skills. We completed troop hikes on September 15, October 4, October 27, and November 8, including one hike in which we had the Scouts take the bus from St. Agnes to the Dartmouth Bus Terminal and walk back. This was done as a training exercise to prepare them for our annual Go-Lite night.
Go-Lite night was scheduled for October 27 and then Nov 3, but we were rained out both times. We did, however replace the planned outing with a hike on the 27th and attendance at StemFest on November 3.
Community activity
Our Scouts have been active in their community. Three of our Scouts, Theo, Dominic and Owen provided a training exercise for the Cub group, focusing on how to pack for camp.
All of our Scouts completed a link activity with the Beavers and the Cubs, helping out with the Halloween evening at Flynn Park on October 25. They also helped with Apple Day and provided support to our parish sponsor’s annual family hike on November 11.
Remembrance Day & related activities
In preparation for Remembrance Day our Scouts, along with Scouts from the 36th Halifax, toured the Shearwater Aviation Museum. This is always a great tour.
On November 8th, the Troop hiked Point Pleasant Park with a focus on fortifications and the place of the Park in the defence of Halifax since 1749.
On November 11, we joined with Cubs and Beavers to mark Remembrance Day at Camp Hill Veteran’s Hospital.
StemFest – hands-on learning
Some comments on StemFest. This activity is new to us – it’s an engineering design competition for Grades 4-6 and 7-9 hosted by Engineers Nova Scotia and organized by our newest Cub leader, Rosalie Hanlon. We popped into the event and entered two teams. Both teams did quite well, with our Gr. 4-6 team placing in the Silver group in their age range. The event was quite fun and a good challenge for our Scouts.
Chaswood two-night camp
Last weekend we had a two-night fall camp at Chaswood NREC woodlot. The weather on Friday didn’t cooperate – and the main gate was locked – so we hiked all of our gear up the hill to the cabin. Our Scouts rose to the challenge. They were tired, but they were cheerful. The weekend went quite well, with hands-on learning around lighting propane and naphtha stoves and lanterns, building outdoor shelters, camp cooking and more.
A new Scout and ‘Scouter’ James
Finally, let me make note of some personnel changes over the quarter. We added one new Scout who joined us in November. Also, James Blake has completed Wood Badge 1 training and has transitioned into a Scouter role with us.
What’s left this quarter:
- A taping of This Hour Has 22 Minutes in November
- A winter camp at Mush-a-Mush over the Christmas break (this is a new activity for us) with our colleagues from the 44th
- We are hoping to get a First Aid course scheduled for Dec 8/9 along with Fortress Area
Highlights for next quarter:
- A two-night winter camp at Chaswood NREC woodlot in January
- A return visit to Mush-a-Mush for our annual “sleep in the windy Adirondacks but stay off the lake” camp.
- A Fortress Area snorkeling activity in conjunction with Torpedo Rays
- A Fortress Area intro to scuba activity in conjunction with Torpedo Rays
- Preparations continue for the World Jamboree, with Ben Poirier, James Blake, and John Blake attending.