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26th Halifax Scouts – Nov 2018 – Jan 2019 Update

20 Jan 26th Halifax Scouts – Nov 2018 – Jan 2019 Update

Posted at 17:41h in Scouts, Uncategorized by

The 26th Halifax Scouts have been active on the Canadian Path for the past two months (mid-November 2018 – January 2019).  Here is a list of activities, with some attached photos.

Camp at Chaswood

In November we had a two-night “fall” camp at Chaswood.  True to form, we found Chaswood to be quite snowy. Our arrival at camp (in the snow) was slowed by the fact that the folks at DNR forgot to open the gate to the site.  Our Scouts responded and we hiked all of our gear from the road into the cabin. We were set up and sorted away before 10:00 pm. I am quite pleased with how well the Scouts responded.  We had a full day of winter programming, including shelter building, fire lighting, and cooking with cast iron cookware.

Camp HQ – The lodge at Chaswood.

This Hour has 22-Minutes

The following week, the 26th Scouts attended a taping of “This Hour has 22-Minutes.”  Though some of the political humour might have gone over the heads of our Scouts, they all enjoyed the evening.

26th Halifax Scouts, strategically place, on the back row!

We finished November with a “let’s get caught up on badge requirements” night.

December 2018 was also busy for the 26th Scouts.  We met every Thursday, except December 27th.  Our activities included the annual 26th Group Christmas sing-song at the Sir John Thompson Manor and a pre-holiday board games night.

Scouter John leads the group in melodious merriment.

First Aid

Corbin playing a victim during first aid training. Or is he napping?

Some of our Scouts and Scouters took part in a two-day standard first aid course put on by St. John’s Ambulance and held at the Sexton campus of Dalhousie University.

Holiday Camp with 22nd Halifax Scouts

Over the holidays, we joined with our colleagues at the 22nd Halifax for “Christmas at the Cabin/Holiday at the Hut”.  This was a two-night camp at Mush-a-Mush. Again, true to form, we had three seasons of weather: We drove up in the snow, set up in the rain, and woke up to -15c.  

Scouts from the 22nd and 26th at camp.

Despite some grumbling from cold souls on Sunday morning, the camp was a huge success. We cooked and ate well, our Scouts practiced fire lighting, building tin can stoves, and worked with hand tools to remove a fallen tree from the roadway.  We also had a great time getting to know our colleagues from the 22nd.

A visit to scouts in Oklahoma

Dominic and Scouter Graham had the opportunity to visit the 818 Scout Troop in Stillwater Oklahoma. We met with Scott Matlock (Troop Scouter), Dalton Parsons (Group Commissioner) and scouts Porter and Sam.

International scouting: Scouts from 26th Halifax and 818 Troop.

The 818 scout program is year-round, and has been for a very long time. They don’t hold weekly meetings in the summer, but they are very active with camps, activities and adventures. It’s also Scout-led, and their patrol leaders are very active in the planning process.

Trading badges and crests.

Scott and Dalton talked about their camping experiences. Camping in Oklahoma isn’t very pleasant in the warmer months because of the intense heat and mosquitoes. There aren’t any forests (except treed areas the troop has planted over the years) so they usually go to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and every couple of years head to Colorado.

One of their camping traditions is very similar to ours, except it’s not chili! They have a SPAM cookoff! This might be a fun exercise for our scouts to try.

We spent an hour at the Scout Hut and had a great time. We’re staying in touch with Scott and Dalton already and will definitely be getting together with them the next time we’re in Stillwater; hopefully we’ll be able to participate in some activities.

Winter planning

We started the new year with a quarterly review and planning session for the upcoming winter cycle.

Plans for the winter period:

  1. A two-night winter camp at Chaswood NREC woodlot in January
  2. A return visit to Mush-a-Mush for our annual “sleep in the windy Adirondacks but stay off the lake” camp.
  3. A Winter Olympics
  4. A visit to the Museum of Natural History for the dinosaur exhibit.
  5. Swimming at the Canada Games Centre
  6. A Moosehead hockey game
  7. A bowling night
  8. Pioneering training

But there’s more…

Also of note for planning purposes:

  1. A Fortress Area snorkelling activity in conjunction with Torpedo Rays
  2. A Fortress Area intro to scuba activity in conjunction with Torpedo Rays
  3. Preparations continue for the World Jamboree, with Ben Poirier, James Blake, and John Blake attending.
  4. The annual Pancake Dinner