November 12-14 Muskrat Meadows Camp

Muskrat Meadows Camp - Fri Nov 12 7:00pm to Sun Nov 14 2:00 pm

NOTE: Attendance is dependent on entering your vaccination status into MyScouts!

Our fall camp this year will be at Muskrat Meadows group camp on Deas Island, drop off at 7:00 pm Friday, pick up at 2:00 pm on Sunday.  This will be a 2 night camp. We will all arrive at 7:00 pm on Friday night to set up our tents for the night.  The sun sets at 4:33pm (the clocks move back the previous weekend) so we will be setting up tents in the dark.

Fee: $25 - you can pay by cash or cheque (put in an envelope with the scout's name), or eTransfer to willingdonscouting@gmail.com. 

This is the same place as we had our day-camp in June.   Here is the google maps link for the camp: https://goo.gl/maps/AKmLZ6z3EwaJF7vb9

We will need to leave the group camp area by 1:00 pm.  We will do games in the field next to the big parking lot. Pickup will be at the gate to the group camp area in the main parking lot at 2:00 pm on Sunday.

Equipment for Camp:

Please make sure your scout has the appropriate equipment, which includes:

• Sleeping bag – please note, a summer sleeping bag, or one you use for a sleepover in a home will NOT BE ADEQUATE. It is now November so we could have overnight temperatures drop below freezing! You MUST have a good sleeping bag, or double up a bag, or add a blanket.
• Pillow (optional)
• Sleeping Pad
• Mess kit (cup, plate, bowl, knife, fork, Spoon) – the cub pack supplied these, we don’t, you don’t want to be eating soup with your hands!
• Flashlight (headlamp recommended) and spare batteries – there’s no city lights out there
• Refillable water bottle
• Clothing:
• Uniform – if you are still waiting for your uniform to arrive, the necker is OK.
• Rain gear
• Warm jacket
• Hat or toque
• Toque for sleeping
• Changes of:
• Shirt
• Pants (jeans not recommended – very uncomfortable when wet)
• Shoes (hiking boots preferred)
• Socks (3 changes minimum)
• Gloves (optional but recommended)
• Shorts (optional, weather permitting)
• Toilet Kit:
• Soap in container
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Hand towel and face cloth
• Optional:
• Campfire blanket
• Staff for hiking
• Camp chair
• First Aid Kit
• Knife, if you have a knife permit and are invested – 10cm max blade length, folding only, locking preferred
• Notebook and pen/pencil
• Extra water bottles – you won’t have to work a water filter to get a drink
• Water filter – we’ll bring a couple
• The following are NOT to be brought:
• Electronics
• Snacks other than what the patrol is bringing – you don’t want a coyote or racoon tearing your tent and pack apart to get at your bag of skittles!
• Medications should be given to the scouter in charge at the beginning of the camp and must be in a ziplock bag with the scout’s name and clearly labeled dosage instructions.
• All items must be in a single large backpack. (camp chair can be separate) DO NOT USE A GARBAGE BAG!  We have had people’s gear thrown away in a dumpster.
• Label everything you bring to camp. It’s amazing what scouts are able to lose! 😊

Upcoming BP Trail Hike

Saturday October 23^rd Hike – BP Trail Part 2:

On Saturday October 23rd, we will meet at the Grouse Mountain Parking Lot at 8:30 am.  The Google Maps Link to it is here. We are starting a bit earlier so that parents who want to attend the Willingdon Men's conference at 9:30 can do so and not be late.

Scouters please note that this is not a loop - you will need someone to drop you off and pick you up. If you leave your car at Grouse Mountain, you will have a looooooong walk to get back to it!

The hike is expected to end at 3:00 pm at the Lynn Canyon parking lot. This is the parking lot where we ended the BP Trail part 1 that we did last fall, right by the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre. Here is the Google Maps Link to the Ecology centre which is where the parking lot is for the pick-up.

This hike is just over 8 kms one way, some of it fairly rugged.  It’s a beautiful hike through west coast rain forest.  Here is the link to the trail, however the map on the link ends at the Lower Lynn area, from which we will have to hike to the ecology centre.

·                  These items are mandatory:

o        Water bottle, filled

o        Mask

o        Clothing appropriate for the weather

o        Footwear appropriate for hiking

o        Lunch

o        Necker (Uniform if you have one)

o        Small day pack

·                  Optional items:

o        Spare water bottle

o        Emergency kit

o        Snack

o        Pocket knife and permit (if you have a knife permit)

o        Walking staff

o        Personal first aid kit 

Chilliwack Lake Camp 2021

Chilliwack Lake Camp Details:

We have decided that both the cubs and the scouts will be doing a single night, in order to avoid parents having to drive through Friday rush-hour, then through a forest service road in the dark.  

The camp will start at 9:30 am on Saturday September 25th.  If you leave Vancouver or Burnaby at 7:00 am you should arrive on time.

Camp will end at 2:30 pm on Sunday September 26th.  You should get home by 5:00 pm.

Here is a map provided by the camp manager that shows how to get there from the #1 highway (more details below the map – please keep reading):

 Click on picture for larger view:

We will send you an RSVP through the ScoutsTracker system for you to confirm that you plan to attend. 

There will be a $10.00 cost to offset food (there’s no rental cost for the camp itself).  The patrols will plan Lunch, afternoon snack, supper and mug-up on Saturday, breakfast, morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack on Sunday.  We’d like an idea of who is coming by next Wednesday so that patrols can plan how much food to buy. The deadline for signup will be next Friday (Sep 17) and we will send the patrols their final counts.

Each patrol will need to delegate someone to buy the food and bring it in a cooler with ice (there is no fridge there).  Submit the receipt and the group will reimburse you. We have coolers if you need them, but you will have to arrange to get them from us. Please make sure that all food is in a cooler or a secure container if it does not need refrigeration.  There are field mice, racoons and other wild creatures that would love to eat our food for us!

Camp Gear list:

Please note that we will be camping in the mountains. Clothes that work to get you between a car and a building, or for an hour’s play in a park will be COMPLETELY INADEQUATE.  Furthermore, you can have completely different weather there than what we get in Vancouver, so be prepared for cold and wet, and make sure you have layers, regardless what’s happening in the lower mainland.  We don’t have access to a heated building.

Please make sure your scout has the appropriate equipment, which includes:

• Sleeping bag – please note, a summer sleeping bag, or one you use for a sleepover in a home will NOT BE ADEQUATE. We are camping in the mountains and it may get cold at night! You MUST have a good sleeping bag, or double up a bag, or add a blanket.
• Pillow (optional)
• Sleeping Pad
• Mess kit (cup, plate, bowl, knife, fork, Spoon) – the cub pack supplied these, we don’t, you don’t want to be eating soup with your hands!
• Flashlight (headlamp recommended) and spare batteries – there’s no city lights out there
• Refillable water bottle – full
• Clothing:
• Necker – the rest of the uniform is optional.
• Rain gear
• Warm jacket
• Hat or toque
• Toque for sleeping
• Changes of:
• Shirt
• Pants (jeans not recommended – very uncomfortable when wet)
• Shoes (hiking boots preferred)
• Socks (2 changes minimum)
• Gloves (optional but recommended)
• Shorts (optional, weather permitting)
• Toilet Kit:
• Soap in container
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Hand towel and face cloth
• Optional:
• Campfire blanket
• Staff for hiking
• Camp chair
• First Aid Kit
• Knife, if you have a knife permit and are invested – 10cm max blade length, folding only, locking preferred
• Notebook and pen/pencil
• Extra water bottles – you won’t have to work a water filter to get a drink
• Water filter – we’ll bring a couple
• The following are NOT to be brought:
• Electronics
• Snacks other than what the patrol is bringing – you don’t want a coyote tearing your tent and pack apart to get at your bag of skittles!
• Medications should be given to the scouter in charge at the beginning of the camp and must be in a ziplock bag with the scout’s name and clearly labeled dosage instructions.
• All items must be in a single large backpack. (camp chair can be separate) DO NOT USE A GARBAGE BAG!  We have had people’s gear thrown away in a dumpster.
• Label everything you bring to camp. It’s amazing what scouts are able to lose! 😊

 

We will be camping in tents, due to Scouts Canada’s current stage 4 requirements.

Fall 2021 First Meeting and Other Stuff

Topics in this post:

• First In-person Meeting This Wednesday
• What times, where
• What to bring
• Pandemic measures
• Canoeing on Saturday
• Volunteer requested
• Welcome Howlers
• Investiture
• Chilliwack Lake Overnight Camp
• Patrols

 

First In-person Meeting of the Fall:

What Times and Where:

Our first meeting will start at 7:00 pm and end at 9:00 pm at Wesburn Park.  Here is the Google Maps Link for our meeting area: Parking lot next to the Wesburn Park Community Centre.

 

We will meet at the south end of the parking lot, same as we did in the Spring.  Beavers and Cubs will be meeting at different times nearby in the park.

What To Bring:

Please bring the following:

• These items are mandatory:
• Headlamp flashlight (so you can keep your hands empty – the sun sets at 7:40pm)
• Water bottle, filled
• Mask – you won’t be required to wear it outdoors except in special circumstances – you may wear it if you wish at any time
• Clothing appropriate for the weather – looks like there may be some rain
• Necker (Uniform if you have one)
• Small day pack for your stuff
• Paper or notebook
• Pencil
• Rope (we’ll issue every scout with a new rope)
• Optional items:
• Emergency kit
• Spare batteries (recommended)
• Pocket knife and permit (if you have a knife permit, AND ARE INVESTED)
• Personal first aid kit
• Camp chair – so you don’t have to stand

 

Pandemic Measures:

You know the questions you have been answering all along:

• If you are sick or
• Have been out of the country in the last 14 days (and are not fully vaccinated) or
• You have been in contact with someone who has or is suspected of having COVID-19

If you cannot say NO to all three questions, please stay home.

 

Since we are outdoors, masks are optional, except in special circumstances. Feel free to wear one. In all cases, please make sure you have one handy.  Scouters who need to work close with a scout (help with knots) will put on their mask.

 

Once we start to meet indoors at Willingdon, masks will be mandatory for cubs and scouts (optional for beavers).

 

In accordance with Scouts Canada’s stage 4, which we are currently in here in Pacific Coast Council, we will plan all activities so that:

• There will be limited sharing of equipment, only within patrols.
• Patrols are kept apart from other patrols with social distancing.
• Activities will be designed as much as possible to allow social distancing.

 

If you have not been vaccinated, or if your youth are over 12 and have not been vaccinated, please consider getting vaccinated.  This protects not only you, but it protects us, and all our youth.

 

Canoeing at Deer Lake:

We will be canoeing at Deer Lake park on Saturday September 11^th.  Meet at the parking lot at the east end of the lake.  Here is the Google maps link.

Volunteers Requested:

Most of the scouts will end their canoeing at 11:00 am, but we are looking for 6 volunteer scouts who know how to steer a canoe to stick around all day to take out beavers and 2 shifts of cubs.  Please note, if you are looking to achieve the Chief Scout Award, this time counts as volunteer hours.  I will take the first 6 who volunteer.

 

Canoeing Schedule:

Here is the schedule (green=troop, brown=beavers, blue=cubs shift 1, purple=cubs shift 2): 

·        9:00 am Canoes and scouts show up, unload canoes, prepare for canoeing

·        9:45 Start paddling

·        10:45 Bring canoes in

·        11:00 Beavers show up (only 4 beavers – 4 others went to pack)

·        11:15 Beavers go canoeing

·        12:15 Beavers come in

·        12:30 Beavers go home

·        12:30 Scouts (and scouters) eat their lunch and have a break

·        1:00 First shift Cubs show up

·        1:15 First shift heads out

·        2:15 First shift comes in, goes home

·        2:30 Second shift Cubs show up

·        2:45 Second shift heads out

·        3:45 Second shift comes in, goes home

·        4:30 Canoes put away – everyone goes home

 

Welcome Howlers!

I’d like to extend a special welcome to our new howlers, who are joining us from cubs.  We have assigned all of you to patrols and your patrol leaders will help you learn how we do things! We hope you have a lot of fun with us this year!

 

In the signature block at the bottom of this email, I have 2 links. One to the Group blog that has a group-wide calendar and group-wide posts. The other is to the Troop blog.  This information is contained there and you can check in with these blogs from time to time for updates.

 

Investiture:

New scouts need to be invested. We did not do this last year because of the pandemic and not being in a position most of the year to meet indoors.  You need to be invested before you can earn any badges, take a leadership role, or bring a pocket knife to camps and hikes (even if you’ve earned your knife permit).

 

You need to commit the following to memory in order to be invested:

 

Scout Promise:

On my honour,

I promise that I will do my best;

To do my duty to God and the Queen,

To help other people at all times,

And to carry out the spirit of the Scout Law. 

 

Scout Law:

A Scout is:

Helpful and trustworthy,

Kind and cheerful,

Considerate and clean,

And wise in the use of all resources.

 

You should also be familiar with these two:

Scout Motto:

Be Prepared

 

Scout Slogan:

Do a Good Turn Daily

 

Chilliwack Lake Camp:

We are planning an overnight camp at the 4-square camp at the South-east end of Chilliwack Lake. This is a slightly more than 2 hour drive from Vancouver, and the last half hour is an unpaved Forest Service Road.  The camp will begin on Friday night and we will return on Sunday afternoon. The cost will be low as this is their work weekend and we will be doing some cleanup work at the camp, so they are not charging us. We will ensure that we cover the cost of food and camp fuel.

 

This will be Friday September 24^th to Sunday September 26^th.

 

Each patrol will plan their menus and required equipment and buy their food. They will also cook as a patrol at the camp. Because of current Scouts Canada stage 4 restrictions we cannot use the lodge and will need to camp in tents..

 

More details, including a camp gear list will be provided – stay tuned.

 

Patrols:

We have worked with our leadership team to come up with patrol assignments. Here are the patrols. This Wednesday we will finalize these patrols and choose patrol names.

First Name	Last Name	Birth Year	Patrol	Rank	Invested
			A
Caelan	Black	2007	A	PL	y
Praise	Ward-Theiss	2007	A	APL	y
Daniel	Lee	2010	A	Howler
Ethan	Yeung	2008	A	New
Galin	Yeung	2009	A	New
Abraham	Lee	2006	A	APL/Vent	y
					y
			B
Darcy	Liu	2006	B	PL/Vent	y
James	Thom	2007	B	APL	y
Colton	Zhu	2008	B	APL	y
Ethan	Mak	2010	B	Howler
Joshua	Fan	2010	B	Howler
Max	Thom	2009	B
					y
			C
Nathan	Thomson	2008	C	PL	y
Zachary	Chung	2009	C	APL	y
Messiah	Nelson	2010	C	Howler
Lucas	VanderKwaak	2007	C	New
Howie	Xie	2009	C
					y
			D
Kyle	Symons	2007	D	PL/TL	y
Wesley	Macedo da Silva	2008	D	APL	y
Ethan	Lee	2009	D
Austin	Wang	2007	D	APL	y
Gabriel	Lee	2010	D	Howler