We will be on our way to Canada in a few months. Here we have both (hubby and I) been involved in Scouting for years and I am currently a Group Scout Leader and hubby, Cub leader, Explorer Scout leader and a District leader.

My little girl is also a Beaver Scout and loves it.

I have read a little on Scouting in Canada but am wondering if any other fellow Scouters have moved to Canada from the UK and how easy did you find it to get involved again? Did you find the differences easy or difficult to transfer to? Scouting has been in both our lives since young children and really do want this to be part of our lives in Canada.
Thanks
Riddle89

I can't directly answer the question but my daughters were in the Scouts here for years (it was a curious turn of events that led to girls being admitted to the troop). Do you know that they go camping February? They're all mad I tell you.

Hi there - there will be absolutely no problem for you to get involved in Scouts here - in our experience they are always looking out for new leaders. The organisation seems very active.

We found Beavers very expensive and quite disorganised - with an emphasis on taking the kids out places (ie the mall rides, dinosaur exhibit at the mall etc) rather than working on social activities inside like singing, craft, badges etc. There was also a big emphasis on fundraising which was tackled as a competition between the leaders and parents (and therefore the kids) which we found rather unsettling - not to mention expensive. There was no "Christian" element to the group we belonged too - that is apparently optional.

I think I would have preferred the local church hall approach with games, singling and badges I was used to in the UK - with the occasional camping trip in the summer!

After the 2nd year, our son asked to leave - he was bored - and to be honest - we were quite glad he did! But I'm aware this was our experience of just one troupe in Spruce Grove, AB - so it could be very different elsewhere.

Another popular group here is the Forest Rangers - we have never been ourselves but know quite a few families who belong. It is more of a family activity which emphasizes outside activities, learning about nature, lots of camping etc. The time required is not so onerous - one evening every two weeks plus a Sunday afternoon ever other week too. It might be one to check out too

As Ladymoose says, everybody everywhere is always on the lookout for volunteers, which is a big thing here, and I'm sure Scouting is not exception. I expect activites and emphasis vary from troop to troop, but our local cubs (and beavers, I think) were reporting on how the kids had got this or the other badges, in our community newsletter.

Fundraising is another biggie here. They collect bottles and sell cookies and candy etc, and many diverse groups and societies use bingo's and casino's as a rich source of income. (I'm not sure how I feel about that!)

The forest rangers seem a good alternative. We came across them selling permits to cut your own Christmas trees a year or two back.

Over here in Cochrane, scouting is quite big. I am the chair for the scouting group committee. To join you have to pay around $135 per year and this goes to Head office and thus everyone has to do fundraising. IN cochrane we do bottle drives, and selling christmas trees and popcorn.

The programme is so very different from what my boys were use to. In the UK there was a canal barge weekend trip only available for 10 youth in cubs. So they picked the oldest first........ my son got to go because the 20 youth older than him didn't want to. The month we left from the uk the group had to cancel a camping trip due to lack of interest and concern regarding mad cow disease

So we come to Canada and the first month they are camping...... all 25 youth. The eldest one then moved to scouts and the outdoor trips just carry on. Camping in all weathers, snow shoeing, scuba diving, rock climbing, canoeing/camping trips. At the winter camp they learn to build quinzees (igloos) and sleep in them

I must admit they did cancel one winter camp last year, but that was because the high for the weather that weekend was -30 it was deemed too cold!!

Both boys have slept outside in -20. Last summer 16 youth and 4 leaders went to QUEBEC for the Canadian Jamboree. This coincided with the world jamboree in England.

So you think i'll actually be able to be a leader there ? Practicing pagan here, was happily a scout leader (Brownies) for 3 years after being a scout for 9 in holland..but the british brownies didnt' want me as i was honest and put that behind my religion.....

Hi Caitlin - Are you coming to AB? If so, please let me be there when you tell people I want to take pictures of their faces...

Seriously, I was talking about Paganism only the other day to friends who have just started taking an interest in "other" religious/spiritual options. They were flumoxed by the whole notion of believing in something which wasn't "standard" Christianity and basically gave no credance to pre-Christ belief systems.

I've also been called a devil worshipper twice since arriving here - I'm a Reiki teacher and Tarot practitioner - but no particular religious preferences. These two comments were absolutely serious and not in response to some big row but a simple reply to a "What do you do?" question.

Obviously, there are open minded people here ie Canada - I just can't find that many of them in my neck of the woods! So if you want to be a Scout leader I guess that will depend on where you are going and whether that particular troupe is actively affiliated/sponsored by a church. Good luck

Ladymoose,

Not sure where i'm going but if its AB, with Calgary being one of the three options, you're more than welcome. - are you going to be telling them I was a brownie leader or am a practicing pagan? *grins* I know its an uphill battle and I know a lot of people don't give it credence even now..but I know its right for me and I know its true. My standard answer for hte devil worshippers is 'there is no devil in the craft'. a la sandra bullock in practical magic.

I've done my 2nd degree reiki...am looking to do my third but waiting for this one to settle...been about half a year and is starting to finally do so!

hey, can I pm you a few tarot questions? Just a very basic one or two, nothing that will have you typing bookworks!

And if the scouts don't want me...well, St John Ambulance (yeah i know...) doesn't mind. *Shrugs* I"ll go where i'm wanted.

[QUOTE=Caitilin;5815293]
hey, can I pm you a few tarot questions? Just a very basic one or two, nothing that will have you typing bookworks!
QUOTE]

No problem - fire away

PS You may be alright in Calgary - lots of "new age" stores there - further south though and I think it gets a bit more tricky I seem to recall from a thread here once.

For Reiki, the main centre is Vancouver/BC generally - some of the first Western teachers trained/taught there - and I think I'm right in saying Takata visited also.

PPS Actually we do have one pagan/wiccan group here in Edmonton - they've been advertising lately - based around a shop called "Here There be Faeries" or something similar - I was in there the other day - nice people.

In Stony Plain (where I am), the first Reiki person also ran a flower shop - for the first year she set up (about 10 years ago) - she had her windows smashed in 3 times in the first year. She added an Angel theme into the mix and then was ok

PPPS Sorry to OP for thread hijack - I'll shut up now.

Please come to Cochrane near Calgary I am really short of leaders and I know the Girl Guides are just as short.

As for the pagan thing, don't worry we will cover for you on that

heck, if i can get a job there, sure. I'm not hung up on any one location.

Apart from being a cub many years ago, I had little recent involvement in Scouting in the UK, and our bouys (3 & 5) were too young for Beavers in the UK.

Thankfully Beavers starts a year younger out here, and so our oldest stared in September, and I joined as a Leader.

I have to say that I (and he) love it, and really enjoy the meetings and activities. We meet for an hour weekly, and then usually have one outing / trip / sleepover per month. I found the popcorn fundraising a little odd initially, but I have seen where the money has gone and the benefit it brings. All our activities are heavily subsidised.

Yesterday we returned form our Beaver Winter Camp, in Kanaskis. Over a foot of fresh snow fell whilst we were there, and although we slept in heated cabins / bunkhouses it was certainly unlike anything I am sure we would have attempted in the UK. The cost was $10 for the weekend, and as the kids are so young (from 5-7) one parent must accompany the child. We spent all weekend outside, in temperatures from -27c to a high of -15c. One nature hike of about an hour set off in -24c (because I checked the thermometer!) The kids spent time sledging, skating, learning how to build basic shelters etc - it was fabulous. We had 28 kiids attend, froma total of 40 beavers.

Anyway, I'm getting as much out of it as my kid and so I would strongly reccommend it.