Selecting Youth Leaders and Scouters

Some pretty major changes in the way we plan to select Youth Leaders and Scouters this year.  If you’re up for a long read, here is the process broken down:

1) Assemble the pre-trip Leadership Team to decide on general trip requirements and to create a “Selection Team”.  The pre-trip Leadership Team has traditionally consisted of the Troop Leadership Team and representatives from other sections sharing our trip.  For Europe ’19 we had a Cub and 2 Vents join the TLT.   They decided the “Selection Team” will be a group of Scouters and youth.  Youth are to be selected based on experience attending major trips and overall leadership experience.  Scouters are to be selected based on trip experience and more importantly, they need to have consistently demonstrated their commitment to youth leadership.  if possible, they want an equal youth:Scouter split, but absolutely there cannot be more Scouters than youth.

2) The Selection Team will meet and discuss what criteria each position would require based on the trip requirements set out by the pre-trip team and also based on the details of the trip.  These criteria would be communicated to all the youth before the voting.

3) All youth attending the trip will vote for the youth they would like to see in a leadership position similar to what we did for CJ’17/Ontario.   NEW is that on the ballot they would also have the option of indicating positions that they would like to apply for.  Also new is that all the Scouters interested in attending the trip will be asked to vote for youth as well.  The Scouters ballots would have their name on it and would only be used to provide the Selection Team with an additional perspective.

4) The Selection Team will tally the votes, and also compile a list of youth that were interested in positions.  If a youth received a lot of votes but did not apply for a position the Selection Team will reach out to them to encourage them to apply.  All youth that apply and generally meet the criteria for the position will be “interviewed” by the team.  Likely more of a roundtable approach than an interview, but it will give them valuable experience to help with real interviews down the road and will also allow youth to really sell their strengths and push for the position they want.  I appreciate that this will take some time, but I think the end result will be well worth it!

5) The final role for the Selection Team would be to decide on the youth leaders for the trip.  This will NOT be based purely on votes, but also on their interview and how well they would fit in as part of the ELT.   They would select one Expedition Leader per pre-trip (if we have more than one pre-trip) and also the Patrol Leaders we need for camp (based on number of youth registered).  Each Expedition Leader would choose an assistant, and this would make the Expedition Leadership team.  The Patrol Leaders would also need to decide amungst themselves who will serve as the Haarlem Jamborette Expedition Leader (or lead Patrol Leader).

6) First job for the ELT will be to select a Scouter to be responsible for the trip (Lead Expedition Scouter).  This would replace our current policy of always having the Section Lead attend.  The Scouter chosen to lead the trip will be responsible for being the primary parent contact, the one to make arrangements, complete paperwork and applications, etc.  While it is likely that at least for now the youth will choose the Section Lead, it won’t always be the case and allows for greater flexibility in years to come as it will encourage other Scouters to offer up trips and adventures.  Once they have a Scouter that will accept the role, the Scouter will pick an assistant so they have someone they know they can rely on and work well with.  The ELT could of course veto the choice for assistant but it would be unlikely.  These two Scouters would be VOTING members of the ELT.  The idea is here that the youth leaders would REALLY feel like the Scouters fully had their back as they would all be on the same level in the same team.  The Scouters would only be two votes while the youth would have 5 or more votes, so no danger to youth led.  Just an increase in adult support.

7) The ELT will meet to finalize the requirements for Scouters to attend the trip, then hold a vote with all the participants.   The Scouters will also vote (like they did for the youth leaders, once again only to provide additional perspective).  In addition, Scouters will be asked to mark their interest in participation.

8) The ELT will tally the votes, and also compile a list of Scouters that are interested in attending.  If a Scouter received a lot of votes but did not apply for a position the ELT would reach out to them to ask them to apply.  All Scouters that apply and generally meet the criteria for the position will be “interviewed” by the ELT.   This allows Scouters that may be newer to the program or have previously been part-time an opportunity to explain to the ELT why they would be a great fit for the trip.  Once again the decision will not be based purely on votes – the goal is to build the best possible team.

9) Once sufficient Scouters have said “yes”, we have our team and can announce it 🙂  Now the REAL work begins, lol!

Sounds complicated I know, but it will allow us to build the best possible team to facilitate our trip of a lifetime!


Posted in 2019 European Adventure by with no comments yet.

Backpacking Across Europe

So what started out as a joke over a great game of S.W.G. at Scout Camp has morphed into a pretty awesome pre-camp!  So… how many countries could you visit in Europe on the way to the Jamborette if we weren’t picky about fancy things.. like beds…?

The answer is, A LOT!  As much as we always say things like “this trip isn’t for everyone”, let me be really clear – this trip is NOT for everyone!  First off, on the way to Rome, our flight will transfer somewhere… either Ireland or the United Kingdom. so that is country #1.  We’d be joining in with the Switzerland crowd touring Rome, Italy and Vatican City (#2 & 3) and traveling to Kandersteg, Switzerland (#4).  After a day or two at Kandersteg it will be time to hit the rails!  While our exact route will need to be well researched for suitability and safety, our best case scenario for country-count would be Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and into the Netherlands.  All this acheivable thanks to our EuroRail Global Pass which will give us unlimited rail travel in Europe for a SUPER reasonable price! That puts us to 20 countries!  Fair enough, in each of these countries we’ll get little more than a selfie and a meal, but at least we can scratch another country off the map 😉

 

This is the one pre-trip that also turns into a post trip!  After the closing ceremonies at the Haarlem Jamborette, instead of going back to camp we’ll be heading to the train station to scratch off a few more!  First stop is Copenhagen in Denmark (#21), then through Sweden (#22) and finally to Oslo, Norway (#23) for our flight home.  Unlikely to get a direct flight from Oslo, so expect a layover in Iceland (#24) before returning home to Newfoundland & Labrador.

In this pre-trip you will sacrifice personal comfort for adventure.  You will sacrifice a set itinerary for the uncertainty of public transit through countries you have never heard of.  We will need to think on our feet, change the plan hourly as needed, and always, always be prepared for the unexpected.

This pre-trip requires a truly enormous amount of work in advance as you will need to research all the cities we plan to stop in as well as alternate cities in case things don’t go according to plan.  We need to know what to expect in the 24 countries we plan to visit and have a risk assessment plan for our itinerary as well as for our back up plans.  This is a monster of an effort, but would add a clean two dozen countries to your list 😉  This is literally the sort of trip you talk about for the rest of your life.

Obviously not for everyone… but is it for you?   I should add that this trip is likely only feasible for youth 16+ at the time of the trip.

             


Posted in 2019 European Adventure, Team Switzerland 2019 by with no comments yet.

Switzerland

Our Swiss adventure actually begins in Italy… no we’re not lost, just making the most of our flight to Europe!  Ever heard of “Rome in a day”?  No?  Neither had I, but Scouter Gerry was just crazy enough to pull something together!  After arriving in Rome, Italy after a long flight we will travel to Vatican City, the heart of the Roman Catholic Church and the smallest country in the world.  If you are a Catholic your draw to the Vatican is pretty obvious, but even if you are not, the Vatican houses some of the greatest art and architecture in the world!  Vatican City is WHY you visit Rome – it’s really that cool!

Obviously we can’t leave Rome without seeing the Coliseum, so we’ll work out a visit on our way back to the train station.  Our luxurious… er… our first night sleep in Europe will be sitting upright on a train through the Italian and then Swiss countryside.  Sure, not the best night sleep, but you just visited THREE new countries in a day!

After switching trains with the sunrise in Bern, Switzerland, we’ll transfer to our train to Kandersteg.  After the first World Scout Jamboree, Lord Baden-Powell realized (likely along with every other Scout and Scouter present) that he never wanted the Jamboree to end.  From that moment on it became his dream for there to be a permanent World Scout Jamboree.  A place of adventure, laughter and friendship that Scouts & Guides from all over the world could visit any time of the year and just jump in to the never ending Jamboree.  The Kandersteg International Scout Centre is the realization of that dream.  Kandersteg offers a full international Jamboree experience every single week, all year long!  Talk about the ultimate Scout Camp!!

Given that Kandersteg is in itself a full Jamboree, there is no way to really capture all that in a blog post, so let me direct you to their 2018 program guide (just released) => http://www.kisc.ch/?redirect=getfile.php&cmd[getfile][uid]=14705  Ya, I know, clicking links and reading PDFs is hard work, but seriously, check it out!  The stuff you can do at Kandersteg is UNBELIEVABLE!!

Seeing as you just did all that reading, let me throw a few videos your way to break it up 🙂  First off, what is the Kandersteg International Scout Centre?

Next is a general overview of some of the cool things Kandersteg has to offer:

How about an alpine roller coaster… Scout style!

Or tubing down an Olympic ski jump?

Perhaps a day trip to Bern?

Or Geneva?

Okay, okay, so you get the idea 🙂  Sadly we will, at some point have to leave Kandersteg 🙁  If you’re interested in leaving Kandersteg in the weeee hours of the morning on Friday you will have an opportunity to experience a bit of GERMANY!  You can either spend a day in Europa Park (Germany’s answer to Disney World), or spend the day in Frankfurt, one of the best cities in Germany!

A bit more on Europa Park:

And on on Frankfurt:

REALLY not an easy choice to make!  Regardless though, after a great Friday we’ll end up on the night train to Haarlem to start setting up our camp at the Haarlem Jamborette 🙂


Posted in 2019 European Adventure, Team Switzerland 2019 by with no comments yet.

England & Belgium

Our pre-trip begins in the capital city of the United Kingdom, London – London is one of the largest cities in the world with a population of 8,787,892 (Toronto, Canada’s most populous city, has 2,731,571)!  So basically London offers pretty much anything you could imagine!  Here’s a list of the “Top 17 Things to Do in London”

Our London experience actually begins in a little piece of Scouting heaven, Gillwell Park.  Gillwell Park was the home of Lord Baden-Powell and is now the headquarters for the UK Scout Association as well as home to a HUGE adventure camp!  Activities at Gillwell Park include grass sledging, sailing, bell boats, aeroball, revolving climbing wall, go-karts, kayaking, standard climbing wall, low ropes, rafting, canoeing, adventure course, crate stacking, archery, Jacob’s ladder, leap of faith, and an insane looking 3-G swing.  Needless to say, there is LOTS to do in Gillwell Park!

Location of the first Scout Camp!

While we’re in England we’ll take the train for a day trip to the South coast and visit Brown Sea Island.  Brown Sea Island is the location of the first ever Scout Camp.  Back in 1907 a visionary took a group of kids out to camp on a beautiful island off the coast of England, and from that simple act the world’s largest peace movement began.  Scouting now thrives in almost every country in the world, and it all started on Brown Sea Island.  A highlight will be visiting the exact spot of the first ever Scout campfire 🙂

Ghent, Belgium

After four days in the United Kingdom we’ll board a ferry bound for Dunkirk, France.    Dunkirk was the location of the final desperate evacuation of the British and Allied forces in the early days of World War II as Hitler swept through Western Europe.

From Dunkirk we’ll take the train into Ghent, Belgium where we will stay at a local Scout Camp for two nights.  Ghent was established around 650 AD (yup, well over a thousand years ago) and grew to be one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Northern Europe during the middle ages.  Today Ghent is a very popular tourist destination as it has maintained a lot of its medieval charm.

Ypres from Cloth Hall

While in Belgium we’ll take a day trip to Ypres, Belgium.  Ypres was literally reduced to mud in the first World War – over 1.5 million people died on both sides to advance the front just five kilometers; truly incredible to think of the scope of loss.  The battle of Ypres is perhaps the bloodiest and most tragic battle in human history.  To this day the Belgians stop traffic at the Menin Gate in Ypres and perform the “Last Post” ceremony to honour those who died so they could be free – we will be there to see the ceremony first hand.  They have done this every single day for nearly 100 years!  (except when the Nazi’s occupied Belgium during WWII).  Our Scouts & Venturer Scouts had the privilege of visiting the Menin Gate in 2015, and it was by far one of the highlights of the trip.  You will simply never forget the power of being there, and the depth of gratitude the Belgians have for the sacrifice of Canadians and Allied troops.

We could even lay a wreath on behalf of the Newfoundlanders that fought and died at Ypres and in Passchendaele.

Finally after our epic adventure through the United Kingdom, France and Belgium we board a train bound for Haarlem in the Netherlands to set up our camp at the Haarlem Jamborette 🙂


Posted in 2019 European Adventure, Team England 2019 by with no comments yet.

Ireland & Northern Ireland

The Ireland pre-trip is a blank slate full of possibilities!  We will be staying with local Scout Troops, and have offers from Troops all over the island, so really our only limits are when we fly in to Dublin and fly out from Belfast – everything else is up to the youth!

Youth that register for Ireland will need to plan their trip, from start to finish.  What are we doing and when are we doing it.  It will be a lot of work, but in the end you will have the Ireland experience you want 🙂

To give you an example of what your itinerary might look like, here is an example Scouter Erica put together.  Remember, this is just an example – the actually itinerary will be up to you!

Dublin Zoo – Oldest operating zoo in the world!

Day 1 – Land in Dublin – Meet with our first Irish Scout hosts and visit the Dublin Zoo!  Dublin Zoo Opened in 1831, Dublin Zoo is one of the world’s oldest and most popular zoos. It has been transformed in recent decades into a 28 hectare park of gardens, lakes and wonderful natural habitats for over 400 animals. Many are rare species and their survival in the wild is under threat so many of our animals are part of international breeding programmes for endangered species.

Kilmainham Gaol (Jail)

Day 2 – Start the morning off at AquaZone – a large indoor water park filled with slides, water coaster, surfing machine, wave pool and lots more! After lunch we tour the Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. It closed its doors in 1924. A guided tour will take us through the history and stories of the jail. We’ll then take a walking tour of Dublin seeing old sites such as a Viking settlement, Smock alley Theatre, Tailor’s Guild, Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral.

Newgrange Monument

Day 3 – We will travel just outside of Dublin to the Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland. This sacred site is said to be the home of faeries, legends, Saints and heroes! We will then visit Newgrange, a 5000 year old burial mound shrouded in mystery, complete with Neolithic art!

Then we’ll travel to meet up with our next Irish hosts in County Clare and afternoon will be spent hiking on the Cliffs of Moher!

Day 4 – Travel to Belfast to meet up with our next hosts and complete the Ultimate Titanic experience touring the Titanic Museum, SS Nomadic and a discovery tour of this iconic shipyard.

Giant’s Causeway

Day 5 – Giant’s Causeway – is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Legend says it was built by an Irish Giant challenged by a Scottish Giant to a fight and the causeway was built to reach Scotland.

Tour Dunluce Castle which sits atop a cliff overlooking the ocean. Built in 1500 this castle, now in ruins is homes to myths and legends galore! From faeries and ghost to the tale of a Banshee in the kitchen this castle has it all!

Dunlace Castle

Day 6 – Ulster American Folk park – Follow the trail of thousands of emigrants from the thatched roof cottages of Ulster, on board a full-scale sailing ship to the log cabins of the American frontier. Meet and speak with characters in the 30 buildings in the village and get their story of how the Irish people moved to North America.

Day 7 – Fly out of Belfast to Amsterdam and on to the Haarlem Jamborette!

 This is only an idea – here’s other places we could explore!

Blarney Castle – complete with kissing the stone to receive the gift of gab this iconic Irish Castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens and hikes

Blarney Castle

Ross Castle & Keep – built in the 1500s this huge castle has been upkept and shows off the life of an Irish Clan!

Explore County Louth – known as the “Land of Legends” Louth was supposedly the birthplace and deathplace of the legendary hero Cuchulainn. In Irish Mythology he was the champion warrior of Ulster who’s temper often got him in trouble. Visiting the sites of the lore of Louth we would then travel to the city of Armagh, the ancient seats of the High Kings of Ulaid and visit Navan Fort.

Grianan of Aileach Fort

Explore County Yeats – Explore the ancient kingdom of the mystical Tuatha de Danann and visit the site of their ancient seat at the Grianan of Aileach Fort. After we’d travel to Sligo “The Land of Hearts Desire” and see beautiful Ben Bulben and learn the legend of Diarmuid and Grainne. Hike up to see their final resting place in a cave in the hills. O’Dowd’s Castle is our next stop learning of a mermaid who once reigned as Queen.


Posted in 2019 European Adventure, Team Ireland 2019 by with no comments yet.

Trip Registration

While of course there is no real replacement to participating in the information session in person, I will do my best to summarize the trip experience online for those of you who missed out.

First off the Haarlem Jamborette is an international Scout & Venturer Scout Jamboree that takes place every four years in Haarlem, the Netherlands (just outside of Amsterdam).   The Jamborette is a 10 day camp that includes top-notch activities both on-site and off-site.  In 2015, in addition to the incredible on-site adventures, we participated in trips to museums, theme parks, a science center, sailing, etc and had amazing hiking opportunities!  In addition to the regular program activities there is ALWAYS something on the go after the program is done!  Each sub-camp runs evening activities, there is an epic “Ultimate Frisbee” tournament (caution – Europeans are AMAZING at Ultimate Frisbee), and of course a party at the “Jambo Boulevard” every night (home of the “Mokkie”).  Curfew is 11pm, which gives youth over 5hrs of evening free time every night!  On the last weekend of camp there is a HUGE camp-wide party at the Jambo Boulevard that starts after supper and rages on past midnight – imagine 4,000 Scouts/Venturers and another 1,000+ Scouters from all over the world in a massive celebration of life.  It was honestly the best party I have ever been to 🙂

While the Jamborette feels like a typical Scout Camp in a lot of ways, there are also some perks that we are entirely not used to.  Running water for starters – including flush toilets!  For those that were at CJ’17, I’m sure you’ll appreciate knowing that we are on city water so the showers never run out!  All our food is provided in a daily “food box” that we pick up every afternoon – the food is delicious!  We have access to a walk-in fridge for cold food storage in case our coolers fill up.  Our site is huge – roughly half the size of the gym at the church!  We can order as many free pioneering poles (limbed trees) that we want so we can build some pretty epic shelters (a Troop for the UK built a three story structure – a Troop from Germany built a hot tub – seriously!).  Did I mention there there is site-wide free wifi?

Here is a compilation video from the 2015 Haarlem Jamborette to give you an idea of what you are in for:

And a slideshow of our Scouts & Venturer Scouts experiences at the 2015 Haarlem Jamborette: 4th Grand Falls – Experience at the 2015 Haarlem Jamborette

Here is our schedule from the 2015 Haarlem Jamborette:

And don’t forget to check out the official 2019 Haarlem Jamborette website! => http://www.haarlemjamborette.nl/

Eligibility for Youth Participants

  • Only youth who meet the eligibility requirements set out by the Trip Planning Team will be eligible to attend our European Adventure
  • The requirements exist to ensure all participants have the attitude, skills, maturity and self-discipline to attend the event safely and to ensure that their behaviour will not ruin the experience for other participants
  • Youth have over 18 MONTHS to fulfil the requirements and will be given AMPLE opportunities to receive the training they require through the regular Scouting program and through special “Team Europe” events along the way.
  • Some youth though will likely need special attention from parents in order to meet the requirements
  • Remember, this is a big trip, and simply may not be suitable for certain youth

Please review the full list of trip requirements here => http://gfwscouting.ca/adventure/?p=89

While we’re “in the neighbourhood”, we plan to make the most of our flight to Europe with an epic pre-camp adventure!  Seeing as Scouting is youth-led, we left it up to our youth to dream up our pre-camp adventures.  They did not disappoint!

The pre-trip options include:

  • Ireland & Northern Ireland (details): We would be landing in Dublin and spending three days in Ireland staying with Irish Scout Troops.  In addition to exploring Dublin we would be making day trips accross Ireland to some exciting and wonderful attractions.  After Dublin we’d travel by train to Belfast for three days in Northern Ireland.  There is a LOT to do in Belfast, but we’d still make some time for some travel around Northern Ireland.  From Belfast we’d fly to Amsterdam to begin our adventure at the Haarlem Jamborette.
  • England & Belgium (details): We would fly in to London England and stay four nights at the adventure camp in Gillwell Park.  Gillwell Park is famous for being the original headquarters for the World Organization of the Scouting Movement, and also of course the home of Lord Baden-Powell.  Using Gillwell Park as our base of operations we would explore the incredible sights and attractions of London, England as well as take a day trip to Brown Sea Island.  Brown Sea Island was the location of the first ever Scout camp – the camp that served as the inspiration to the creation of the Scouting Movement.  After our time in England we’d take the ferry to Dunkirk, France so we could really appreciate the enormity of what transpired on those beaches in the early days of WWII.  From Dunkirk we would take the train to Ghent and spend two nights at a Belgian Scout Camp.  In addition to touring Ghent we would take a day trip to Ypres to take in the Menin Gate Ceremony.  We had the privledge of participating in the ceremony in 2015, and it was one of the most moving parts of the trip.  Finally we would take the train to Amsterdam and begin our 10 day experience at the Haarlem Jamborette.
  • Switzerland (details): Our Switzerland pre-trip actually begins in Rome, Italy.  We would plan to arrive as early as possible and “tour Rome in a day”!  A highlight will be a tour of Vatican City, which by all accounts features some of the most stunning architecture and art on the planet.  For many of our members there is also a strong spiritual component to visiting the Vatican, but regardless of religion or lack thereof it is a must see!  The Collesseum is also high on our list of must see things in Rome!  After a whirlwind day in Rome we would board the night train bound for Kandersteg, Switzerland.  Kandersteg is the fulfillment of Lord Baden-Powell’s dream of a”permenant World Jamboree” as Scouts from around the world visit Kandersteg all year long and get to participate in jamboree style activities and events.  With Kandersteg as our base camp we will be able to explore the many, many attractions of Switzerland and neighbouring countries, or just soak in all the excitement that Kandersteg has to offer on its own.  The options are nearly endless!  After Kandersteg we would be taking the train to Germany where youth will have the option of either spending the day at Europa Park (basically Germany’s answer to Disney World) or Frankfurt (one of the best cities in Germany).  Finally we would hop on the night train and try to get a bit of rest before arriving in Amsterdam to begin the Haarlem Jamborette.
  • Backpacking Europe (details) (likely only appropriate for ages 16+ at the time of the trip): We would travel with Team Switzerland to Kandersteg, but after a couple nights in Kandersteg we would board a train with our Eurorail Global pass and begin the trip to the Haarlem Jamborette the VERY long way!  The goal would be to visit as many countries as we can on the way to the Netherlands.  There will be no hotels, just some sleeping in trains, eating new and interesting food in new and interesting countries, and dreaming of a REAL shower & bed!  This is NOT the trip for everyone, but for some select youth this would truly be the ultimate adventure!

Finances & Fundraising

  • The intent is to ensure this trip is less than or equal to the cost of the 2019 World Jamboree
  • Maximum budget is $3,850/youth, but our goal is to keep it around $3,200.
  • Some pre-trips may cost more than others based on the “extras” that the kids decide on
  • Regular deposits will be required roughly every second month at a cost of around $500/deposit. Deposits are non-refundable.
  • Fundraising can cover ALL of your deposits! In addition, you can continue to fundraise until Aug 31, 2019 and use any surplus to get a refund for any money you have paid out of pocket!
  • NO YOUTH IS LEFT BEHIND!
  • It is our commitment to do our best to ensure that no youth that truly does their best to raise the money will be left behind for financial reasons. We are a team, and as a team we plan to make it to Europe!
  • Remember, FUNDRAISING WORKS! A good portion of the youth that are eligible for this trip have already raised WELL OVER what they need for the first deposit!

Scouters

  • We are aiming to send a ratio of one Scouter for every four youth, which is double the normal ratio for Scouts. Number may increase based on what the youth plan for their pre-trip.  The Haarlem Jamborette would prefer us to keep a ratio of 1:6 at a maximum (they would prefer 1:8), so we are already pushing it with 1:4.  As a result we will likely not be able to accommodate extra adults.  There is a good possibility that they will allow for extra YOUTH Scouters though (Vents or Rovers 16+ registered as Troop Scouters)
  • Scouters that are interested in attending will be interviewed by the Expedition Leadership Team (ELT). The ELT will be made up of the youth leaders for the trip and two Scouters.
  • Scouters that attend will also have to meet requirements that will be set out by the Expedition Leadership Team.
  • Only registered Scouters will be able to attend the trip – unfortunately we cannot accommodate parent volunteers
  • Only Scouters selected by the Expedition Leadership Team will be able to attend the trip. We will not be taking along additional Scouters even if they pay their own way unless an exception is made by the Expedition Leadership Team (unlikely).

Closing Thoughts

  • Any youth who truly does their best and who is actively supported in their efforts by their parents should be able to meet all the requirements. You will be amazed how fast your youth will grow in the Scout program!
  • I cannot overstate how much of a life changing experience attending an international event this this will be. I know it’s hard to think of your youth being away for so long, but they will THANK YOU for this experience for the rest of their lives!
  • We are very, very good at running these trips! This will be our fifth major trip and our second trip to Europe. We have support systems in place and have made great friends and connections in the Netherlands.  We are ready for this adventure, and will make sure that your youth is ready as well 🙂

What Happens Next?

  • REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD!
  • May be possible to register later on, but availability is not assured
  • A registration invitation has been printed off for every eligible youth.  You can pick up your form at a regular Cub Scout, Scout or Venturer Scout meeting.  Please complete it and return by February 23, 2018.  If you can’t get me the physical form by the 23rd, I at least need the information off of it (including pre-trip selection).  
  • A $500 deposit is due on registration.  This deposit can be paid through existing fundraising if available. You can check your current fundraising at gfwscouting.ca/aa or by asking your section lead.  Remember, our policy on finances, so if you are having trouble please let us know!
  • First Team Europe meeting will be early March. We plan to offer at least one Europe related event per month to help everyone get the most out of this incredible experience!
  • Tentative Timeline for Youth Leaders & Expedition Scouters (details on the selection process):
    • Feb 20th, 2018: Announce the “Selection Committee” for our Expedition Leadership Team.  Selection Committee would meet within the next week to decide on what skills & experience we will be looking for in our Expedition Leaders
    • Feb 27 & 28, 2018: All participants will be asked to rank youth that they feel would make good Expedition Leaders by secret ballot.  Youth will also be asked at this time if they are interested in running for a Leadership position.  Interviews with the selection committee will start ASAP.
    • Mar 20th, 2018: Hoping to able to announce the Expedition Leadership Team.  The New ELT will meet within two weeks to pick the Lead Expedition Scouter, to set up requirements for Scouters and what skills & experience we will be looking for in our Expedition Scouters.  Once the requirements are established, Scouters will be asked to put their names forward if they are interested in attending the trip as an Expedition Scouter.  Interviews to begin ASAP.
    • Mar 20th, 2018: All participants will be asked to rank Scouters that they feel would make good Expedition Scouters by secret ballot.
    • May 1, 2018: Hoping to be able to announce our Expedition Scouters 🙂

Posted in 2019 European Adventure by with no comments yet.

2017/18 Troop Code of Conduct

Participation in Scouting should be rewarding and fun for all. Every member, regardless of position, has the right to be treated with RESPECT and DIGNITY by their fellow Scouts and Scouters. To ensure all Scouts and Scouters have an enjoyable Scouting experience it is imperative that a specific level of conduct and discipline be maintained. All Scouts and Scouters made the following promise, on their honour, and are expected to keep it: 

The Scout Promise 

“On my honour, I promise to 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” 

The Scout Law 

“A Scout is honest & trustworthy, kind and cheerful, considerate & clean, and wise in the use of all resources” 

The small number beside each rule shows the minimum consequence for breaking that rule. 

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS 

  • No member has the right to negatively affect the experience of another member. 
  • Members must be kind to one another 
    • No violence of any kind will be tolerated (ie: hitting, pushing, tripping) 3 
    • No bullying of any kind will be tolerated 3 
    • Scouts must share with their fellow Scouts 1 
  • Members must treat each other with respect 
    • Absolutely no lying (“A Scout is Honest & Trustworthy”) 1 
    • Theft of any kind will not be tolerated (“A Scout is Honest & Trustworthy”) 2 
    • No disrespectful language (swearing, name calling, etc) 1 
    • No bragging or showing off in a way that belittles another member 1 
    • No interrupting another member while they are speaking 1 
    • Relationships that develop between members are to remain discreet, and will not interfere with any troop activities. 1 
    • For overnight outings, every possible consideration must be made to allow for private changing areas for all members.  In co-ed camping situations a private changing area must be provided unless impossible for safety reasons.  No member is permitted to ever undress in front of another member, regardless of gender.  Members in a relationship may NOT sleep beside one another. 3 
    • No discrimination of any kind between members based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. 3 
    • Scouts are not permitted to go through other member’s personal belongings without consent. 2 
    • Negative peer pressure is not permitted 2 
  • Members must treat the environment, property and equipment with respect 
    • Members must properly clean and maintain all Scouting equipment 1 
    • Members must treat our meeting space (wherever that may be) with care & respect – we strive to always leave our meeting space in better condition than we found it (indoors or outdoors) 1 
    • Littering is never acceptable 1 
  • Scouts must show respect for the Scouting Movement 
    • All members must wear complete uniforms at all Scout meetings, outings and events (at camps uniforms are only required on the last day) unless an exception is approved by the Troop Leadership Team.  Note: For most regular meetings an informal uniform is acceptable.  Formal uniform is required for all ceremonies, badge presentations, etc.  Members will be informed before the meeting/outing which uniform is required. 1 
    • All members must be respectful during all formal ceremonies. Absolutely no talking or misbehaving while in formal horseshoe formation 1 
  • Miscellaneous 
    • No outside food or drink (including gum) is permitted at any Scout meeting held indoors with the exception that water in a refillable container with lid is always permitted. 1 
    • When meeting at the church, all members must obey the rental rules established by the church. 1 

The Troop Leadership Team, on behalf of all the members in the troop, has agreed on the following consequences for violations of the above: 

  1. Public Apology: The offending member must apologize in a sincere manner to any individuals that were negatively affected by their actions. 
  1. Sitting Out: The offending member will be asked to sit out of one or more activities 
  1. Verbal warning given. Parents/Guardians will be notified of the inappropriate behavior at the end of the meeting. 
  1. Parents or guardians called during a Troop activity and asked to take their Scout home. 
  1. Suspension. The offending member will be requested not to attend up to three subsequent meetings/events (serious incidents could require suspensions as long as 90 days pending a full investigation by Scouts Canada and/or the RCMP.) 
  1. Expulsion. A member who repeatedly violates the troop code of conduct, and shows no indication of correcting their actions may, as a final option face expulsion from the group. Membership fees, dues and fundraising will not be refunded. 

IMPORTANT NOTES:  

  • Certain violations, such as violence, threats or bullying, will require immediate suspension as per Scouts Canada policy. 
  • If a member’s behaviour requires level three consequences, they will not be permitted to attend any activity outside Grand Falls-Windsor until they attend two consecutive Scout functions with no further Code of Conduct violations. 
  • If a member’s behaviour requires level four consequences or higher, they will not be permitted to attend any activity outside Grand Falls-Windsor until Troop Leadership Team is satisfied that their negative behaviour will not be repeated. 
  • All violations resulting in level two or higher must be recorded in the Troop Log. 
  • Members will not be permitted to attend an outdoor event if they do not have a whistle and a filled water bottle or hydration pack. 
  • Cell phones, video games, MP3 players, iPods, etc may not be used at any Scouting meeting, outing or event unless the youth has a valid technology permit or unless an exception is approved by the Troop Leadership Team.  

 


Posted in Policy & Rules by with no comments yet.

2019 European Adventure Trip Requirements

As for previous big adventures it fell upon our Troop Leadership Team to determine the participant requirements for our 2019 European Adventure.  This is NOT an easy task, and we had a pretty tight timeline to work through some pretty good debates.

Representing the interest of our Scouts we had our Troop Leader – Ella N, our Patrol Leaders – Alex P, Cameron S and Ben N, and our K.P. – Brady M.  Our Venturer Scouts were represented by Declan M & Steven D with help from Nathan B (Our Company CEO) & Maiya K.  We even had our Cub Scouts represented with Lex N.  To support the youths’ efforts we had Scouters Claudette, Erica, Gerry, Mark, Shanlee, Robin and myself.

It is important to understand where these requirements come from.  As this will be our fifth major adventure we have learned a few things along the way (and like good Scouts, often from “failures”).  The requirements are meant to ensure that all youth and adults that attend the trip can do so without risking their own or anyone else’s safety and to ensure that their behaviour will not negatively affect the experience of others on the trip.  Most of our younger members (keeping in mind that we will have Tracker Cub Scouts registering for this trip) will be missing a LOT of requirements at this point – DON’T BE DISCOURAGED!  Parents, Scouters and participants need to use the requirements as a road map to get the youth prepared for this adventure.

To make it easier to track your progress, the trip requirements will be set up on ScoutsTacker as a custom badge.

These are the requirements for youth participants.  The requirements for Scouters will be all these and a bit more (Scouter requirements will be determined in the next few weeks by our Expedition Leadership Team)

  • MANDATORY EXPEDITIONS
    • In order to attend the trip, all participants will be required to attend a minimum of two mandatory expedition camps.  
    • The expedition camps will be challenging in nature and designed to help prepare the youth and the Scouters for the adventure ahead.
    • While intentionally challenging, our expedition camps in the past have proven to be some of our best camps ever!  Examples include Hodges Hill 2013 (and 2017), Exploits Canoe Expedition 2014, Camp Froze-In 2015 and the Red Indian Rafting Expedition 2016.
    • A MINIMUM of six months notice will be provided for any mandatory event.  For that reason, mandatory means mandatory – if you do not attend the expedition camp you will not be permitted to attend the trip to Europe.
    • Please note that certain pre-trips may require an additional expedition camp if the Expedition Leadership Team feels it is important to prepare the participants for the trip.  As with all mandatory events, a minimum of six months notice will be provided.
    • The date of the first expedition camp has been confirmed for September 7-9, 2018 – it will likely be a canoeing/kayaking camp involving sleeping in improvised shelters.  While still an expedition camp, this camp will be designed to be accessible by our younger members while still challenging for our older youth.  Details will be confirmed by our Expedition Leadership Team, but please mark the date on your calendars!
    • PARENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND A WORKSHOP – There will be a workshop 6-8 weeks before the trip that youth will be required to attend along with at least one parent or guardian.  The purpose is to instruct parents on behaviour that will support their youths’ adventure and make it possible for the Scouters to ensure their youth have a great experience.  Topics will include managing home sickness, communication with home, and also some practical information on baggage, travel details, etc.
  • PERSONAL BEHAVIOUR
    • Consistently acts in accordance to the Scout Law and Promise (broken down at the bottom)
    • Consistently follows the Troop & Company Code of Conduct (Troop Code of Conduct)
    • Consistently shows respect for the youth leadership team and from Scouters, including consistently following their rules and instructions
    • Understands how to remain safe with adults & strangers, and has attended a workshop on staying safe (to be provided)
    • Consistently demonstrates the work ethic required in a camp environment
    • Consistently demonstrates that they can keep themselves entertained during quiet/wait times (examples could include knowing card games, improvised board games, or just being happy reading a book, quiet in thought, etc)
    • Has demonstrated a willingness to try new things and step outside their comfort zone
    • Has demonstrated they can spend multiple nights away from home without incident
    • Has demonstrated a willingness to try new foods and to consistently eat sufficiently (quality & quantity) to stay healthy in a camping and/or high-adventure environment
    • All participants must be actively engaged in the Scouting program. While there is no specific attendance requirement, it will be difficult for you to make a case that you are actively engaged if you attend less than 75% of the regular meetings and events between now and the trip.
    • ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE SCOUTS CANADA MEMBERSHIP IN GOOD STANDING.
    • ALL PARTICIPANTS REQUIRE A VALID PASSPORT TO ATTEND.  EXPIRY DATE CAN BE NO EARLIER THAN AUGUST 31, 2019
  • SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
    • Consistently demonstrates skills equivalent to Camping Outdoor Adventure Skill Levels 1,2,3 & 4 (details on ScoutsTracker)
    • Consistently demonstrates skills equivalent to Emergency Aid Outdoor Adventure Skill Levels 1 & 2 (details on ScoutsTracker)
    • Has experience cooking a small variety of meals on a propane stove
    • Has demonstrated their understanding and commitment to proper dishwashing at camp
    • Has demonstrated their ability to set up a basic (but functioning) tarp dining shelter
    • Has mastered basic pioneering skills (reliably tie clove hitch, square lashing, tripod lashing, diagonal lashing, round lashing, shear lashing and fisherman’s knot – it is acceptable to rely on notes and/or Knots 3d app or similar)
  • KNOWLEDGE
    • Participants will be required to research a portion of the trip and prepare a short video presentation.  Assistance will be provided by the Expedition Leadership Team and the Scouters attending the trip.
    • Participants will be required to attend a cultural workshop (to be provided) so they can learn about the culture, traditions and laws of the countries we will be visiting.
    • Participants will be required to attend a cultural workshop (to be provided) to ensure they know enough about the traditions of Newfoundland & Labrador as well as Canada in order to properly represent our province and country on the world stage.
    • Participants will be required to have a general understanding of the trip itinerary
    • WORKSHOPS: We recognize that “workshop” sounds inherently boring, but that is not at all the intent!  Last time we went to Europe we had a full day cultural workshop that proved to be one of the highlights of the year!  Scouting is not school – we learn by doing.  You will enjoy the workshops 🙂
    • TESTS: There will be a quiz of some kind for all the knowledge-based requirements.  The quiz is also meant to be fun, and participants will have as many times as you need in order to pass.  We just need to ensure you actually have the knowledge you need.

Scout Promise:

On my honour, I promise to do my best;
To do my duty to God and to 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

Breaking them down:

  • Scouts consistently do their best
  • Scouts respect the differences between all people, cultures, religions, etc and the validity of everyone’s personal beliefs
  • Scouts represent their country well and consistently follow the law
  • Scouts always provide help when it is needed, without having to be asked
  • Scouts do not lie – dishonesty is not tolerated
  • Scouts choose kindness over spite
  • Scouts remain cheerful whenever possible – we cannot always control our situation, but we can always control our attitude
  • Scouts are not wasteful and take care of equipment, supplies, and of course each other.  Scouts can manage money in a responsible manner

Posted in 2019 European Adventure, Team England 2019, Team Ireland 2019, Team Switzerland 2019 by with no comments yet.