Troupe promotes active living

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/11/2014 (4200 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

November in Westwood — for many of us, that means winding down our outdoor activities. But for Scouts, the season of fun, adventure and outdoor experience has barely begun.

The 1st Kirkfield Scouting Group is home to Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers, kids ages 5 to 17 in their respective troupes, boys and girls alike. The co-ed clubs of active youth and volunteer leaders meet weekly here in Westwood on Wednesdays.

You’ll find the Beavers at KW Community Centre; Cubs and Venturers at Sansome School; and Scouts at Ecole Robert Browning. Dean Parsons, group commissioner for 1st Kirkfield Scouting, says Scouts learn core values in keeping with the scouting tradition. Kids learn the motto and pledge and develop a sense of duty, pride, ceremony and citizenship. They learn and have fun in a structured environment, building trust, life skills and leadership and earn a sense of accomplishment from setting and achieving goals.

First aid, hiking and environmental stewardship are a few of the activities Beaver and Cub Scouts might explore from week to week. Camping and survival skills are core elements of the Scouting experience. In fact, 1st Kirkfield has its own camp, a cottage near Hadashville, Man., where troupes head to practice their cooking, campfire-building, trekking and teamwork each winter.

Working together and helping others are, as they have always been, key components of being a Scout.

The 1st Kirkfield Scouts have a history of helping in the community. They volunteer with the KW TimBits soccer tournament, the Buffalo Barbecue, Optimist Club Christmas Tree sales, and Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaigns. Troupes have also visited the elderly at Deer Lodge and participate in the annual Remembrance Day parade from St. James Legion.

This past September, the troupe scoured the banks of Sturgeon Creek, as they have for some eight to 10 years, allowing youth and parents to be involved in a hands-on
conservation project that has a measurable effect on our local environment.

The Scouting season starts in September and runs through June but there is no
registration cut-off. Whether you are a parent or grandparent or just a person seeking an activity this winter, Scouting might be what you are looking for.

For more information on the 1st Kirkfield Scouting Group, contact commissioner Dean Parsons at 204-896-0410 or kirkfieldgc@gmail.com, or go to www.scouts.ca

Sharon Pfeifer is a community correspondent for Westwood. You can contact her at sdrinteractive@shaw.ca