Aug. 13, 2020

Scouting Together Again

Scouts Canada is bringing back in-person meetings in September of 2020. What will Scouting look like in Canada thereafter?

Show Notes

Scouts Canada is bringing back in-person meetings in September of 2020. What will Scouting look like in Canada thereafter?

Podcast Topics

Ken and Colin discuss the resumption of in-person Scouting activities in Canada, which are allowed to proceed as of September 1st. Like many other organizations around the world, however, Scouts Canada has implemented certain new policies, additional restrictions, and other safeguards in an attempt to avoid coronavirus infections spreading amongst groups that do return to in-person activities.

Some of these will certainly make for additional challenges for section Scouters: Beaver Scouts aren’t allowed to go on overnight camps at all for the time being; Cub Scouts will also face a lot of restrictions where overnight camping is concerned. For those groups and sections which do go camping, only a single youth will be allowed per tent, and other equipment (pots, pans, stoves, etc.) will have to be shared between a small cohort of youth only. For groups that have large stores of equipment at their disposal, this will be less of an issue (although it will still impose challenges); cash-strapped groups that don’t have as much equipment may struggle to provide overnight camps as part of their programs.

For now, Scouting in Canada will be limited to either virtual/online meetings or in-person outdoor gatherings of up to sixteen youth; no indoor meetings will be permitted until at least 2021. This too will challenge groups, but it could also bring about a number of positive changes as well. Under the new guidelines, the Patrol Method will come to the fore as a key mechanic, a key element of section leadership and section activities. And the much-increased focus on outdoor activities gives groups the opportunity to explore many of the Outdoor Adventure Skills in a more in-depth way.

Shout-Outs

As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.