Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

speakup

When you first meet Matthew Nutter, you think he is just an ordinary 10-year-old Cub. Matthew is a member of the 1st Kingston Peninsula Cub Pack, and his father, Tim, is a leader with the pack. It is after you get to know Matthew that you realize that he is not ordinary, but extraordinary.

Matthew is a double amputee, losing both feet shortly after birth. Matthew has worn artificial legs since, getting them fitted on a yearly basis as he grows, changing feet every other year. Matthew participates in soccer, karate and all Cub activities.

Matthew is working towards being a junior counsellor with the War Amps Playsafe program, and he has made his presentations to several youth groups about the consequences of playing dangerously. Matthew recently visited the St. Paul's Cub Pack, and gave his presentation. He spoke of his personal condition, showed a DVD of testimonials from other young amputees, and had some games and handouts for the Cubs.

Matthew showed how he takes off and puts on his prostheses and what his legs look like without them. He held the audience's attention throughout his presentation, and answered all questions the Cubs asked. Throughout his spiel, Matthew's mother and father looked on with pride. They said that at the last War Amps annual convention, Matthew was one of six youths who received commendations for their presentations.

I am sure his Playsafe message was heard loud and clear. There is no doubt that Matthew Nutter is a credit to the 1st Kingston Peninsula Pack, and is indeed a special Cub.

The New Brunswick Council recently held a membership recruitment workshop in Fredericton. Scouters, both youth and adults, gathered for the day to see if they could come up with some new ideas of how to attract more youth to the scouting programs.

After several brainstorming sessions and new program presentations, the conclusions reached were quite startling. The two main issues that seem to be hindering the growth of scouting are the lack of public awareness and the poor use of the outdoors. Scouts Canada's youth programs are based on outdoor activities, with badges and indoor meetings as support. Scouting around the world is recognized as the leading outdoor adventure program, so we seem to be missing the boat.

All workshop participants were very surprised, and after some discussion, realized that we must encourage all leaders and groups to maximize the outdoor part of the youth program.

We want to make the public aware that yes, scouting still exists, and with over 2,000 members in New Brunswick, scouting is going through a resurgence in popularity. Groups are encouraged to help out in community-based events, take part in parades and ceremonies, and wear their uniform with pride. The existing scouting members know that we have a great program, and that it contributes to the overall growth of the youth, but we have to get this message across to the general public.

The action plans that were developed at the Fredericton workshop should go a long ways in solving most of the problems, and with the news that New Brunswick has increased membership for the first time in 10 years, we can look to the future with much optimism.