Scout Talk

B8

By Paul Murray

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Many of our scouting groups are getting ready for the new 2008-09 year. There will be a booth at the upcoming Sussex registration fair, where youth can be registered and parents receive information. All local groups will have their own registration nights as well.

In January, I issued a challenge to all area commissioners to increase membership in their area's groups by 10 per cent. The final membership totals for the 2007-08 year show a provincial increase of 80 members. This may not seem like a large increase, but it is the first increase in membership in New Brunswick in over 10 years.

Whenever a group talks about recruiting new youth to the Scouts Canada program, they must also talk about retention, keeping the already registered youth in the programs from one year to the next. The average retention rate in New Brunswick is only 58 per cent. My classic example is with a Cub pack of 20 youth. If the group wants to show a 10 per cent increase, they need 22 youth for the 2008-09 season. When you take away the 42 per cent of the youth who do not return for another year, you don't have 20 anymore, you only have 12, so instead of having to sign up two new youth to show the 10 per cent increase, the group needs to sign up 10 youth. The NB Council believes a retention rate of 80 per cent is indeed a very obtainable percentage, and will make the fall recruitment much easier.

In 1998, Scouts Canada became a fully co-ed youth program. 10 years later, many females have taken part in the exciting programs offered by the five youth sections of Scouts Canada. The current NB Council Youth Commissioner is a female who is a student at St. Thomas University. She has been in scouting for six years, starting as a Venturer in Miramichi. She is currently a Rover with the UNB Rover Crew. The majority of the female members are in the younger sections, Beavers and Cubs, but every year at the Chief Scout and Queen's Venturer Award Ceremony, there are several females being presented with awards. All three Sussex area groups have female leaders as well. Nancy White, Karen Mott, Charlene MacKenzie, Joan Coggar, Dale Mercer, Jocylen Teakles and Joanna Stevens have all been involved in scouting for many years.

There are three young men who are members of the St. Paul's Venturer Company, who started in scouting as first year Beavers. Entering their third year as Venturers, they have all earned their Chief Scout award, and will be presented with their Queen's Venturer award this November. These three youth will be presented with the new Scouts Canada Medal of the Maple, an award for outstanding youth. Adam Keirstead, Bradley Diotte and Sam Murray must be commended for their continued dedication to Scouting. Well done!