The Carman Beavers, Cubs and Scouts are getting ready to launch another season, with registration now open and meetings set to begin this week. Parents can sign their children up through myscouts.ca, where entering a postal code will connect families to the nearest group.
Building skills through each stage
Scout Leader Eric Melvin, who has been part of the program since his own days as a Beaver, said the group offers a progressive program that builds outdoor and practical skills as youth advance through the levels.
He says that the Beavers, traditionally the youngest of the groups, start at: “Five years old. They recently started a new program with Chipmunks, which is even younger, but it kind of gives you a good taste,” says Eric. For him, those two groups help to establish a solid foundation of outdoor skills.
“Then once you graduate from the Cubs, it's working on those skills. and then by the time they get to Scouts, which is my group that I lead, those skills should be very advanced. And that's when we can be building large structures and things like that.”
Eric says that once a member joins the Scouts, that is when the activities become more advanced, with things like building catapults, as well as cooking challenges.
Finding belonging outside of sports
For former Cub and Scout Tyler Melvin, the weekly program provided a place to belong, and is a great solution to those who, like himself, don’t feel the calling to join a sporting team.
“I was never really into sports. Like every sport I tried, I just ended up not really liking them and ultimately dropping them. And then when I got into Cubs, I was able to find, like, some other people my age that were like more into, like the outdoorsy stuff and shared like very similar interests to my own.”
He says that alongside fun projects, the program equips youth with life skills that last long after their time in Scouting.
“It's surprising how much I have to not tie nowadays. … I'll be honest. I didn't really think so at the time, but later on I found out that it's a very useful skill.”
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A regional hub for Scouting
Registration is open now, with the Carman group welcoming youth not only from the community itself but from across the region. Eric noted that with fewer active programs west of Winnipeg, the Carman Scouts attract members from Portage, Sanford, Winkler, Morden and beyond.
For parents looking to get involved, volunteer leaders are also in demand.
“We don't have a lack of interest in kids. It's more so the volunteers. So, we could definitely use more volunteers,” said Eric.
Families can learn more about the group on their Facebook page, Carman Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, or by visiting myscouts.ca to register.