Scouting memories in the Central Okanagan
The Boy Scouts of Canada operates several programs in the Central Okanagan for youth age five to twentysix.
In honour of Lord Baden Powell, scouting’s founder (1857-1941), Scouting week in Canada is celebrated during the last week of February. These are some of my memories of my years with Scouting.
At the age of six Lord Baden Powell’s call to join the Boy Scouts Association was heard and my brother and I got in on the start of a new group in the Mission Creek area.
We met regularly at the Benvoulin Church. From the beginning, our mom was part of the organizing committee and one her roles was to sew the red and yellow neckerchiefs that were part of our uniform.
Barry McIver and Jack Thompson were our leaders providing weekly instruction and leading us on weekend hikes treating us with hot dogs and marshmallows.
Our “First Mission Creek” group was short lived as we soon combined with the “First East Kelowna” pack.
In a true amalgamation we kept the Mission Creek colours and the East Kelowna name.
It wasn’t long before the South Kelowna area was also included in our ranks. I spent several years as a Cub starting out as a Tenderfoot, then an Invested Member ending up as a Sixer.
From here I moved on to the South East Kelowna Scout troop. Our leaders during this time were Mr. McKay and Brian Porter.
It was here we did some serious hiking and camping.
McCulloch Lake was our main camping site. Our camp was only accessible by water or a long hiking trail so we quickly learned how to pack lightly but efficiently.
We all had our roles to play in the preparation of camp meals but we were also sent out to learn how to live off the land.
This involved using our survival kits for a cooking pot, our hatchets and ground sheets to make tents and our previous training to identify edible plants.
The best reward for two days out was returning to camp for a turkey dinner.
It was during Scout training that we also learned our signature coloured neckerchiefs were not just for show but also survival strategies.
These triangular pieces of cloth could be used for face masks in the wind, bandages in emergencies, rope to lash poles together or containers to gather food.
Knot tying was always a biggie in the scouting movement.
Our knot tying skills were put to test in tent construction, stretcher making and bridge building.
Collecting and chopping firewood was an easily acquired skill for our country Scout Troop.
Our “bath” time in the cold McCulloch Lake still brings shivers.
Camp fire time was always popular with hot chocolate and marshmallows always present. But it was the camp fire songs, skits and story telling that were my favourites.
Camp fire songs such as Old Hogan’s Goat, Ezekiel Saw A Wheel a Rolling, The Quarter Master’s Store and Found A Peanut still go through my mind.
Many jamborees were attended around the Okanagan where we joined fellow scouters from all over BC.
Bottle and car battery drives were fund raising events.
Our annual Father and Son Banquets were a highlight of the year.
Upon departing for university in 1968, I left my troop but returned as an assistant leader, “Bagheera the Black Panther”, to help Peggy Evans who became “Akela" of the East Kelowna cub pack.
From team building to arts and crafts, games, semaphore flag signalling and more, most of the skills I learned in the Boy Scout movement are still part of my current day.
This article is part of a series submitted by the Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Historical Society.