Scouts Pictou County seeks new leaders

Scouts Canada has long had a significant presence in Pictou County. Scott Murdock, area commissioner for the Pictou County Chapter of Scouts Canada, said that began in 1918.

It is in honour of that rich history that Murdock and the rest of the scout leaders of Pictou County are calling on anyone interested to step up and become a scout leader themselves.

“We really need some people to join, because scouting is big in Pictou County. (Being a scout leader) is a little dedication, and a lot of outdoors activities and weekly meetings,” said Murdock, who notes it’s all very much worth the effort.

Scout leaders are expected to follow the Canadian Path — the program of guiding principles by which scouts and scout leaders abide. The leaders serve as the “guiding hand” of the Scouts movement.

“They have an agenda to go by. The leader usually just basically follows the Canadian Path, and it’s a program to make sure kids are safe when they participate in the program,” said Murdock, who has been a member of Scouts Canada for 20 years.

Scout leaders are expected to be role models, and to plan and accompany scouts on the many outings they embark upon

throughout the year.

“We do the paper work, make sure parents know when we’re going into the woods — that kind of thing. We have guests in, and go to all sorts of different places. One night we might visit the RCMP, the next, we might visit the fire station,” said Murdock. “The leaders organize the scouts, but once they’re out there, they do all kinds of different projects on their own.”

In fact, Murdock said, some of the biggest value in the Scout program comes from the fact that members are encouraged to do things at their own pace – something that can serve as a respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and the distractions of smart phones and video games.

“Kids get up in the morning and have to follow a schedule, get on the bus, go to classes, buzzer to buzzer, and even with sports, chances are they have to be on a time schedule,” said Murdock. “Scouts is not all about that. Each kid goes at their own level of doing things, and we don’t drill them. We just show them how to do it. Some are fast at doing that stuff, some are slower. The result is they all like what they’re doing.

“When they’re glued to their phones or video games all day, they’ll walk right by all the other stuff they can get passionate about. When they’re in Scouts, they can use their brain a little bit.”

Murdock emphasized that much of the activity is youth-led, and that leaders simply facilitate and instruct when necessary.

“The leaders ask the youth what they want to do. We do things in quarters: in spring, summer, fall and winter. We do a lot of outdoors stuff, with tarps, ropes, open fires – kids learn to cook their own meals and build a survival kit.”

Becoming a leader takes a couple of weeks, and involves a criminal record check, a few courses and interviews to determine eligibility, but Murdock emphasized that it can easily be done, and that it’s a rewarding experience, teaching young minds how to better themselves, learn important skills and enjoy the abundance of nature in Canada.

Scouts Pictou County held a meeting in Trenton and at A.G. Baillie Memorial School. For anyone who was unable to attend, and is interested in becoming a scout leader, contact Scott Murdock at 902-922-2805.