Celebrating six decades of brotherhood
For Charlie Milner and his former troops, scouting is much more than tents and campfires – it’s a whole way of being
TRURO, N. S. – It started with two young boys walking into Charlie Milner’s yard and asking him to lead their scout troop.
Those boys, back in 1956, were Daniel Reid and Brian Hill. They felt the forestry ranger would make the perfect leader for their Scouts Canada unit in Middle Musquodoboit.
It was a humble start for the six-decades-plus brotherhood formed between a unique circle of friends and their former scout leader.
They bonded over hunting trips, springtime fishing and music around campfires, gathering, as always, in Wittenburg, Colchester County.
“It makes me feel I was part of something special,” said Milner, now 90. “I feel that … I put something of myself into these boys, that they turned out the way they did. That’s scouting, it’s something which will carry them through in their adult days.”
Today, the group is composed of the original “regulars” including Milner, brothers Dan and Jim Reid, Gordon Milne and Alistair Macdonald. In later years, the group welcomed Macdonald’s brother John, Franklin Mackay, Eckhart Schroeder, Dan Reid’s brother-in-law Bill Macdonald and also Greg Simms on a few special occasions.
Now, 63 years after those two young boys walked into a forest ranger’s yard, Milner is still very much their scout troop leader.
“He’s still hanging out with us, still the life of the party, he leads our prayers every time we sit at the table, he taught us the big lessons in life,” said Dan Reid. “There’s things bigger than all of us.”
Milner’s “boys” are all in their seventies today and retired. They went on to become doctors, a scientist with the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, an electrician, real estate agent, musicians and a survey assistant.
Even as they went their separate ways, landing jobs and starting families, there was a strong urge to reconnect.
It was the Reid brothers who first reached out to their former leader. In 1979 the three spent two days hunting in the woods.
The following year, Milner built his own camp, named Arlenboro, in the woods at Wittenburg. This marked the foundation for what would become a tradition.
Every fall, the group goes hunting around Remembrance Day. Then, there’s a fishing expedition in May.
“For the next 38 years we never shot a deer, maybe just a few partridge. But we did manage to land a few healthy fish,” said Milner.
Rekindling their scouting skills, the friends enjoy music around the campfire after a day’s hunting or fishing. Guitars and an accordion are played well past midnight under starlit skies. Songs were even composed centred on certain times in their lives, with titles like The Boy Scout Song or The Camp Upon The Hilltop.
“A total of five songs were written – some better than others – including a satire about the controversy of arming game wardens here in Nova Scotia, called ‘ The Game Warden Song’,” said Milner.
Second only to the music was food; the group was graced by “gourmet cook” Jim Reid. The friends run a competitive skeet hunt every fall. It’s yet to be decided who the best shot is.
The one-time scouts have spent many hours in deep conversation over politics and spirituality, or perhaps indulged in games of Trivial Pursuit and cribbage.
“I feel honoured to have known these people over all these years,” said Dan Reid.
“It makes me feel I was part of something special … I feel that … I put something of myself into these boys, that they turned out the way they did. That’s scouting, it’s something which will carry them through in their adult days.” Charlie Milner