Minutes: Scouts Canada - 3rd Arbutus Group Committee Meeting

Scouts Canada – 3rd Arbutus Group

Minutes of the Group Committee Meeting

Held Tuesday 7 FEB 2023

In Attendance: Group Committee:

Group Commissioner: Paul Scutt
Group Administrator: Jason Clark
Treasurer: Colleen O’Brien
Secretary: Open Position Jennifer Hannah as acting Secretary
Fundraising Coordinators: Nancy Dombay Bottle Drive Co-Ordinator
Beaver Leader: Darren Cameron
Cub Leader: Matt Hodges-Whittaker
Scout Leader: Al Darragh (regrets)
Venture Advisor: Paul Scutt
Group Youth Commissioner: VACANT

This meeting was called to order at: 6:47 by Jason Clark

Approval of the Agenda: Moved by: Darren Cameron Seconded by: Colleen O’Brien CARRIED

Approval of the Minutes from 4 Oct Moved by: Colleen O’Brien Seconded by: Matt Hodges-Whittaker CARRIED

Standing Reports:

Registrar’s Report:

Beavers:

2023 16 youth
3 Active Scouters
Capacity is at 16
1 on waiting list

Cubs:

2023 16 youth
5 Scouters
Capacity is at 16

Scouts:

2023 12 youth 1 pending youth as double profile in the system
4 leaders
Capacity at 16

Venturers:

2023 0
1 leader
Capacity at 16

1PRC is due Sept for Dave De Bree due in September

Treasurer’s Report: Current account is at a balance of $15948.95

Cheques were written on the general account and adjustments will need to be made to the gaming account.

For reimbursements use the email address

Group Commissioner’s Report: All is going really well with the sections, youth are engaged, having fun and the sections are getting out!

Feb 28th Invasive plant removal with the Town of View Royal

There is an action plan with the youth with behaviour challenges, working with Safe Scouting.

There are two positions available on Group Committee- Secretary and Group Youth Commissioner and other fundraising co-ordinator for Scout Coffee and Scout Seeds, please cascade to your sections to advise

Section Reports:

Beavers- Busy beavers! New youth are attending and investiture coming up. Working towards badges, reviewing plans, PABs and OAS Working on rope work, cooking, hikes, orienteering outdoor survival and fishing
Cubs- doing well, worked on Kub Kars, amazing group of well behaved and respectful youth, badges to be awarded, hike planned an collaborative Kub Kar rally
Scouts- on track for lightweight hiking for 1-2 nights on the JDF trail. Klondike Derby coming up with two groups registered. 17 youth in total of which 4 belong to 1st Arbutus
Ventures- youth moving up to Venturers went through supplies, night JDF hike together coming up and getting prepared for the May Skeeter event in Nanaimo.

Old Business:

Jan Camp Review- went extremely well, section reviews on what could improve: Scouts want marshmallows at the next camp. 1 Safe Scouting incident was logged for youth behaviour and managed well between Scouters, sleeping arrangements worked well, kitchen worked well.

Bottle Drive Review- Looking for more parent engagement with the fundraiser as majority of personnel at the bottle drive were Scouters and Scouter youth. Issue with the BD first week of Jan is getting flyers to parents to distribute, perhaps get out earlier? Also, for next bottle drive, go through the pick up option again rather than the drop off option to cast a bigger net to obtaining the bottles. The youth and parents that attended were absolutely amazing and engaged, thank you!

New Business:

Program Succession: need long term planning on the Beaver Colony recognizing that two Scouters will be moving up to the Cub section leaving only 1 in the role. Cubs are good for this year and next. Scouts are good for the meantime as succession from Cubs to Scouts and movement from Beavers to Cubs. Parent engagement in the Beaver colony, requesting parents to help step up into the Scouter role as a first step.

Camp Gear: There is a backpack in the locker with miscellaneous gear to bring to camps in case youth forget items. This will be part of the packing lists for camps so that youth aren’t at risk of inclement weather etc when they don’t have access to gear, or forget their gear.

Venturer budget and expense needs: MOVED by Jason Clark SECONDED Matt Hodges Whittaker That 3rd Arbutus Group Committee approves the expenses for the Venturer group to help support their lightweight gear purchases up to the $2000 dollar range, costs for budgets came in $1000-$2000 dollars. These purchases are for water purification kits and lightweight tarps. Water purification kits approx. costs per item are at $100 each approximately with a need for 6 and lightweight tarps.

Town of View Royal Grant in Aid application- deadline for submission 1 Mar 2023

MOVED by Jason Clark , SECONDED by Paul Scutt, that 3rd Arbutus Group request a grant-in-aid from the Town of View Royal in the amount of $810 to cover the attendance of six youth at Fall, Winter and Spring camps ($135X6=$630).

Other business:

Open positions: Group Youth Commissioner, Secretary, Other Fundraising Co-Ordinator

Upcoming Events and Dates:

June year end camp choices are Rathtrevor Beach or French Beach, booking system 4 months out. For the June camp, planning for youth and sections to help with the meals and meal preparation building on the outdoor skills.

Meeting was Adjourned by: Jason Clark at 8:53 PM

Next Meeting will be Held: 7 March