One day, I was playing with my friends Donald and Jonathan in my downtown Toronto neighbourhood. One of them said that they were going to Cubs that night and that it was cool and that I should come. I followed them down a lane, over a high chain link fence, which I was at first reluctant to climb, and into the basement of St. Barnabas Anglican Church. I was seven years-old and about to become part of a movement that has influenced my life ever since.
I recall the magic of the jungle ceremonies that began every meeting at 187th Toronto Wolf Cub Pack. We would emerge from our lairs and chanting "We are the White Six" as we formed the circle. We pledged to the Old Wolf that we would Do Our Best. I don't actually recall my investiture ceremony, but I do recall earning my first star. I didn't know what colour tawny was, but I was sure happy to wear the Tawny Star on the shoulder of my grey Cub shirt.
My first camp was in November or December of 1984 at Woodland Trails in one of the lodges. I remember a monks meal that we had at dinner on Saturday. One utensil lost each time one said anything. By the time dessert came around, few had anything left with which to eat the ice cream. The faces of some of them were long covered in spaghetti sauce. I played the police officer when my six did the Arty-chokes skit.
That spring, we went to Oba-Sa-Teeka Scout Reserve and camped out in tents. I recall playing a great predator and prey game where we had to try to sneak up on Chil when they wasn't looking.
I summer, I went to Adventureland camp for a week. It was a terrible experience. The staff seemed to have no idea how to handle my allergies, minor as they were. They also didn't get the concept "non-swimmer" and so I sat on the edge of the pool each day during swimming instead of being taught how to swim. The staff yelled frequently and made us run laps around the campsite for any infraction, real or imagined. I hope things have changed there since 1985. The camp was not entirely a bad experience. I did learn how to throw a Frisbee.
My family and I moved to Ottawa in November 1985 and I quickly found the 32nd Ottawa Wolf Cub Pack, again through a friend. I dug in with earning badges and participating in the pack's activities. I became a Sixer the following year. I lead my Six to winning the Mink's Tail, given for the most points during a month, several times during the year.
In the fall of 1987, I was invested into the 32nd Ottawa Scout Troop and remained active with that troop, in various capacities, for the next nine years. I was in Wolf Patrol during my first year. My first Scout camp was an area camp at Otter Lake in Quebec. One of the activities was a pioneering project to build a bridge. I have loved pioneering ever since. A couple of years later, we built a large tower at National Capital Region's Alert camp. The troop was very active. We went to an area camp and a troop camp during each of fall, winter, and spring. We went to the Scouters' Club Klondike Derby each year.
I enjoyed working on our troop's entry in National Capital Region's soap box derby. During several meeting in the winter, some of the Scouts would go down to Scouter Dave's basement carpentry shop to work on the car. We had to ensure the steering and break systems were in top shape for the race. One year, we took the car as a special exhibit at an antique car show and won a trophy in the special exhibits category. Our soap box car was a sleek yellow racer car. The senior Scouts also had a car. It was a black hearse with a doorknob as a figurehead on the hood.
In my second year in Scouts, I was Assistant Patrol Leader of Moose Patrol. It was a small patrol, but we were all always there. Our troop did frequently of hiking on the Rideau Trail, which runs between Kingston and Ottawa. It usually rained on the hikes, but that was part of the fun. Especially the time we got lost in the swamp until two people on motor bikes found us. They told Scouter Jack where we were, and Scouter Jack came to get us in a large pickup truck. Scouter Jack usually drove a small rusty green car that we called the JackMobile, surely a title of affection.
We went to CJ'89 in Prince Edward Island that summer. Four troops rented a school bus and drove for two solid days to get there. I had kept my uniform on during the trip while most had taken it off. Scouter Kristina, from the 17th Ottawa, complimented me for doing this, saying that doing so showed the Scouting Spirit.
I completed the Voyageur Scout badge at CJ. It was presented on the ferry ride home. After that, the Chief Scout's Award was in sight for me and I was invigorated. I started my third year of Scouts as Patrol Leader of Ram patrol. Shortly, however, I joined two senior Scouts in Eagle patrol. One of these, Cameron, and I worked together towards the Chief Scout's Award with Scouter Fred. That spring, we took two days off of school to go on an Adventure for Gold which would complete many of our remaining requirements. We had originally planed to fly in to a remote lake in Quebec, but we were unable to find a pilot willing to attempt a landing in that lake. Instead, we surveyed the scene a few days beforehand from the air and went in by four-wheel-drive. We camped the first night on a terraced piece of rock overlooking the lake.
The goal of our adventure was almost reckless. Scouter Fred, Cameron, and I were to run a wild, narrow, white water river in an aluminium rowboat. It was really fun, though we left lots of aluminium behind on the rocks. That night, we had corned beef hash for dinner at our camp in the field of a farmer friend of Scouter Fred's.
We borrowed a motor from the farmer for the third day. The river was quiet now and we were soon in a large lake. We took the boat across to one of the far islands to set up camp. We fished for most of the afternoon then retired to camp to bake muffins in a reflector oven to go with dinner.
Cameron and I were presented with the Chief Scout's Award on May 27, 1990 by General John de Chastelain, then Chief of Defence Staff.
The following fall, I joined the 17th Ottawa Venturer Company. The Company made venison stew for an Area Scout Camp that year. I have never peeled so many potatoes in my life! Most of the other member of the Company had been in Venturers for several years and, since they were busy with school, the Company had only a few camps during my first year.
The next fall, the Company moved to the 32nd Ottawa, a new bunch of people came up from Scouts, and I was elected president. We embarked on a number of projects including a survival weekend. We went camping on Mount St. Patrick one weekend in late fall bring as little stuff as possible. I didn't bring a sleeping bag. Instead, I used a short piece of rope to lash together a rake which I used to gather a large pile of leaves. I slept in the centre of the leave that night wrapped in a tarp. The leaves were a really good insulator. Next time, I would position logs next to me to keep the leaves from sliding off me during the night. I awoke several time cold and since the leaves had settled to the side of me.
Continuing with the survival theme, we later went on a weekend hike through the bush with a map, but no compass. First we did a big circle, then we found where we were going. It was a fun trip and being woken up by the cows the next morning was neat. This was one of the final requirements for the Outdoorsmen Award which led me to completing the Queen's Venturer Award. It was presented on June 12, 1994 by The Honourable Mr. Justice Frank Iacobucci of the Supreme Court of Canada.
In late 1993, I was contact by a Rover who wished to restart the 32nd Ottawa Richard the Lion-Heart Rover Crew. Since I was near the end of my time in Venturers, I joined the Crew and became the Scribe at its first meeting that December. Scouter John Ficner was named Chancellor (Adviser). I completed my squireship and was knighted on March 23, 1994.
| 187th Toronto Necker | |
| 32nd Ottawa Necker | |
| 17th Ottawa Necker | |
| Scouts Canada National Necker |  |
| Gilwell Necker |  |
| UW Rover Crew Necker |  |
| 10th Waterloo Necker |  |
| 20th Waterloo Necker |  |
| 21st Waterloo Necker |  |
| Canadian International Necker | |
