The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Living Phone: 905-337-5560 Fax: 905-337-5571 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.comOakville celebrates 100 years of scoutingBy Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFcouts Honour. Weve all heard itand we can see Scouts Honour: 100 Years of Adventure in OakvilleSas the Oakville Museum exhibitsalutes the 100th anniversary of scouting intown.Whether a Beaver, Cub or Scout, earningbadges or going camping, its all part of theadventure that is as appealing today as a century ago.Thanks to the efforts of Denise Powell,the Oakville area commissioner for Scouts Canada, scout leaders like resident Bob VanDriel and Oakville Museum curator Carolyn Cross who is no stranger to scoutingherself the story of local scouting isbeing told.A display of relatively modest square footage in the former Erchless Estate that was once home to Oakvilles founder William Chisholm, records the uniforms, badges, even jamboree menu fare of the last 100 years.Double doors that lead into the exhibitare covered in the artistic creations of young Beavers, who have committed to paper what the adventure today is like at itsstart.Scouting now, however, entails Beaver MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVERColonies, Cub Packs, Scout Troops, MUSEUM DISPLAY: Scouting memorabilia, including uniforms, badges, sashes and books, are currently on display as part of the Oakville MuseumVenturer Companies and Rover Crews.exhibit Scout's Honour: 100 Years of Adventure in Oakville.The package can provide fun-based The movement was incorporated as The Scouts representatives not only enables theinstruction in life skills to those from theSince Frank H. Chisholm's singleBoy Scout Association throughout theexhibit to record historical perspective, but ages of five to 23 years.Commonweatroop in 1911, Oakville Scouts havelth by Royal Charter grantedattempts to tell the story of scouting in Its a movement that is global and one wby King George V in 1912.Oakville.hose roots are well entrenched.maintained a strong and meaningful There is evidence that a few Scouting Included in the weaving of that yarn are Today, more than 620 youths arepresence in the community.groups started up in Canada in 1907.uniforms and memorabilia that has comeenrolled in scouting in Oakville a num-The Boy Scout Association was incorpo-from numerous sources, all of which are ber thats quite respectable, said Powell.Oakville Museum curator Carolyn Crossrated by an act of the Canadian Parliament donations for the exhibit, according to vol-The dozen or so local groups include:on June 12, 1914. unteer Andrew Douglas.19th Oakville and 3rd Trafalgar; 7th responsibility through the same wasLord Baden-Powell visited Canada inSince Frank H. Chisholms single troop Trafalgar; 1st Glen Abbey and 8th Oakville;extended to the founding of the Beavers in1919.in 1911, Oakville Scouts have maintained a 2nd Oakville; 9th Oakville Trafalgar; 11th 1972 in Ontario, a response to the demand OaBy 1926, Oakville was opening its Scoutstrong and meaningful presence in the kville; 1st AFC, 12 Les Aigles dOakville;for a pre-cub and scout activity for those Hut (formally renamed the Alec Phillipscommunity, said Cross.1st Trafalgar; 2nd Glen Abbey; 4th Trafalgar;under age 8.Memorial Scout Hall in 1985 (Phillips had This exhibition has lots of hands-on 1st Bronte; 20th Oakville and the Halton Each of the groups within the scouting Mjoined Oakville scouts in 1912 at the age of activities such as knot tying, animal track-edVenturers and Medical Rovers (a first-movement upholds a law, such as Be 12 and remained involved for most of hising, guessing the age of a tree and a surviv-aid focused group for those considering Prepared or Sharing, sharing, sharing.mlife)).al game. It should be lots of fun for the edical careers).Each employs volunteer leaders andTo this day, however, the building at 165whole family, said Cross.In Oakville, the local scouting move-those in the succeeding scouting group tomRandall St. is still called the Scout Hut. It also features flags, sashes, even a gen-ent was founded in 1911 by a Chisholmlead as role models for those younger.Local contractor Thomas Blakelock who uine wolfs head totem used by the 2nd family member, Major Frank Herbert First and foremost, its fun, said Van donated $2,308 worth of materials towardsOakville Troop.Chisholm.Driel, assistant district commissioner of the Scout Hut and the Town of Oakville Local scouts first met in the old Town Scouting first came to Canada in 1908.community development and a Glen Abbeydonated the land.Hall, but when it burned they moved to aAccording to the Scouts Canada website,venturers advisor.Scout Hut is where local Scouts still get garage on Colborne Street (now Lakeshore Scouting began in 1907 when Lt. Gen.Van Driel said the planning of the their uniforms, books and other equipment.Road) and later to the Whitaker BuildingRobert Stephenson Smyth Baden-PowellOakville Museum exhibit through collabo-The involvement of young boys in chal-on Colborne Street.took a group of youths to a camp onration between its curator and the localSee Scouting page 13lenge and adventure as they learnedBrownsea Island in England.www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, March 18, 2011 12