Where do we meet?

Our location is negotiated yearly with the City of Spruce Grove. For the 2007-2008 Scouting year, we will meet weekly at St. Joseph's Catholic Elementary School at 195 Weston Drive, Spruce Grove. Cubs meet Tuesday's from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., Beavers meet Wednesday's from 6:30 - 7:40 p.m., and Scout Troop A meets on Thursday's from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Scout Troop B and Venturer's will meet at an alternate location.

How much does it cost?

Registration fees are set each year by Scouts Canada. The registration fee for the 2009-2010 year is $180/youth. In addition, you are responsible for purchasing uniforms and activity books as designated by each section.

Why do bingos?

To put it simply: bingos pay for much of our programming. The registration fee which is paid at the beginning of the year goes entirely to Scouts Canada. We are able to provide all of our programming: crafts, hikes, badges, supplies (tents, canoes, etc.) and all camps and outdoor activities at no additional cost to you. Many other groups must charge for camps and activities, as well as charging weekly fees.

Why can't I just pay a deposit for my bingo and not show up?

We currently charge a $100 deposit per bingo, which is cashed if you do not show up for your bingo. Unfortunately, if we do not have enough people show up for each bingo, we are penalized by the bingo association, and the following year will not have as many bingos allocated to our group. The $100 is far less than what we will earn per person at each bingo, and combined with the loss of bingo dates for the following year, costs us considerably in the end. You are welcome to find an alternate to work your bingo, but we need the bodies at the bingo hall, so you must show up!

Why are there different amounts of bingos required for different sections?

Because of the different types of activities the individual sections do. The cost of the programming for the Beaver colony is less than that of the Scout troop, for example.

What is a Keeo?

Usually an older cub, Keeo is part of the leadership team in a Beaver Colony. He attends program planning and sharing sessions, and takes an active part in colony meetings. He or she is a link between the Beaver program and the Cub program and helps to introduce Cubbing to the Beavers and make the transition easier for them.

What is a Kim?

Kim is the name given to a Scout who is part of the leadership team of a Wolf Cub Pack. A Kim helps with games, crafts, and stories and has usually completed at least one year in the Scout program. He or she is a link between the Cub program and the Scout program and helps to introduce Scouting to the Cubs and make the transition easier for them.

Who was Lord Baden Powell?

Robert Baden-Powell (1857-1941), started the Scouting Movement while serving as an officer in the British army. In 1907, Baden-Powell took 21 boys between the ages of 11 and 16 to Brownsea Island off the southern coast of England. There, he organized them into patrols and taught them some basic self-reliance skills. During the week, they pitched tents, swam, cooked meals outdoors, and learned to track, and tie knots. In short, they "scouted".

Baden-Powell's first installment of Scouting for Boys appeared on January 15, 1908. Subsequently, Scout patrols and Scout troops began to spring up entirely on their own all over the country. By 1909, there were already about 100,000 Scouts.

In 1910, the King of England (Edward VII) asked Baden-Powell to resign from the army and devote himself full-time to the Scouting Movement.

Every year, the week in February that contains Baden-Powell's birth date (February 22, 1857) is called Scout-Guide week.

Why do we use Jungle Book references in Cubs?

Scouting became so popular, that by 1916, Lord Baden-Powell wrote a second book for younger children, called The Wolf Cub's Handbook. The Cub Handbook was based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.

Why do Scouts shake hands with the left hand?

Lord Baden-Powell once met an African chief who greeted him by shaking hands with the left hand. The chief explained that the left handshake was a sign of trust. Why? Because people used to hold their shield in the left hand and had to put it down before they could shake with that hand.