The Carman Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts hit the pathways last week to clean them up.
The local club members spent last week’s meeting outside, picking up garbage along the Carman pathways. One of the Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts mandates is to give back to the community and care for the environment, so cleaning up the walking paths in town made perfect sense for the group.
The Carman group is made up of 19 members of varying ages. The Beavers consist of children between the ages of five and seven, while the Cubs include those aged eight to 10 and the Scouts range from 11 to 14 years old. Additionally, there are Venturers for those aged 15 to 17, Rovers for individuals between the ages of 18 and 26, and volunteers who are at least 14 years old.
Carman’s program season starts every fall in September, going until the end of June when every Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts organization across Manitoba (anywhere from 400 to 600 children) gets together at Birds Hill for a wind-up.
The group’s main objective is to educate children on outdoor skills, foster a deep appreciation for nature, and integrate them into the community. Lynne Melvin, the group commissioner, previously had her own children enrolled in the program during their formative years and is dedicated to maintaining its presence in Carman.
“It’s so good for so many kids,” she said. “We do all kinds of stuff. It’s a great program for kids with an interest in the outdoors.”
Children in the Carman Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts program learn and play when in the group. They learn to build fires, build a shelter, tie different kinds of knots, administer basic first aid, work as a team, prepare for a hike, and more. Scouts Canada has four key elements: youth-led, plan-do-review, adventure, and SPICES, with six program areas:
– Environment and outdoors
– Leadership
– Active and healthy living
– Citizenship
– Creative expression
– Beliefs and values
Last week, the group emerged from the bushes with over 10 full garbage bags during their litter pick-up. The next day, an empty cup was spotted on the paths and Melvin shared that the Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts were disheartened to hear this after all their efforts in cleaning up the area.
The Carman Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts meet weekly for 1.5 hours from September to June. They’re always accepting registrations, which is $250 for the entire year, and are always looking for leaders to help facilitate the program. For more information on how to get involved, go to www.carmanbcs.ca.
