News and Announcements

What's New

  Emergency Planning Challenge - New Mar 17th, 2009.

  Announcing Scouting University 2009 - New Mar 17th, 2009.

  Next Area Meetings Scheduled - New Mar 12th, 2009.

  Kub Kar Rally / Scout Truck Rally Announcement - IMPORTANT Mar 5th, 2009.

  Beach Blast Tickets Available - Reminder Jan 16th, 2009.

  Announcing Area Cuboree 2009 - Feb 6th, 2009.

  Changes to Wood Badge Requirements - Reminder Jan 30th, 2009.

  Leader Courses Scheduled for 2008-09 - Jan 22nd, 2008.

  Join Scouts Worldwide to Celebrate Earth Hour - Jan 21st, 2009.

  Beach Blast Tickets Available - Jan 16th, 2009.

  Welcome to 1st Fort Saskatchewan - Dec 11th, 2008.

  Does Your Group Need a Webpage? - Dec 10th, 2008.

  Spring Thaw Camp 2009 - Dec 4th, 2008.

  Beavers Have a Hoot! - Dec 4th, 2008.

  Area Scout Activities 2008-09 - Nov 26th, 2008.

  New Emergency Preparedness Badges - Oct 10th, 2008.

Emergency Plannng Challenge

Scouting Life Magazine announces the Emergency Planning Challenge. Launched as a means to encourage Beaver, Cub and Scout sections to try the new Emergency Preparedness Jumpstarts, this contest offers $3000 in Scout Bucks to be presented to five different Sections across Canada.

Leaders can take a look at the following materials:

• Scouting Life Magazine Article "Take the Emergency Preparedness Challenge"


• The Contest Poster


• Challenge Notes for Section Leaders"


• Cub Award Badge Requirements


• Scout Badge Requirements

The deadline date for all contest entries is April 21st. Refer to www.scouts.ca/ep for more details and resources.

Scouting Life Magazine Mar 17th, 2009

Announcing Scouting University 2009

Learning from Fellow Scouters

Announcing Scouting University 2009. What is it?

Scouting University 2009 is a day of personal development, training, and fun for Scouters! And it is unique to Northern Lights Council.

It is a day of training, offered by experienced Scouters, that can help you achieve WoodBadge One, or broaden your understanding about different elements within your youth program. You will be able to choose from over 15 different classes that include campfire programs, knife safety, Pioneering Projects, Outdoor Survival, and more.

Scouting University is scheduled for Saturday, April 18th, 2009. The cost is $20 and includes up to seven different classes, lunch, a commemorative badge and participant binder. In order to ensure that your desired class is available, you need to pre-register. A list of courses is now available so you can get an idea of how things will be organized.

You can refer to the Scouting University Website for more details.

Scouter Garth Fitzner, Scouting University More Info Mar 17th, 2009

Area Meeting Scheduled for April 4th

The next Area Scouter's Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 4th from 10 am to 3 pm and will be held at the Scout Adventure Centre - 14205 - 109 Avenue.

The meal will be a potluck lunch. We will provide coffee, water and juice.

The agenda will be provided soon.

May 9 will be the Area Workshop. There will be sessions for Group Commissioners, Administrators, Registrars, Treasurers, and Secretaries.

Please RSVP Tony or Virginia as soon as possible with numbers that are coming. Have a great day.

Tony and Virginia Mar 12th, 2009

Kub Kar Rally

Scout Truck Rally

Announcement

The Kub Kar rally planned for 14 Mar is being postponed to 18 Apr due to the difficulty of finding a location to conduct it. With the new regulations with regards to Mall contracts, the Northgate Mall was "not feasible". We are still seeking alternative locations and hopefully will identify one soon.

This will obviously affect the Scout Truck Rally scheduled for the same date.

It is requested that Packs that are still interested in participating contact Ray Dunn. Scout Troops still interested are asked to contact Cecil Mills.

We apologize for any inconvenience this has created.

Scouter Ray Dunn, DAC Cubs, Buffalo Plains Area Mar 5th, 2009 New

Beach Blast Tickets Available

This is just a friendly reminder that the West Edmonton Mall Beach Blast 2008 is scheduled for Saturday, Apr 18th, 2008 from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

$8 advance tickets are available from the Scout Office (while quantities last! Price at the door will be $10. Leaders ... look at our brochure for a ticket order form if you want to reserve a block of tickets.

Northern Lights Council Jan 16th, 2009 New

Area Cuboree 2009 Announced

Buffalo Plains Area and Western Trail Area will hold a combined Cuboree, 29-31 May, 2009.

Here are the available details:

Cuboree Plan:   Buffalo Plains & Western Trails 2009 Cuboree - includes registration form and activity schedule.
Map:   Cuboree 2009 Map

Please contact Ray Dunn at 478-0155 if you have any questions and to advise him if your Pack is planning to attend.

Yours in scouting

Scouter Ray Dunn, DAC Cubs     Jan 23rd, 2009 New

Changes to Wood Badge Requirements

We want to remind you that in the fall of 2009, the returning members who do not have WBI in their section cannot be registered until they have their WB1. This goes for Group Commissioners also.

At the council training meeting, the returning leader who is going into another section in the fall was discussed. This person will be treated as a new leader in the fall and will have 3 months to take the appropriate training(council requirement). The leader right now should be taking the appropriate section training for what they are registered in. i.e. if they are with the Cub section right now, they need to take the Cub WB1 this spring.  This should clarify the questions from the area meeting.

Commencing the new scouting year, September 2008, all new Leaders and Group Commissioners are required to take their WB1 training within 12 months, with a Strong Preference to have them attain their WBI within the first 4 months.

Other than the Group Commissioners, Group Committee members are not "required" to take the Group Commissioners WB1 course. However, it is recommended that the Group Commissioners strongly encourage their team to do so.

For all Section Leaders and Group Commissioners who are at present, in Scouting but have not completed the requirements for their WB1's, they must have it completed and the proper paper work done by March 31, 2009, and in at the Adventure Centre.

Please refer to "WoodBadge Requirements for Leaders" for additional details.

Scouter Tony Lovell, Area Commissioner, Buffalo Plains Area  Jan 30th, 2009  Revised

Leader Courses Scheduled for 2009

This list is to give leaders an idea of what coursses are being scheduled for remainder of the 2008-09 scouting year:

• Archery Range Master Certification - Edmonton - Mar 10, 11, 17

Scouter Tony Lovell, Area Commissioner, Buffalo Plains Area   Jan 22nd, 2008 Revised

Join Scouts Worldwide to Celebrate Earth Hour

Earth Hour is an initiative that started in Sydney Australia in 2007 with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning their lights off for one hour. In 2008, only a year later, this event had become a global sustainability movement with up to 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome's Colosseum and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

An 'Earth Hour' was organised by young people from Singapore at the World Scout Youth Forum in Korea. Scouting is linking with WWF (World-wide Fund for Nature) to support Earth Hour in 2009.

At 8.30 p.m. Saturday 28 March, Scouts and their families in their homes, offices and communities will be encouraged to switch of their lights for one hour. As this initiative was introduced by the members of the World Scout Youth Forum and as the environment is of particular interest to young people, we would like this to be a youth led initiative. We would like you to empower young people at all levels in your association to share this information, encourage Scouts to be ambassadors for Earth Hour and encourage their families, friends and other members of their community to be involved in this initiative.

More information on the WOSM web-site at http://www.scout.org/information_events/news/2009/earth_hour.

Thanks so much.

Northern Lights Council & Scouts Canada   Jan 21st, 2009

Beach Blast Tickets Available

This is just a friendly reminder that the West Edmonton Mall Beach Blast 2008 is scheduled for Saturday, Apr 18th, 2008 from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

$8 advance tickets are available from the Scout Office (while quantities last! Price at the door will be $10. Leaders ... look at our brochure for a ticket order form if you want to reserve a block of tickets.

Northern Lights Council Jan 16th, 2009 New

Welcome to 1st Fort Saskatchewan

We want to welcome 1st Fort Saskatchewan Group as the first Scout Group to request a Group webpage on our website this year. It took less than 72 hours and few emails to make this available to the 1st Fort Saskatchewan Scout Group. We even added a photo gallery to their page and links to their "Beaver Owls" article.

If you want to get a webpage for your Group, please contact our Area Webmaster.

Scouter Tony Lovell, Area Commissioner Dec 11th, 2008 New

Does Your Group Have a Webpage?

How you can get one!

If your Group doesn't have the expertise to build a Group website, the Area Webmaster can create a dedicated webpage for you.

A dedicated Group webpage can provide an online point of contact between your leaders and your parents.

Take a look at some current examples:

• 1st Fort Saskatchewan Scout Group
• 2nd St. Albert Scout Group

Is it difficult?
No. All you need to do is contact the Area Webmaster and ask for details on how to get a dedicated web page. He will send you an email asking for some information, and ask which layout your Group would like to use:

• Sample A1 - Uses stock photos for Sections
• Sample A2 - Uses stock photos for Sections and Group Contact List at the bottom of the page
• Sample B1 - Uses photos of Leaders provided by the Group for Sections
• Sample B2 - Uses photos of Leaders provided by the Group for Sections and Group Contact List at the bottom of the page

If you can provide a collection of digital pictures and a small write up, we can even create a photo-gallery article and/or a photo-gallery on your Group webpage. Take a look at 1st Fort Saskatchewan Scout Group and their "Beaver Owls" article. Depending on the amount of work, it usually takes about a week to get a Group webpage built and uploaded to our public website.

Don't be left out ... get your Group online soon!

Area Webmaster Dec 10 6th, 2008 Revised

Spring Thaw Camp 2009

Attention all interested Scouting Groups

Planning for the Spring Thaw Camp has started. Here are some details:

Camp Dates: - June 5-6-7, 2009
Location - Tree Farm north of Pigeon Lake
Attendees: - Scout Patrols (Challenge Camp) & Venturer/Rover Crews as Offers of Service

Planning for the next Spring Thaw camp will begin in December. If your group is interested in sending your scouts or venturers/rovers, then you should send a representative to the planning meetings.

Further information regarding the camp will be found on the website www.albertascoutingevents.com as we get closer to the camp date.

All meetings will be held at the Scout Adventure Centre meeting rooms in Edmonton.

Planning Meetings - the following schedule of planning and registration meetings for Spring Thaw will be:

• Dec 2 (Tue) 7:30-9:00 - Executive & General Planning meeting
• Jan 6 (Tue) 7:30-9:00 - First main planning meeting (all interested groups)
• Feb 10 (Tue) 7:30-9:00 - Second planning meeting (all interested groups)
• Mar 10 (Tue) 7:30-9:00 - Activity Coordinators & Venturer/Rovers meeting
• Apr 14 (Tue) 7:30-9:00 - Third planning meeting (all interested groups)
• May 12 (Tue) 7:30-9:00 - Final planning meeting & Camp Registration Deadline

See you there. YIS

Scouter Peter C. Wong
Camp Registrar, Spring Thaw 2009
(780) 487-7099 home
(780) 907-7219 cell

Scouter Peter Wong, NLC Dec 4th, 2008

Beavers Have a Hoot!

In November the 1st Fort Saskatchewan Beavers hosted an amazing presentation on owls. Mr Ray Cromie is a retired teacher and his lifelong hobby has been banding owls.

The presentation was filled with lots of interesting facts, owl calls, stuffed owls and a highlight was been able to see and even touch a live barred owl. Everyone in attendance most certainly learned something new about owls - oh we had a HOOOOT !

Scouter Joann Dewart, 1st Fort Saskatchewan Beavers   Slide Show   Dec 4th, 2008

Area Scout Activities 2008-09

This is a revised list of planned Area Scout activities for rest of the 2008-09 year. Please note any changes in your troop plans:

• Cancelled due to lack of registrtions - Bush Camp Challenge - Sandy Lake Recreation Area - Dec 6, 2008
• Area Scout Truck Rally - Northgate Mall - Mar 14, 2009
• Area Pelletry Triathlon Camp - Andrew Scout Reserve - July, 2009
• Area Canoe Training Camp for Youth - Chickakoo Scout Camp - July 27-29, 2009

Please contact Scouter Cecil (478-9184) if you have any questions.

Yours In Scouting.

Scouter Cecil Mills, Area DAC Scouts Nov 26th, 2008 Revised

Scouts Canada Announces New Emergency Preparedness Badges

Scouts Canada has announced the introduction of the Emergency Preparedness Award for Cubs and the Emergency Preparedness Badge for Scouts.

Working closely with Emergency Management Ontario (EMO), these new badges focus of skills and knowledge needed to plan and prepare for surviving the first 72 hours of a devestating emergency.

Read Program Resources: Emergency Preparedness for more details including links to other websites to assist leaders with preparing exciting and challenging activities to allow cubs and scouts to earn these new badges.

Scouts Canada Oct 10th, 2008