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

You're Invited to the B-P Torch Parade in Morinville

We will be holding a B-P Torch Parade in Morinville on Wednesday,
Feb 25th, 2009. The time to arrive is between 6:00 pm to 6:20 pm. we will meet at the Parish Hall and start the parade at 6:30 there is ample parking at this hall. As for the torches they could be made from what ever will burn, we use about a 3 inch stick with the end wrap in burlap soak with wax.

All Beavers will have glow sticks or Flash lights only please.

I have outlined the route and it could change depending on the amount of people attending. At 6:30 we will follow this route and then end up at a dead end street where there will be a large fire pit to start our fire. I was thinking that every group could do a song and cheer.

As this should take an hour it should be around 7:30 and we can walk across into the hall and gather for Hot Chocolate and cookies.

I would like to have some kind of number of people attending back to me ASAP. You can call me at 939-7338 (evenings) or email me at bbachand at edmkw.com

While you are considering if you want to attend, take a look at the fun we had during our 2008 Torch Parade.

Yours In Scouting.

Scouter Bob Bachand, Group Commissioner of 1st Morinville Scout Group Feb 7th, 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 Feb 6th, 2009 New

Invitation to Celebrate BP's Birthday

Come celebrate Baden-Powell Week at our Scout's Own and Campfire Munchies

The 25th Christ Scout Group is hosting a Scouts Own and a Campfire on February 22 that we are inviting all Groups within the Edmonton Areas to attend. Every Group that expresses an interest in attending will be able to contribute to the
program.:

Where: Christ Church, 12116 102 Ave, Edmonton
When: Saturday, Feb 22, 2009 - 3:00 to 5:00 pm

Please consult our invitation brochure for more details on the activities..

Scouter John Simpson 25 Christ Church Scouts Jan 30th, 2009 New

Scouts Canada is Having a Party

Come celebrate Baden-Powell Week at our Open House

Northern Lights Council is hosting an "Open House" to celebrate B-P's birthday:

Where: Adventure Centre, 14205 109 Ave, Edmonton
When: Saturday, Feb 28th, 2009 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Cost: Free

We’re opening the Adventure Centre doors and inviting everyone to join us for our third annual open house. There will be activities, crafts, prizes and snacks.

For more information and to volunteer, please contact Caitlin at 454-8561 ext. 236 or 1-800-480-2054.

Caitlin Heffernan, NLC Jan 23rd, 2009 Reminder

Rabbit Hill Scout Ski Trip - Mar 7th

Northern Lights Council holding Rabbit Hill Scout Ski for youth, volunteers and friends is scheduled for Saturday, Mar 7th, 2008 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Tickets are available from the Scout Adventure Centre (while quantities last): $15 for youth and $20for adults. We encourage you to book as soon as possible so you will not be disappointed. We are asking Section Leaders to distribute copies of the Rabbit Hill Scout Ski brochure to all scouting families.

Thanks so much.

Kim Fuoco, Northern Lights Council Jan 23rd, 2009

Area Cuboree 2009 - Planning Meeting

Buffalo Plains Area and Western Trail Area will hold a combined Cuboree, 28-31 May, 2009.

The first planning meeting for the Cuboree is scheduled for:

Where:   Ray’s home – 15223 96 Street, Edmonton
When:   Wednesday, Feb 4, 2009 starting at 7:00 PM
Points for Discussion:    Activities, campfire, Scouts Own, Sat meal, Theme (neing considered is "SURVIVOR", funding, and administrative points.

Scouter Jim McAllister (1st Gibbons Group) has volunteered to act as Assistant Camp Chief.

To gauge interest in the Cuboree, it is requested that all Packs advise if they are planning on attending or not attending, those attending are requested to provide an approximation of numbers – Cubs/Leaders/Scout and Parent Helpers.

As in the past, Beavers moving up to Cubs this year are allowed to attend.

If Packs are planning on participating but are not able to attend this first meeting please advise Ray Dunn at 478-0155. Also, advise also if you are willing to take on one of the events.

Scouter Ray Dunn, DAC Cubs Jan 23rd, 2009

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

Beaver Winter Games 2009

The BPA Beaver Winter Games 2009 event itself will be held on Saturday, March 7th, at the Lacombe Clubhouse (Larose Park) in St. Albert. We invite you to view the photo gallery for the Beaver Winter Games 2008 to see the fun the Beavers had last year.

Groups will be asked to have their Beavers design the BWG badge again, the same as last year, so start getting your Beavers thinking about a design. Deadline for badge submissions will be January 30th. See below for details:

Location: Lacombe Clubhouse (Larose Park) in St. Albert
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009
Times: 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm
Registration Fee: $10/youth or Keeo (no charge for leaders)
Registration Deadline: February 20th (absolutely no walk-up registrations at the event site)

Events: 7 Activity Stations

Theme: International Polar Year

Trophies: Each participating Colony is asked to make a trophy from their Colony to exchange with another Colony. Thus, every Colony wins a trophy.

The BWG badge for this event is to be designed by Beaver youth. Colonies are encouraged to get their youth to design a badge incorporating the theme and our scouting event. Submissions should reviewed by each Group’s Beaver Leaders and the top three emailed in a jpg file to: Jennifer Smith at - (jsmith dot partylite at gmail dot com) our BWG ’09 Event Coordinator.

Badge Design Deadline: January 29th

All leaders, be sure to read the Leader Information closely. It was evident last year that some leaders did not read the rules or share this information with parents, which caused problems, and non-registered siblings being turned away at the event registration desk. This is embarrassing not only for event organizers, but more so disappointing to the youth with the expectations of participating. This is not a Scouting message we wish to give to children.

Any questions or concerns should be directed to Jennifer Smith (email above) or Rockford Lang (rockfordl at shaw dot ca). We look forward to your participation making this another extremely successful event for all our Beavers. YIS

Scouter Rockford Lang, Group Commissioner 12th St. Albert January 19th, 2009

WoodBadge One Training

Leaders & Group Committee

WoodBadge One for Beaver, Cub, and Scout leaders and Group Committee members is being offered in Edmonton in February. See below for details:

Location: Baturyn Community Hall, 10505 - 172 Avenue
Dates: February 7th and 14th or 28th, 2009
Times: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cost: $55

    Feb 7th: Module 1, 2 and 3 for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Group Committee
    Feb 14th: Module 4 and 5 - Beavers and Cubs
    Feb 28th: Module 4 and 5 - Scouts and Group Committee

Registration Deadline: January 31, 2009

Notes: Bring bag lunch. Coffee, tea, juice and snacks provided.

Scouter Tony Lovell, Area Commissioner January 17th, 2009

Devon Winter Challenge Camp

I would like to pass on a few words about our Winter Challenge camp. Held the second weekend of February, postponement -18 Celsius for 3 weeks. Scouts, Venturers and Pathfinders welcome. If Rovers wish to help out, they are welcome to come also. This is our 28 year for the camp. Devon Lease land. Self contained camp, I think it is $25 registration fee just to cover expenses.

Registration information can be found at: http://nlc.scouts.ca/bcm/nlc/nlc-website.nsf/AllDoc/E1173E1F8BFDCC2B872574E80078E615?opendocument

Scouter Warren Friesen,1st Devon Group Jan 17th, 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

St. Albert ~ Morinville

Kub Kar Rally 2009

Cubs and Leaders from St. Albert, Morinville, Vegreville, and Fort Saskatchewan are schudeled to gather during the second weekend of February to compete in the local Kub Kar Rally 2009:

Where: Grandin Mall, St. Albert
When: Saturday, February 7th, 2009
Time: Registration starts 9:00 am; Opening ceremonies 10:00 am; Closing 2:15 pm (approx)
Registration Fee: $7 for cubs and all are asked to bring a food donation for the St. Albert Food Bank. Deadline is January 30th with full payment.
Dress: Full uniform with sash.
Rules and Information: Rally Rules and Information
Registration Forms: Registration Information

If you are looking for a Kub Kar idea, you can check out "Off-road Racing Jeep" from Scroll Saw Magazine.

Digital cameras are welcome at the Rally. Best of luck to all competitors. Contact Scouter Gerhard Beckman beckmanng at ecsd dot net.

Scouter Gerhard Beckman, 2nd St. Albert Cub Pack Jan 16th, 2009

1 Day Winter Training Course

Buffalo Plains Area will be hosting a ONE DAY Winter Training course at the Adventure Centre on Jan 31st, 09; 9:00 - 16:00. Participants need to bring their own lunches and a mug and clothing for outdoor sessions. There will be space for 20 people, the course cost is $5.00 per participant. Drinks will be provided.

Please contact Scouter Cecil @ 780-478-9184 ASAP.

Scouter Cecil Mills, DAC Scouts Dec 23rd, 2008

Next Area Meeting

Hello everyone:

PLEASE MARK THIS ON YOUR CALENDARS

Activity:   Buffalo Plains Area Meeting
Date & Time:   January 24, 2009 from 10 AM - 3 PM
Location:   Adventure Centre

Group Commissioners will receive Group Commissioner Appointment certificates. All leaders are welcome to attend.

RSVP - by January 20, 2008 call - 780-478-0979 or Cell 780-975-1123

Scouter Tony Lovell, Area Commissioner Dec 23rd, 2008

New Group Commissioner for 2nd St. Albert Group

Hello everyone:

We want to welcome Jerry Veldhuis as 2nd St. Albert's group commissioner. We are looking forward to working with Jerry.

Thank you to Scouter Greg Cowan for the all the hard work as Group Commissioner for 2nd St. Albert. We wish you safe journey and are looking forward to you returning in April as a leader.

Scouter Tony Lovell, Area Commissioner Dec 16th, 2008

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:

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

Golden Arrow Registrations Due

Leadership Training for PLs/APLs

It symbolizes an undeviating course. It indicates the path to follow. It's the arrow?for years the symbol of leadership. Come see why. Sign up for a weekend of instruction, activities, challenges, and fun to assist you, the Patrol Leader or Assistant Patrol Leader, to manage the running of your patrols. Start your year off with Golden Arrow Leadership Training!

Registration deadline is Nov. 30th. If you want your scout PL's and APL's to receive some excellent training please consider having them attend this event. The September course was full and had people on the waiting list. However, not everyone who was on the list then can make it to the next event for one reason or another. Now we need more participants to sign up in order to make sure we have enough to run the course. Refer to the brochure and registration form.

Scouter Garth Nov 20th, 2008

Excellent Canadian Website Award 2008

Our Third Website Award

Our web site received the Excellent Canadian Website Award from Canadian Web Awards in October 2008.

This award is presented to websites that are "Canadian Friendly", that are informative, unique and beneficial to Canadian viewers. Our website underwent an extensive evaluation that lasted over 6 months. We are pleased to display our latest achievement.

We invite you to visit our Website Awards page to learn about the other awards our site has received.

Scouter Gordon Welling, Area Webmaster Oct 21st, 2008

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

Leader Courses Scheduled for 2008-09

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

Outdoor Basic Skills - Devon - Oct 18
Archery Range Master Certifications - Edmonton - Oct 18
WoodBadge I - Edmonton - Nov 6, 7, 8
WoodBadge I - Edmonton - Nov 8-9
Archery Range Master Certification - Edmonton - Nov 12, 13, 19
WoodBadge I - Leduc - Nov 15-16
Pelletry Range Master Course - Edmonton - Nov 22
WoodBadge I - Edmonton - Jan 17-18
Archery Range Master Certification - Edmonton - Jan 20, 21, 27
Pelletry Range Master Course - Edmonton - Mar 7
Archery Range Master Certification - Edmonton - Mar 10, 11, 17

It has come to our attention, from the Council trainer, that the date for having to complete the WBI for renewing leaders has been extended into the new year (see Changes to WB Requirements for more details), until March 2009. Please make sure everyone knows the dates of the WBI and knows they will have to have the WBI then.

Scouter Tony Lovell, Area Commissioner, Buffalo Plains Area Oct 10th, 2008

2008 TELUS Children's Christmas Play in Edmonton

A team of TELUS employees have volunteered their time to put on a children’s Christmas play for the children of TELUS employees, and now for Scouts as well. They offer a fun, interactive show for children aged 5 to 12 at $5 per ticket.

To order tickets please contact myself at the number listed below:

Selena Smith
Scouts Canada - Northern Lights Council
780-454-8561 (day)
780-451-5333 (evening)

Selena Smith, NLC Oct 7th, 2008

First Aid Training for Venturers and Section Leaders

Course:   Standard Level C with a child and infant component and a 2-person CPR component.
When:   Oct. 25 & 26 - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day
Where:   Grandin Clubhouse, St. Albert
Cost:   The cost is $80 per person.
Payment:   Payment can be by cheque, or cash, paid on the first day of training. Cheques to be made out to Gerald Lutness. Receipts will be provided.
Trainer:   Mr. Gerald Lutness, St. Johns Accredited Trainer
Who:    Any registered leaders and registered Venturer youth (only)

Training is limited to adults and Venturers. Registration cut-off date is October 17, 2008. All materials for the course will be purchased on Oct. 20th, therefore, any individual cancellations after Oct. 19th will still be charged for the cost of the training materials. There is a minimum number of registrations required for the training course to go forward.

Leaders and Venturers wishing to register for this course should email Rockford Lang at "RockfordL at shaw.ca" confirming your intent to register with your name, Group Name, and your telephone contact information. Participants will be required to bring their own bag lunches and water bottles (there is no refrigerator on site). Coffee will be provided.

Registered course participants will be sent a map to Grandin Clubhouse after the registration cut-off date. If you have any questions please contact Rockford, 780-994-2123 (cell) or 780-459-6949 (Res).

Rockford Lang, Group Commissioner, 12th St. Abert Scout Group Sep 27th, 2008

Mad Trapper's Camp 2009

Information & Meetings

The planning meeting for the next Mad Trapper's Camp (2009) is starting in October. This winter scout camp has been very popular in past years but the paces are limited. Usually those groups who attend volunteer their leaders to run the activities or take on other major camp tasks. By the first meeting, the camp generally gets filled and further groups who are interested go onto the waiting list.

The camp is limited to only 180 scouts & leaders, 30 venturer assistants & the camp executive & staff members due to the number of cabin bunks and dining room space available. Camp fees will be around the $45-$50 range for all campers which include all scheduled meals at camp.

If your group is planning to attend the 2009 Camp then you must sent a representative to the first planning meeting and be prepared to take on an assigned camp task and planning for that activity. Deadline for registrations and payments will be December 1 for pre-assigned groups (i.e. those groups who's leaders are responsible for planning and executing the major activities/tasks for the 2009 camp).

After December 1, other groups may begin to register their youth & leaders. Those complete group registrations (must include full payments) will be accepted on a first come-first served basis until all remaining camping spots are filled. All registration documents and payments must be received by the Camp Registrar at a planning meeting or by mail at the address below.

Please note the following timelines for the planning meetings and the camp dates:

First Planning Meeting (open to all interested groups)October 8, 2008 Wed. 7:30 PM at Scout Adventure Centre (basement meeting rooms B & C)

Second Planning Meeting November 26, 2008 Wed. 7:30 PM at the Scout Adventure Centre (basement meeting rooms B & C)

Third (final) Planning Meeting & PL/APL Meeting January 14, 2009 Wed. 7:00 PM (note earlier start time for final meeting) at the Scout Adventure Centre (basement meeting rooms B & C)

Camp Weekend at Camp Maskepetoon & Camp Wohelo February 6-7-8. 2009 Friday (after 6:30 PM) to Sunday (2:00 PM close)

For additional and future details about camp, please check the Mad Trapper's Camp pages on the website at www.AlbertaScoutingEvents.com

Any questions or inquiries about this camp may be directed to:

Scouter Peter C. Wong, Camp Secretary & Registrar Sep 22nd, 2008

EPSC Fall Fix-Fest 2008

17 - 19 October 2008

The Ernest Poole Camp Committee Needs your help!! It takes a number of volunteers to help prepare the campsite for the winter season as well as make much needed improvements.

Over the past couple of years, several projects have been initiated to enhance the camping experience at Ernest Poole. Many of these enhancements have been the direct result of feedback received from our members. Without additional help, the Ernest Poole Camp Committee can only accomplish so much. Please come out and help us make the camp better for you and your youth.

As this is a working camp, the time can be used towards any badges or awards that require service hours.

Please contact Ken Ell at (780) 473-0452 if you have any questions or need further details. Please register with Ken or through the Council Office if you plan on attending so that we can design a work schedule that will provide us with the most bang for our buck! If you have any special qualifications, i.e. plumber, electrician, drywaller etc, please let Ken know so that we can put your talents to the best possible use.

Details will be posted as they become available.

As a token of appreciation for your participation in Fall Fix-Fest 2008, all camping fees for the weekend will be waived AND Saturday night’s meal will be provided free of charge. We’ll even cook it for you!!

Northern Lights Council Sep 15th, 2007

Area Meeting Scheduled for Sep 27th

The area meeting is scheduled for September 27th from 10 am to 2 pm.

The location will be Scout Adventure Centre - 14205 - 109 Avenue.

Bring a written report of contact names and contact info (phone numbers and email addresses) for group and sections.

Topics for discussion:

Area and council youth events
Woodbadge 1
Communicating between Group and Sections, and between Area and Groups
Your Concerns
2 PM talk with new Group commissioners

For those of you who havent sent in your registration packages, bring them as the deadline is in just a few days

Potluck lunch - 12 noon. Please email by September 25 numbers that are coming. Have a great day.

Tony and Virginia Sep 16th, 2008

Scouts Canada Website Goes ORANGE !

The Scouts Canada website has recently gone under the knife again and this time has emerged with a new look and feel. Switching from the earth-tone greens of last year, the website now uses bright colours and light backgrounds, and a similar organized menu system to easily locate what you are looking for.

In a somewhat nasty shock ... all of the URLs for the Scouts Canada website have changed because the site switched to using a new content management system. As a result, if you have documents or webpages that use the old URLs, users will be redirected to the home page of the new site. We have gone through our website and corrected all of the URLs so they should work again. If you spot a broken link on our website, please contact us so we can fix it.

After looking through the revised site, I am pleased to report that all of the content from the previous version was retained. Parents can locate guides and other referential material under "For Parents ", Leaders can find material under "For Scouters " and the material for each of the youth programs is found under "For Youth" but you will have to select the desired page from the menu.

Happy surfing!

Area Webmaster Aug 28th, 2008

St. Albert Registration Day

for 2008-09 Scouting Year

Attention all scouting parents in St. Albert. An early registratiob day has been organized to provide you the opportunity to register your sons and/or daughters for the coming scouting year.

Location - St. Albert Centre (NW parkng lot)
Date - Saturday, August 9th, 2008
Times - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Early registration fees will apply for this registration event.

Contact your Section Leader or Group Commissioner for more details. Blank 2008-09 Application Forms and instructions are available our new "How to Join" page.

Scouter Rockford Lang, DAC BeaversNew July 28th, 2008

Early Registration Available

for 2008-09 Scouting Year

Your Scout Group may be accepting early registrations for the 2008 - 2009 Scouting year. For "Early Registration" you can submit a youth application to your Group Registrar before August 22nd and you can pay the 2007-08 registration fees:

Youth - $160
Adult - $0 (fee paid for by Council)
Family (3 or more youth) - $380

Contact your Section Leader or Group Commissioner for more details. 2008-09 Application Forms and instructions are available our new "How to Join" page.

For Group Executive early registrations applications must be entered in MMS by your Group Commissioner or Group Registrar before August 29th, 2008. Group Registrars can download the Early Registration Package which includes the 2008-09 Registration Cover Sheet and instructions for MMS.

Please contact the Council office if you have any questions.

Scouter Tony Lovell, Area Commissioner July 23rd, 2008

Changes to Wood Badge Requirements

Commencing the new scouting year, September 2008, all new Leaders and Group Commissioners are required to take their WBI 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 WBI 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 WBI's, they must have it completed and the proper paper work done by June 30, 2008, and in at the Adventure Centre.

If it is not possible to have the completed forms in before June 30, 2008 to the Adventure Centre, they may be "grandfathered" to the 2008/09 Scouting year. This would give them to November 30, 2008, to complete their requirements on the previous training system. To get the approval of the Council to "grandfather" a Leader or Group Commissioner, the Group Commissioner shall contact their Area Commissioner and make the request. The Area Commissioner, when they approve of the request, will write a letter requesting that the training of the Leader/Group Commissioner to be "grandfathered". The Area Commissioner will then forward the application to the Council Commissioner for final approval.

There are two exemptions attending the WBI. The first is the exemption for Module l. A leader who has already taken WBI or taken Module 1 of a different course, may be exempted from the requirement of taking Module 1 again. This exemption is approved by the DCC Adult Development and Team. The second is the exemption from any other Module, (2 to 5) of the WBI for Sections, is on written application from an Area Commissioner, and approved by the Council Commissioner.

A Leader or Group Commissioner who fails to take the necessary training within the prescribed time limits will cease to be a Leader or Group Commissioner until the training is competed.

The purpose of these changes are to improve Performance Support, Risk Management, Competence, Commitment, Connections that lead to Retention of Adult Volunteers and better Scouting for more youth.

Woodbadge Course Training Materials

These documents contain the curriculum and associated materials developed for Woodbadge Part I courses for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers:

Colony Woodbadge I Training Standards (Version 1.2)
Pack Woodbadge I Training Standards (Version 1.2)
Troop Woodbadge I Training Standards (Version 1.2)
Company Woodbadge I Training Standards (Version 1.2)
Woodbadge I Background Information For Leaders

These documents contain the curriculum and associated materials developed for Woodbadge Part I courses for Group Commissioners:

Woodbadge Self-Help Resources

In keeping with our VRAD process (Volunteer Recruitment and Development), we are pleased to provide the following “self-help” resource. It has been developed to assist new leaders with the Woodbadge I Course. This resource, although comprehensive, may NOT contain all the detailed information available through the use of all Scouting resources within a section. It will, however, provide the information that is needed for a leader to function effectively at the weekly section meeting.

National Executive, Scouts Canada Revised June 23rd, 2007