“GONE MILITARY”

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13773, 16 October 1942, Page 6

“GONE MILITARY”

TORONTO BOY SCOUTS

ACUTE SHORTAGE OF LEADERS

Toronto. Sept. 4

Boy Scouts of Toronto have “gone military” to prevent curtailment of their activities, as enlistment of 450 Scoutmasters has caused an acu.e shortage of Scout leaders. Although many troops have had to

cancel regular summer camps, thousands of Scouts and Wolf Cubs are solving the problem at Camp A ictory. Operated by the Toronto Boy Scout Association headquarters, activities at this unique Scout centre are designed to encourage, along military lines, self-sufficiency and practical application of scouting. Boys are divided into patrols of 10 with a leader in charge. Each patrol is assigned to a site deep in the bush and supplied with a tent or hut. There it carries on regular camp routine, joining other patrols only for communal ceremonies, councils, and sports programmes.

Buildings and fixtures on this 94acre tract of land a few miles from the City, were built by the boys themselves. They constructed a swimming pool 6 0 feet by 9 0 feet by building a cement dam across Highland Creek and levelling and dredging the bottom of the creek. A typical, first-class journey test requires the Scout to report his observations on a seven-mile overnight journey. He carries all supplies on his back, maps the terrain and must locate seven objectives on a route laid out by the camp supervisor. In addition to regular routine, the programme of events offers modelling, woodwork, drawing, woodcraft, swimming, life-saving, leadership qualifications and stone masonry.