A brief history
Scouting began in 1907 when Lt. Gen. Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell took a group of youth to a camp on Brownsea Island. The Movement was incorporated as "The Boy Scout Association" throughout the Commonwealth by Royal Charter granted by King George V in 1912.
Scouting came to Canada in the spring of 1908 - just months after the book "Scouting for Boys" was published in England. The Canadian General Council of the Boy Scout Association was incorporated by an act of the Canadian Parliament on June 12, 1914. The Canadian General Council was a branch of the Boy Scout Association until October 30, 1946, when it became an independent member of the Boy Scout World Conference. A subsequent amendment changed the name to Boy Scouts of Canada. In 1976 the Scouts Canada logo was introduced and since then Scouting in Canada has become commonly referred to as Scouts Canada.
B.P. wrote to Earl Grey in 1910 to ask him to organize Scouting in Canada. Since that time, every Governor General has been either the Chief Scout for Canada (prior to 1946) or Chief Scout of Canada (after 1946). The current Governor General and Chief Scout is Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean.
Today, more than 25 million youth and adults, boys and girls, take part in Scouting programs in 216 countries and territories worldwide.
Beavers
The weekly section meeting is Tuesday, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. In June the Portland Scout Group will be moving its Beaver program outdoors. During the summer the meetings will begin at the Greater Saint John Community Garden. The young kids will explore nature in Rockwood Park with various outdoor activities while they learn about sharing, sharing, sharing. Ages for this section is 5 to 7 years old, and they are always accepting new members!
Cubs
The Cubs meet every Tuesday night from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. They are presently preparing to plant their summer garden. In June their program will move to the Greater Saint John Community Garden and Rockwood Park for their summer program. They will be participating in three camps over the Summer. The first is Wabaanaki Spring Camp with a "Spy Theme." The second camp is the Provincial Cuboree held at the end of June. Finally our cub pack will go on their own summer retreat later on in the summer. Ages for this section are 8 to 10 years old and are always accepting new members!
Scouts
The Scouts meet every Monday 6:30 to 9:00 PM and are between the ages of 11 to 14. Presently the Scout Program has moved to the greater Saint John Community Garden and Rockwood Park. They will be participating in the several Camps over the summer including Wabanaki Spring Camp, a Bike Expedition and a Wilderness Expedition. The Scout program is currently accepting new members!
Ventures
The Ventures meet every Wednesday night at 6:30 pm with the guidance of an advisor. Currently they are preparing for an attempt to complete the Fundy Foot Path in twelve hours. This expedition will occur in mid-July. Later in the summer the Ventures will be studying to get their Wilderness First Responders certification. The age for this section is 14 to 17 and are always seeking new members for this section in the scouting program!
Rovers
The Rovers are ages 18 to 27 and they meet regularly Wednesday night 6:30 to 10:30 PM. They also have a very active outdoor program. This summer they will participate in a canoe training course. They will visit wilderness trails. If you are interested in these outdoor activities this might be the right section for you, as they are always accepting new members!