Campfire trouble

AMHERST - Remember when Scouts did good deeds, helped friends and neighbours, shared stories around the campfire and just enjoyed being kids?

Well, they still do, but now more than ever they are in need of adult guidance in the form of leaders and a dwindling supply of volunteers is placing the local scouting movement in jeopardy.

"The interest is still there among the children to be in Scouts, but we're having a difficult time recruiting new leaders," Amherst and area service team member Terry MacDonald said. "Getting kids is no problem, finding adults to be leaders is a problem."

MacDonald is urging interested adults to come forward to keep a century-old institution alive in this community.

From 300 children several years, numbers declined to 30 last year in one Beaver colony and one Cub pack. There was no Scout group in Amherst last year with area children going to the next nearest club, in Fenwick.

MacDonald would like to see a Scout group reformed in Amherst but added it's going to take the involvement of parents and adult volunteers.

"The problem finding adult volunteers centers around how much time people have. There are a lot of single parent families in the area and a lot of potential leaders just don't have a lot of free time," he said. "We need parents and other dedicated adults to help offer adventure and education to young people. It's something that only takes 12 to 14 hours a month."

MacDonald is suggesting anyone who enjoys working with young people would enjoy Scouts and he hopes that former Scouts would come back as leaders and share the experiences they gained coming through the movement.

All potential volunteers are screened and training is provided through Scouts Canada.

For further information, or to volunteer, come to registration or contact area commissioner Ralph LeBlanc at 667-8498 or MacDonald at 667-0572.

dcole@amherstdaily.com