Among my countless fond memories as a young boy, growing up here in Ponoka was of those cherished adventures as a member of the Cub and Scout groups. As buddies we got to go to camp and mingle with nature, learn about our environment, carve a whistle out a branch, work hard to earn our badges, were taught to respect our parents and our community and so much more.
The history of scouting is a long and exciting one, beginning in 1907 when Lieut. General 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. There is evidence that a few scouting groups started up in Canada in 1907, with the Canadian General Council of the Boy Scout Association being incorporated by an act of the Canadian Parliament on June 12, 1914. Governor Earl Grey assisted Baden Powell to organize scouting in Canada in those early years, and since that time every Governor General has served as the chief scout of canada.
The First Ponoka Group has a long history
On a certain evening in Sept. 1949, a group of young boys gathered in the St. Mary’s Anglican Church Hall to revitalize the local Boy Scouts, as well as to organize a Wolf Cub Pack for the younger set. The original Charter had stated that the local Boy Scout Troop had been initially formed in August of 1921, and had enjoyed their energetic activities at the Anglican Church, upstairs in the Town Hall, and at the arena until the first official hall was built.
Present for the re-organizational meeting of the youth movement was provincial commissioner Holloway, former local leader Mr. O. Dodds, Edmonton Sea scout leader Hooper, and new community leader Mr. Bill Savage, who had just arrived in Ponoka from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Over 60 parents and prospective young members also attended the enthusiastic gathering, and the group would start the following week with 15 Cubs and seven Scouts ready for adventure.
The official Log of our First Ponoka Group of Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs was filled with exciting indoor/outdoor activities and amazing member growth during those first ten years. Community fundraising events always included a float and marching in the annual Wednesday, May 24th May Day Parade, the sale of apples, hosting an annual Saturday afternoon tea with their parents at the old Elk’s Hall on Chipman Ave., entertainment concerts, the gathering and repairing of old toys and books as an annual Christmas good turn for those in need, and so much more.
In the spring and summer all the boys and their leaders always looked forward to camping out at Camp Woods near Sylvan Lake. Each and every day would be busy with swimming, carving, games, boat rides, learning all about nature, practicing knots and many happy hours of sitting on large logs or stones around the roaring campfire. It was here among nature’s finest that we learned how to cook, all about succeeding with teamwork and how to survive while sleeping in tents or makeshift lean-tos in all weather conditions. Our parents were only allowed to visit on the weekend, where we showed off the skits we had learned and the stars and badges that we had earned for safety, first aid, cooking and all kinds of other neat challenges. There were also family picnics and campouts at Jack Fish Lake, with fishing, games, staying up late and getting up early to cook a hardy breakfast for our whole family using the utensils that we had made for the occasion.
Another real treat came once a year when all the Cubs and Scouts gathered with their dads for the annual Father and Son Banquet at one of the local halls. As well as a good feed of beans and spuds there would be a great evening of awards, games, singing around the campfire and proudly displaying our always-unique woogles. A big milestone for the Ponoka Cubs and Scouts and the community took place on Jan. 17, 1953 with the opening of their first spacious (60 by 40 foot) club house at the Central playground. By 1954 the ranks had grown to 65 Cubs and 34 Scouts under the great leadership and encouragement of Bill Savage, Earl Roberts, Vic Mayled, Ellis Moore, Mrs. Lyons, Mr. Copens, Mr. Taylor, Mel Harris, Arnold Stretch, Wayne Gee, Al Brekke, Al Clarke and many others.
Wayne Gee was honoured as Ponoka’s first Queen Scout in May of 1952, and others that would follow in the mid-1950s included Douglas Mah Poy, Ronald Thomson, Ronald Massing, Eric Schmidt, Gordon Stretch, Lorne Lyon, Dennis Fredrickson and Gordon Taylor. With the great success of the Scouting organization throughout Canada and the world, hundreds of Scouts were given the opportunity to attend World Scout Jamborees in many locations. In 1955 the Ponoka Scout Troop would send Eric Schmidt, Lorne Lyon, Gordon Stretch, Dennis Fredrickson and leader Bill Savage to a magnificent Jamboree at Niagara On The Lake.
Many more traditions and programs for new age groups of both boys and girls have been added to the Scouting movement over the years, and we will continue with more stories and pictures of this exciting progress in future Reflections features in the Ponoka News.