Area Commissioner Report

Coho Area Conference – Saturday, Nov 6

We are planning a conference next fall of all Coho Groups’ Leaders, Youth Reps, Group Committee members with the Coho Area Service Team. Please begin planning for this now, and “talk it up” with your members. The day promises to be fun, but also exceedingly practical.

The day will begin with a keynote speaker and plenary session. Thereafter, each “team” will break out and meet to discuss its own challenges. Draft agenda on page 7. 

A Change in Coho Area Commissioner

After a year as your Area Commissioner, I have been asked, and have accepted the position as Council Commissioner for the Fraser Valley Council. On Tuesday, June 8^th, I was invested as such.

A search team has formed, heading by former Area Commissioner Wendy Williams. She is accepting recommendations for the Area Commissioner role, and so if you have a suggestion, please send it to her (at wendy.williams@telus.net). 

I will continue to serve as your Area Commissioner until such time as we have a replacement, and will continue to work towards planning for the fall. And so I’m not quite leaving yet.

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Training

Family Woodbadge I Training Weekend

September 17^th to 19^th

The next Residential Training Camp is scheduled for September 17 to 19^th, 2010, at Camp McLean. This is the opportune time to get your new leaders out and trained, as well as any that have slipped through the cracks. Group Commissioners (and Group Committee members) who have not yet received GC training—this is your opportunity.

Training Update

·        The Coho Area will be putting on a Woodbadge I course on in January 2011.

·        Adult Development I (ADI) training will be offered in the fall. Please look for scouters who would be good candidates as trainers, and put their names forward. This is an ideal way to keep a leader who is “retired” from his or her section connected to scouting and to your group.

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Training for Youth

 …will start up again in the fall. Next scheduled is Focus Training, Oct 22 to 24 at Camp McLean.

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Section News: All Sections

Fraser Valley Council Year End Camp, June 18^th – 20^th

Camp McLean is 45 year old this year! The Area Youth Council is hosting a Year End Camp. This is an opportunity for Scouts and Venturers to get involved, to run stations, and to have a lot of fun by being on the Service end of things. We look forward to seeing those groups who will be attending this weekend.

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Section News: Pack

Summer Cub Camp

The summer Cub Camp program is shaping up very nicely. This year promises to be a lot of fun and are fantastic opportunity for cub activities, skills, crafts, a trip to the Water Slides, a visit from the fire department and much more. Encourage your cubs to attend.

No member should be excluded for want of camp funds. If this is an issue for a youth, please get in touch with the Area Commissioner.

http://fraservalley.scouts.ca/cubs/documents/CubYouthApplicationForm2010.pdf

Call for Adult Volunteers

Cub Camp thrives because of adult volunteers. This, too, is a fun way to spend a week. Cub camp welcomes youth (Venturers and Rovers) and adult Scouters. If you can’t offer an entire week – please don’t rule yourself out. The link (above) has application forms for offers of service. We have a handful of roles – and this includes rules that don’t require full-time (or even any) attendance at the camp – for adults. Cub leaders, parents of youth, please get in touch with Jim Bryce.

Coho at the Cub Camp

There are special roles for us at Cub Camp this year. Coho Area is responsible for clean up at Cub Camp on Saturday, August 14^th. May we please ask for a volunteer (or a volunteer party) from several groups to help out? Many hands make light (and fun) work. Please contact Melvin Chan, Quartermaster with names of volunteers. (marvinthemartion@gmail.com)

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Section News: Troop

Chief Scout Award Recipients

Congratulations to Coho’s Chief Scout Award recipients for 2010:

Ø      Naomi Cheng (18^th Coquitlam)

Ø      Harry Liu (1^st Port Coquitlam)

Ø      Liam Shirley (1^st Glenayre)

Ø      Sean Deheer) (1^st Glenayre)

Ø      Thomas Evoy (1^st Glenayre)

Ø      Colin Carr (5^th Port Coquitlam)

Ø      Andrew Dombowsky (1^st Port Moody)

Sincere congratulations to you all!

Camp Hyack

We had about 135 scouts and leaders representing groups from New Westminster, Burnaby, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Surrey, Langley, White Rock and Lynwood WA, and another 20 or so Beavers, Cubs, parents and leaders for the day on Saturday (a record for recent years). On Friday evening the Sapperton Fish and Game Club hosted an evening of firearms safety instruction and .22 target shooting. On Saturday we participated in the Hyack International Parade, went swimming at Canada Games Pool and had a pumper truck demonstration by the New Westminster Fire & Rescue Service. In the evening we had a rousing campfire at second base.  (Thanks, Graham Ballentyne).

Summer Scout Camp

As with last year, we are planning a week long Summer Scout Camp. Details to follow. For now, we can tell you that it is scheduled for August 1^st to 8^th.

Camp Kickoff, Sept 2010

Please make sure that your troop is planning to attend at Camp Kickoff next fall, Oct 1^st to 3^rd at Camp McLean.

Coho is running “Basic Skills”

Coho Area is charged with putting on the “Basic” skills – ka the first year program. Larry Hansen will has generously offered to head up the Basic Skills at Camp Kickoff. Troop scouters -- expect him to call you. Please help out as you can.

PJ11, July, 2011 – Registration Now Open!

Every scout has to experience a Jamboree. There is nothing like it in the scouting experience! Provincial Jamboree 2011 (“PJ11”) might be more than a year away, but the time to plan for it (and to raise your funds!) is now. It will be held from July 9^th to 16^th 2011 at Camp Byng on the Sunshine Coast. http://www.pj2011.ca/

At this point, troops should be fundraising for PJ, and getting their registrations in.

PJ11 Offers of Service are now open. Register at the same website.

World Jamboree

Are any groups planning on attending the World Jamboree? 1^st Port Moody Venturers are looking to put a group together to form a contingent. Please get in touch with them if you’re interested.

The World Jamboree in 2011 will be hosted by Sweden. http://www.worldscoutjamboree.se/

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Section News: Company and Crew (Graham Ballantyne)

Amory Adventure Award Recipient: 1st Port Moody

The Amory Adventure Award has been awarded to 1^st Port Moody this year! Members presented the details of their adventure – hiking the West Coast Trail, followed by the Juan de Fuca Trail – at the Semi Annual General meeting on June 8^th.

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Youth Report – Tamara and Erica

Youth reps have little to report, except to remind all groups that we want to ensure that every group has a Youth Rep. We will be working on this in the coming year.

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Quartermaster

The City of Coquitlam has rebuilt our Area Storage room. This is a perfect opportunity to purge a lot of stuff that the Area really doesn’t use – and that perhaps your group could. We have a number of tents that could find a good home, just to use one example. When the call comes – help us move back into the locker – and put your group’s name beside anything that you need (and that we don’t).

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Recognition – Celinda Williams

Recognition Challenge

This year 143 awards were presented across the Fraser Valley Council. It has been a very successful year in regards to recognizing youth and leaders throughout the council.
 Many of these 143 awards went to youth receiving their Commissioner's Commendation. Sadly, very few of Coho's youth were recognized this year. So here's your challenge to start early in the scouting year to get your youth written up!
My thanks to those that submitted recognition writeups this year. And to those that didn't, consider your youth and leaders and recognize them for the hard work they do for scouting.

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Environment

In cooperation with the City of Coquitlam and part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean up week, Coho Area Scouting and the 40^th Canadian B-P Guild are organizing an invasive species cleanup day on Saturday September 25^th, 2010 of the Coquitlam River.

 

This free event will run from 9 am to 12 noon and is for all ages of Scouting – pre-registration is required.  The day will involve hands on activities, education, introduction to Project Wet, handouts and not least….lots of fun and fellowship.

 

Please come and be part of the solution – contact Scouter Jim Pound before you break for summer if your group plans to attend with an estimate of numbers to help us plan the day.

 

Scouter Jim at hjamesp@yahoo.ca        604 944-1332

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Registration

Early Registration

Early registration should be in full swing in your groups. There is, again, a pretty significant financial incentive to register your members early.

§         Fees are $120 for completed membership forms with payment, if submitted before June 30^th , and $150 afterwards.

§         Early registration fees for Volunteers are $55, and $65 after June 30^th.

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Public Awareness Opportunities upcoming

With the spring and warmer whether comes more community gatherings – and more opportunities for Scouts to promote ourselves.

Highland Games: June 26^th. The Highland games are held on Saturday, June 26^th. They have asked if we can provide some assistance on Friday, June 25^th to set up tents and chairs. Please contact Ken Pepin (cohoac@telus.net). We are looking for help.

Canada Day – Can we see if there are groups and individuals that can spearhead awareness at respective Canada Day activities

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Guild Reports

Next Year, the Provincial AGM will be held in conjunction with the National Guild AGM here in Port Moody and will be hosted by the 40th B-P Guild

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Worthy of our Support

Ride to Conquer Cancer

Brent Jordan, Scouter, 1^st Ranch Park

Funds raised in The Ride to Conquer Cancer will support breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care made possible through the BC Cancer Foundation.

http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Vancouver2010?px=2143597&pg=personal&fr_id=1331&fl=en_US&et=Dc2jKPMa0WEIVrNW6_8DjA..&s_tafId=189631

Ride to Conquer Cancer

Graham Ballantyne, DAC/Senior Sections

I'm so grateful for your support in the past, whether or not you're able to provide support this year. But I really hope you will be generous once again. You've already made a difference, and I hope you'll consider helping to get us even closer to conquering cancer in 2010.

Please visit http://grahamballantyne.com/ridetoconquercancer, where you can find a link to my donation page (also at the bottom of this message) and see photos & videos from last year's ride at. Thanks so much for your support!

Team Diabetes

 Joe Hooker, Scouter, 1^st Anmore

I have joined Team Diabetes, a team of people from across Canada who will be crossing the finish line together and who have raised funds to support the more than 2 million Canadians living with diabetes.  I will be on the course of the Marathon - Reykjavik, Iceland - Aug 21/2010. https://ocp.diabetes.ca/pledge/cspledge.asp?prId=td&oId=11942618&tId=10824

Are you doing a good turn?

We’ll make a place for you on our web page and in our newsletter. Please let me know.

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Want Ads

Deputy Area Commissioner/Treasurer

Effectively record, maintain, plan and explain all financial matters pertaining to the Area. This position requires someone with a basic understanding of accounting principals, but does not have to be an accountant. As a member of the Coho Area Service Team, you are expected to attend the monthly Service Team meeting. The position should require about 4 hours a month.

Please contact the Coho Area Commissioner if you think this position would be of interest to you.

Group Commissioner, 12^th Coquitlam

This is a well established scout group with Colony, Pack and Troop and serves the neighbourhood at the east end of Austin Ave in Coquitlam.

The Group Commissioner is the principle point of contact for the Group and assumes the leadership of the Group Committee. The Group Commissioner may delegate the responsibility for chairing the Group Committee meetings to the Group Administrator but still retains the responsibility of accountability to the Area Commissioner for the Group’s overall well being. The Group Commissioner is a member of the Coho Area Service Team. The position can require about 12 hour of time each month.

Please contact the Coho Area Commissioner if you think this position would be of interest to you.

Group Commissioner, 5^th Port Coquitlam

This is a scout group with a long history in the Port Coquitlam area. It is working to re-establish a Colony and Pack, but has a vibrant Troop, Company and Crew. 5th PoCo serves neighbourhood at the west end of Prairie Ave in Port Coquitlam.

The Group Commissioner is the principle point of contact for the Group and assumes the leadership of the Group Committee. The Group Commissioner may delegate the responsibility for chairing the Group Committee meetings to the Group Administrator but still retains the responsibility of accountability to the Area Commissioner for the Group’s overall well being. The Group Commissioner is a member of the Coho Area Service Team. The position can require about 12 hour of time each month.

Please contact the Coho Area Commissioner if you think this position would be of interest to you.

Deputy  Area Commissioner/Growth

This is a new position, focusing specifically on volunteer and youth recruitment. This individual may have a marketing or management background. As a new position, the definition of this post is still being refined. Does this interest you, or can you nominate someone who might be interested? Please contact the Coho Area Commissioner.

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Upcoming  Coho Area Service Team meeting

Area Service Team meeting (Service Team and Group Committee members. Others are always invited)

The next Coho Area Service Team meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 17^th, at 1945h at the Coquitlam Scout Hall. The theme is “Goal Setting”. We’ll be asking for your groups goals, and will collectively work towards Area goals.

Coho Area Conference

We discussed the Coho Area Conference on Page 1. Here is the suggested agenda.

Proposed Agenda

0800 Registration and Breakfast

0900 Introductions and Keynote Speaker

0950 Break

1000 Plenary Session

Ø      Youth Retention, Section Quality and Growth (Ken Pepin)

Ø      How to use media effectively (Craig Hodge)

Ø      …other topics…

1200 Lunch

1300 Break out session (topics are being collected now)

Ø      Group Commissioners

Ø      Treasurers (and Fundraising members)

Ø      Registrars

Ø      Youth Reps

Ø      Troop Leaders

Ø      Pack Leaders

Ø      Colony Leaders

What you can do to prepare?

Ø      Suggest topics for either the Plenary, or breakout sessions

Ø      Ensure that your Group plans for the event.