The last remaining scout club in Penticton called on 38 of its members to get creative on Saturday, April 30 — and competitive with each other, too.
For the first time since March 2020, 2nd Penticton from Scouts Canada held an indoor gathering, one that involved kids aged 5 to 22 building miniature cars for a day of racing inside Concordia Lutheran Church and School.
The series of races, better known to the children as the Beaver Buggy, Kar Club and Scout Truck Rally, ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“This gives kids an opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in their groups,” said Jacinda Pownall, a representative from 2nd Penticton and Scouts Canada. “The older kids have been helping the younger ones all day long, so it’s been great for leadership and to have everyone back together.”
Boys and girls scouts were given the challenge of constructing their own miniature cars and trucks ahead of the group’s first indoor gathering in over two years.
Results from each race were projected on the gym’s wall in real time, with prizes like gift certificates, snorkel sets and silverware up for grabs for the top finishers.
Lunch for the day was provided by IGA, who donated granola bars and provided sandwiches for each of the kids.
2nd Penticton has lost 60 per cent of its members since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Pownall. But Saturday’s gathering sparked optimism for many of the group’s leaders, who are hoping better days are ahead for dozens of Penticton-based scouts.
“It’s nice to reward those kids today who managed to stay with us this whole time,” Pownall said. “We like putting events on for the kids, so hopefully it will attract more memberships.”
It wasn’t that long ago when 2nd Penticton was one of many scout clubs in the city. At its peak almost 25 years ago, there were 10 different scout-based groups.
Today, there are 16 leaders and 52 kids that make up the only Peach City scout club.
More information about the program can be found at myscouts.ca
READ MORE: Volunteers across South Okanagan recognized with pancake breakfast in downtown Penticton