Members from the 2nd Innisfil Scouting Group need the community’s help to raise funds for their trip to British Columbia where they will attend this year’s Pacific Jamboree. How can you help?
By eating pancakes.
Enjoy the group’s Flapjack Frenzy on Friday, June 14 at St. James United Church in Stroud (2230 Victoria St.) from 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is $10 per person.
Scouts will be preparing the meals, which include pancakes, sausage and a fruit cup. Tea, coffee or juice will also be served. Husband and wife duo, Dan and Amanda Udhe, who form Beauty Uhde’s, will perform live music for the event.
David Brennan’s sons, Nathan and Skyler, will be among the roughly 3,000 participants at this year’s jamboree, which takes place July 6 to 13 at Camp Barnard in Sooke, close to Victoria, B.C.
As the registration fee is about $550 and airfare is about $800 per person, David told InnisfilToday that the Scouts have hosted multiple fundraising efforts to assist with costs associated with next month’s trip, which included a Krispy Kreme doughnut sale, several bottle drives, a garage sale table at St. James and a FlipGive online fundraiser.
“This fundraising supper will be the final fundraiser before the youth go to (the jamboree),” he said.
Fourteen people associated with the 2nd Innisfil Scouting Group are travelling to B.C. This includes five Scouts — Nathan and Skyler Brennan, Lucas Ellingson, Jason Uhde, and Riley Yates — four Venturer Scouts (who are older than Scouts at 14 to 17 years old) — Ethan Bruder, Aidan Munro, Keifer Vanderzwaag, and Daniel Weichel — and five volunteers, called Scouters — David Brennan, Candice Ellingson, Stephen Yates, Mike Weichel and Rebecca Slade.
“This kind of opportunity may happen only once in their lifetime, and will be remembered fondly,” David said. “Interacting with youth their own ages who are also in Scouting from across the country and around the world can be an amazing experience. Attending a jamboree allows them to participate in adventures that are not available to them locally here in Ontario, and can be specific to the region they attend.”
“This is my first time going on a big Scouting adventure for longer than two nights,” Jason Uhde said. “I am most looking forward to experiencing all the new things that will be available to me. This is also my first time going on a plane.”
“Being on the west coast of Canada for (the jamboree) provides opportunities to explore the ocean, as well as the West Coast Trail, among others,” David explained.
“I am excited to go ocean kayaking,” said Nathan. “It is one of the extra adventures we will be doing. I have been kayaking before, but never in such a big kayak, nor in the ocean.”
“It is my first time going to a major jamboree with the Scouts,” Skyler said. “I am looking forward to being in Sooke to make memories and meet new people at the jamboree.”
In addition to a wide range of outdoor activities, Scouts can also participate in badge trading. Slade designed a crest for the 2nd Innisfil Scouting Group to trade during the jamboree. Lucas, who looks forward to trading badges, as he finds it interesting to get some from different places, said: "It is fun to trade for different and unique badges."
“I was a Venturer Scout as a teenager and was lucky enough to travel to the expo in Vancouver and New Mexico for a two-week desert survival course because of Vents,” Mike Weichel said. “I remember those trips vividly and will always cherish those memories. Giving the opportunity to the youth to have those kinds of experiences and make those memories is why I volunteered to attend.”
Venturer Scouts will be attending to provide adventures and programming in support of the younger Scouts.
Mike explained that since Venturer Scouts are nearing post-secondary education, the time they can devote to the Scouts organization is nearing its natural conclusion. He said they are excited to travel to a place they’ve never been while meeting new people from different places.
“Canadian jamborees run approximately every four years, while World jamborees happen every four years,” David explained. “The locations of jamborees vary, such as hosting the Olympics … The last Canadian jamboree was in 2017, while the last Pacific Jamboree was in 2019."
“As for the World Jamboree, it was last held in 2023 in Saemangeum, Republic of Korea. The next ... will be in 2027 in Poland.”
Members of the group — formerly 1st Alcona and 1st Stroud — have participated in World jamborees in West Virginia, Japan and England. “This is the first time to our knowledge that our youth will be attending a Pacific Jamboree,” David said. “The support of the community is vital to help local youth have experiences not readily available to them. Many youth may not be able to attend without the community's support. It will be the first time travelling across the country for some youth."
Once the Pacific Jamboree concludes, the youth will be spending extra time exploring Vancouver Island and the Victoria area at their own expense before returning home.
“The youth of this community are also the future of this community. These youth will grow to become future leaders, who can then share their experiences, and perhaps help other youth to have the same experience in return,” David said.
“This fundraising supper is a great opportunity for these youth to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses for the jamboree. Also, who doesn't like pancakes?”
Tickets for the Flapjack Frenzy can be purchased at the door, or in advance by contacting David at [email protected].
