We, the members and supporters of Scouting in Beaver Valley, do hereby request that control of local Scouting be returned to local volunteers. We feel this to be the only way Scouting will be sustainable in our community. WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? NO GROUP COMMISSIONER ALLOWED At the current time, and for the past two years, we have been without a GROUP COMMISSIONER (GC). Our Acting GC lives in Powell River, BC (not in our Council) and all suggestions, for local volunteers (5 in the last 2 years) to fill this role, have been rejected by Scouting management. Without a GC, we are also unable to have a functioning Group Committee, which puts a high level of pressure on the local Scouters and parent helpers for fundraising and marketing. NO AREA COMMISSIONER SECURED At the current time, and for the past 18 months, we have been without an AREA COMMISSIONER. Our Acting Area Commissioner lives in Powell River (same person) and any efforts by Scouting management to fill this role locally have been unsuccessful. NO LOCAL TREASURER AND NO LOCAL BANK ACCOUNTS Our local Beaver Valley treasurer has been fired without cause or explanation. Instead we have been assigned a treasurer from out of town and the bank accounts for both the local Scouting group and our local 80 year old Camp Tweedsmuir have been taken out of the community and placed in Castlegar, a difficult problem for access for local volunteers, particularly in winter months. We raise the money locally, but we are not allowed to spend our ourselves. LOCAL VOLUNTEERS FIRED WITHOUT CAUSE Several volunteers in Beaver Valley/Trail have been removed from Scouting without cause, explanation or opportunity for appeal. These actions are in violation of Scouts Canada Policy and Procedures. Several of these people are active, engaged volunteers with children currently active in Scouting. HOW ARE WE DOING? We have a robust Scouting program in Beaver Valley. We have 3 active sections (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts) with approximately 40 registered youth & 15 leaders and parent helpers, this is a 17-20% growth rate over last year, one of the highest in Cascadia Council in BC. We have an active and engaged Baden Powell Guild, with 15+ members, offering support to local Scouting. These people with many years service in Scouting are often told they cannot be involved. We have a highly successful annual Scouting summer camp initiative at Camp Tweedsmuir that will run its 4th year this summer. Last year we had 39 registered youth & this year, we anticipate having as many as 50 youth in the program. The program will run for two weeks instead of one this year. HELP SAVE BEAVER VALLEY SCOUTING!! LOCAL CONTROL = SUSTAINABLE SCOUTING