236 Scouts Toronto - Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Ven

The 236th had been to a number of Jamborees, '85 Cdn. National Jamboree in Guelph, '89 Cdn. National Jamboree in PEI and now we were looking at the '93 Cdn. National Jamboree in Alberta. The parents were informed and the youth were told but Skip was concerned about taking the Skipmobile 3000 kilometres 1 way to Alberta.

Someone had said to me, why don't you look beyond the box and this prompted us to review all Jamborees coming up in 1993. We spotted the U S National Scout Jamboree at Fort A P Hill, Virginia. That sure looked more attractive for us. This batch of youth get the opportunity to attend a Jamboree, and the leaders save their vehicles from a substantial drive to a more reasonable one. We informed Scouts Canada and Boy Scouts America of our interest with one exception. The BSA wanted each youth to go to a different troop. We wanted the troop to remain together under the guidance of Cdn. Leaders. We compromised and under the host troops from Finlay Ohio, we would put 1 patrol of 4 boys and 1 leader in 1 troop and 4 boys and another leader in the other troop. The two troops would camp side by side so that Cdn. Leadership was available all the time.

In June, we assembled our youth for a pre-jamboree camp at Oba Sa Teeka. We had held numerous meetings with the youth and parents, passing on information, setting the ground rules. Youth will be traveling in Class A uniform all the time and Class B uniform for the duration of the Jamboree as set out by BSA. At the June camp, we got use to camp routine, learned about our new tents, tarps and patrol boxes, discussed what we would be doing and encouraged comraderie amongst our members. Usually pre-jamboree is a mini jamboree with groups from all around the area getting together but there were no other groups from our area attending or for that matter, from anywhere in Canada. We were the Cdn. representatives. We did meet up with the 1st Toronto group and 1 of our former Asst. Leaders who was now Skip at the 1st and we played a game of Capture the Flag. We played some team building games as well which were recommended by BSA. We all looked forward to July 30 and the beginning of our expedition to the U.S.A.

On Friday July 30 at 10:00 p.m. we gathered at Skips house, loaded and ready to go. Scouter Glenn and Scouter Bob (Skip) being the leaders and Parent Don Drew with his wife Mary and young son Darryl, offering additional transportation. The 4th vehicle was Dons' sister who was taking her 2 girls on holiday with the Drews. We did not know it then, but Laura, one of the girls, would become a member of our Scouting Group in the next couple of years. The scouts attending: Wesley, Chad, Sean, Gordon, Jason, Alex, Jordan and Mark We used CBs to keep in touch on the road. We crossed into Buffalo pretty quickly and were well on our way. We made a lot of pitstops and drove through the night. We finally decided to take a rest for an hour and rest our eyes. The rest did us good and we were underway again. Mary Drew did the navigating and we arrived to the welcoming of Senior Airman G. Plott at the U S Airforce base in Washington DC. It was our intention to spend 2 nights here. After showing us our location for sleeping, the parents left us and we went to the gym to work out, basketball, shower and dinner. Then our host troops issued an invitation for us to meet with them and join them for a night tour of Washington DC. at 8:00 p.m. We had a really good time. We returned at 11 p.m. and quietly set up our beds in the airforce gym for the night.

Sunday we had a great breakfast in the mess, got into our Class A for mass at the National Cathedral. We met up with the 2 Ohio troops for the day and visited Arlington Cemetery, The Air and Space Museum, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, VietNam Memorial Wall, We had a great day and finished off with Pizza back at the US Navy base with the Ohio Scouts. At the invitation of our new friends, we left the Airforce base for the 2nd night sleep at the U S Navy base with our host troops. On Monday, we skipped breakfast and headed off with the two troops to the White House for a tour. One of our scouts was ill and was scurried off by security to a washroom to be sick to his stomach. So he christened a toilet at the White House. Hey, who could say they did that. When we returned to the buses, and our cars, we were off to Fort A P Hill, US Army base where the U S National Jamboree was being held. After being approved on arrival to proceed, we made our way to Subcamp 3 and the SC3 HQ okayed us to set up camp.

This is a very big Jamboree with over 30,000 scouts in attendance from all over the USA and some visiting from other countries. The opening ceremonies were a sight to be hold as the story of the USA unfolded in dramatic live performances and the music and songs were fantastic.

In the next few days, our youth would venture off and participate in any activities they desired in 1 of 3 identical areas. Each youth had a band and on certain days, their band had a priority for all events, while on other days, they would line up and wait their turn to participate.

A couple of our youth started the Jamboree by being sick and after the 2nd day, we took them off water and onto juice, and Skip took them around to get use to the activities being offered. It is a little overwhelming for some scouts and they need to know that they can have a lot of fun just by getting out their and doing things.

One of our youth, somehow borrowed a knife and cut his hand, a couple of stitches later, he was a okay again. Mass on Sunday was an open air event with a Cardinal, 2 bishop, 25 priests and about 7000 scouts in attendance.

Our scouts had to lead some singsongs on International Day and we tried to teach the scouts "O Canada" but they were a little shy. It wasn't long before the Jamboree was coming to an end and the closing ceremonies were taking place. Music from Louise Mandrell and fireworks were phenomenal. For 28 minutes the fireworks continued in the darkness until the final 3 bursts lit up the sky and you could see through a now clear brightly lit day every one of the 30,000 plus scouts and leaders enjoying the comraderie that developed.

The next day, we were out of our Class B which we had worn now for about 8 days and into Class A for the further trip south and a couple nights at the U S Coast Guard base in Yorktown. In the morning we headed for Shoneys for Breakfast and then to Bush Gardens. The scouts were sent off in pairs to enjoy the facility. We all had a very good time. Many theatres, rides, shops.

The next day we left the base and headed for Virginia beach for a little swim in the ocean and stayed for 4 hours. Then we left to start the long trip home. We had reservations for 4 hotel rooms in Harrisburg Virginia but they did not save us enough rooms. We find an alternative, not pretty but we can sleep and get going early. When we get up, we expect this to be our last day on the road as we head home. Deciding to travel over the mountains, The appalechins and alleghany, we are on the road for a lot of hours. A lot of pit stops, what else is new. We finally call to our contact in Toronto at about 8 p.m. and let them know our ETA is now 1:00 a.m. Parents want us to carry on and come no matter what time because they miss the boys. We're on Hwy 79 now miles south of Erie. A truck had caught fire and no one can go ahead. Our ETA changes. Listening to the CB's, we can hear what is going on ahead of us. Scouts are allowed to get out on the highway and run around since nothing is moving. We finally get moving and reach the border just after Midnight. Customs was very co-operative and we're through very quickly. After our final doughnut and coffe stop, we get the scouts home about 3:30 in the morning.

The next day, the boys and their families snuck into Skips yard and set up a party to show appreciation for Skip and Scouter Glenn Dykens*. It was just great and thank you to all the parents and youth for your kindness.

We had a super trip, meeting lots of new scouts, trading badges, doing lots of activities. This adventure has ended but we still have a reunion in Ohio to go to in November 1993 and the Ohio group is coming to see us in August 1994. But thats another story.

Glenn Dykens

Scouter Glenn Dykens was a Scouter with the 236th Scout Troop in Seton Area, Toronto, Canada and passed away in April 1999.

Scouter Glenn. A man who gave his time freely for the benefit of the Scout.

It is difficult to sum up the last 13 years of friendship. Especially in Scouting when you have gone through so much. When you have worked on projects together, agreed and disagreed. Lived together on weekends and week long camps. Fought all the elements, rain, wind, heat and cold and still remained friends in the end. That is a sign of a good solid friendship.

When Glenn first joined our group, he participated in all the activities and it was clear to see, his favorite activity had to be camping. The founder of Scouting who is the Great Scoutmaster, Baden Powell once said, "Only a tenderfoot is uncomfortable at camp". Well,,,,, Scouter Glenn was no tenderfoot. He had camped across Canada when he was a teenager. He camped with his son Blair on fishing holidays, and Glenn camped with Cubs & Scouts. With all of this Camping came a lot of knowledge which he was always willing to share. Glenn learned early on the value of a good sharp knife. So much so that he always carried at least 1 knife from his collection. He also instructed all of the Scouts and some of the cubs in using knives, axes and saws safely. Glenn always said, "More accidents happen with a dull knife than a sharp one". Needless to say, the 236th usually had the sharpest knives, and axes in the Area.

I want to share with you impressions of parents on arriving at the 236th for the first time with their child. These are thoughts of Scouter Jim Sloan meeting Glenn. "I’ll never forget, I thought I had just brought my 8 year old son to the only Hell’s Angel Scout Group". However, even though most people’s first impression of Glenn was that he was tough, once you got to know Glenn, was to know in fact, he was a kind, gentle person who cared deeply for others.

Malcolm McKoy, one of the American friends that Glenn had made over the years through Scouting wrote.

"I remember Glenn. Enroute to the National Scout Jamboree, first stopping at Washington DC in 1993 was when Glenn and I first met. We immediately found that the common bond of Scouting made fast friends of us.

It was during this time that our friendship was cemented over miles and boundaries of our two Nations.

I soon recognized Glenn's great loves which are:

His Family, Scouting with his ability to develop boys into Men and The Outdoors.

He loved the Outdoors and the Scouting skills that made him one with the world. We talked and talked and talked and became closer over the years. He even came to Ohio to be a part of our Scouting Reunion, and then, again he made a personal visit. It was tremendous!!!

I remember so many things we have in common. Glenn is at peace now. I remember Glenn. He taught me the value of being a Scouter and now he is with The Great Scoutmaster".