SCOUTING, ALONG the PATH
By Scouter Mark
Palmer
FALL APPLE DAY
Welcome to my ‘inaugural’ column which, I hope, will
enlighten and entertain you, the reader, about all things Scouting. I will be
your humble scribe and bring you news about the activities that approximately
65 kids and 15 adults are involved in over the coming year.
Scouts groups across Canada recently held their annual
Apple Day fund raiser. The Kenora groups
choose sunny October 15th as their Apple Day.
Beavers, Cubs and Scouts along with their respective leaders
and a good turn out of parents worked in shifts to canvass various areas of
Kenora and Keewatin. Business owners were very
generous in allocating space for the youth to stand by their doors where they
could meet the public.
One or two youth would hold the collection tin for a free
will donation in exchange for a juicy red apple – or two. And who can resist
that Beaver smile?
We extend thank yours to the community, both the public and
the vast number of community minded merchants. Three cheers for all!
A big thank you also to the Evergreen Community Club for the
donation of their facility as “headquarters” for Apple Day. Upon returning from their shifts, the youth,
parents and leaders enjoyed hot chocolate and donuts while several adult
Scouters diligently counted and rolled all those coins.
Locally and in many other locals where there are Scouting
youth, Apple day is the single largest fund raiser. Notably it is the only time
that the youth openly solicit funds from the community at large. The local groups keep 100% of the revenue,
after expenses. Not surprisingly, the largest expense is the apples themselves.
The net profits are then divided by four, the number of youth groups, and
distributed equally.
Scouts Popcorn in another National fund raiser that is done
by direct sales, usually to grandparents and neighbours! Groups keep
approximately 65% of the return.
Up comings Scouting events include fall hikes and some
ghostly going-ons at the spooky Halloween
parties.
