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Scouting and Guiding in Ontario has a long history. Although there is some dispute about the founding of the firstScouting Group, both 1st Merrickville and 1st St. Catharines Scout Group have a documented existence from 1908.[citation needed] In 1955, the8th World Scout Jamboree was held atNiagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.Scouting continues inOntario to the present day, serving thousands of youths in programs that suit the environment in which they live.
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There are several Scouting organizations operating in Ontario. The largest of these isScouts Canada, which had a combined youth and adult membership as of August 2007 of 99,573,[1] down from 265,313 in 1990.[2] While most Scouts Canada groups operate in English, some operate in French, and French language handbooks and resource material are available. Scouting in the French language is also provided under the auspices ofL'Association des Scouts du Canada (sometimes referred to asLes Scouts). These groups are situated mostly in the eastern and north eastern parts of the province which have a higher concentration of francophone residents. Together, Scouts Canada and the Association des Scouts du Canada are members of theWorld Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).
Ontario has several organizations which are not part of WOSM. In some cases, they were created because members felt that Scouts Canada had drifted too far from the program originally developed by Scouting's founder,Baden Powell. Some trace their roots to theBaden-Powell Scouts' Association in theUnited Kingdom:
There are at least three ethnic or culturally based Scouting associations which operate in Ontario:
On December 21, 1910 his Excellency Earl Grey, Governor General of Canada and Chief Scout for Canada, together with His Honour J.M. Gibson, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Dr. K.A. Pyne, Ontario Minister of Education, and a number of prominent citizens from all parts of the province, met in Toronto to select gentlemen who are interested and who would assist in the Boy Scout Movement and form a Council for Ontario.
For many years Scouts Canada scouting in Ontario was led by this Provincial Council for Ontario, under which operated numerous regional councils the exact number and geography of which changed over the years. However, in 2002 when Scouts Canada reorganized, the provincial council ceased to exist and the eight councils remaining in Ontario reported directly to the national council. An incorporated body still exists for the purpose of holding ownership of property as required by provincial laws.
(Previously known as Provincial Scout Executive or Provincial Executive Commissioner or Executive Secretary. In early years it also carried the title of Assistant Provincial Commissioner.)
Col. Rufus Spooner ofThe Salvation Army acted as Provincial Executive Commissioner following Frank Irwin's sudden death until the appointment of Reg Terrett.
Ontario is administered inScouts Canada by 8 Councils divided into Service Areas.
Because much of scouting's programs are focused on the outdoors, a large number of properties have been donated or purchased and developed as scouting campgrounds over the years. Driven by declining membership, increasing costs, and liability issues, Scouts Canada conducted a property review in Ontario which concluded that dozens of camps should be sold. This has resulted in legal action between the Scouts Canada Ontario Incorporated Body and local Scouters. Action was underway in November 2005 and is ongoing.[7] Scouts Canada's camps in Ontario are generally administered by one of the four Administrative Centres. The following list is as of May 14, 2007:[8]
The129th Toronto Scouting Group (also known as theQueer Toronto Scouting Group) was believed to be the first group worldwide exclusively for gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths and adults. The group was founded by gay activist Bonte Minnema and chartered byScouts Canada in1999.[9][10] Consistent with Scouts Canada policy, the group wasco-ed. It made worldheadlines, including theBBC World News, when a story byReuters first brought attention to the group's existence.[citation needed]
In October 1999,AmericanPastorFred Phelps and his congregation at theWestboro Baptist Church planned to protest outside theOntario offices of Scouts Canada. However,Canada Customs denied them entry into the country. This prevented Phelps and his church members from appearing, and left supporters of the group to rally outside the offices without opposition.[citation needed]
The group folded in2001 due to a lack of interest.
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Mary Malcolmson organized the first Canadian Girl Guide Company to be officially registered inSt. Catharines,Ontario; their registration is dated January, 1910. A park in St. Catharines was later named for Mary Malcolmson. Other Guide Companies were registered later in 1910, inToronto. The First Toronto Company held the first-recorded Girl Guide Camp in Canada on the banks of theCredit River in June, 1911. By 1912, the movement had spread to all parts of Canada, and had become so popular that on July 24, 1912Agnes Baden-Powell created LadyMary Pellatt "Chief Commissioner of the Dominion of Canada Girl Guides". Many Guide events were held at her home,Casa Loma, in Toronto. It is now a tourist attraction with a special Girl Guide display.
Guiding is now served by theGuiding in Canada - Ontario Council, with 44,000 girl members, 11,000 adults, 13 Areas and 37 camps throughout Ontario.
In 1955, the 8th World Scout Jamboree was held atNiagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. This was the first World Jamboree to be held in theWestern Hemisphere. The setting was a rolling parkland, and 11,000 Scouts attended this gathering, which was notable for the number of Scout contingents that crossed theAtlantic by air to attend—1,000 fromGreat Britain alone.
Scouting memorials include:
