Scouts Canada calling for more volunteers in the London area

Scouts groups across the London region are struggling to find enough volunteers, and that means some kids are being left on waiting lists for months at a time.

Jessica Buscher has been volunteering with the 1st Dorchester Scouts group for more than 25 years. She said the program, which serves Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, is driven by volunteers, and without them, fewer young people can take part.

"We have to have a certain ratio of supervision of youth to volunteers," Buscher said. "Some kids have been on the waitlist for almost a year because we just don't have enough leaders to expand the sections."

Scouts Canada, which saw falling enrollment during the pandemic, recently announced job cuts at the national level as part of restructuring efforts and rising costs. Buscher said that makes community volunteers even more critical to the organization.

Buscher and her husband first got involved when their youngest son joined Beavers, and she's been volunteering ever since.

"It's a lot of fun. My kids always called it their 'scouting family.' We've made friendships that feel like a second family, and I'm happy to give back," she said.

Scouts programs are best known for outdoor adventures such as hiking, canoe trips, camping, and learning survival skills like building fires and using tools safely. Buscher also helps with the Dorchester Rappel Team, which runs a tower at Camp BEL in Dorchester and takes part in events across North America.

"Repelling seems scary, but everything is triple-checked," she said. "It gives kids that safe sense of adventure and confidence."

Scouts groups typically meet once a week, with larger camps bringing thousands of youth together a few times a year. But Buscher says the pandemic changed habits, and many parents have been reluctant to return to community volunteering.

"We do struggle to get more volunteers," she said. "Shift work, other kids' sports, busy schedules, it all plays a role. But anyone over 14 can volunteer, and every Scout group in Canada would love to have more help."

To sign up, Buscher said people can visit myscouts.ca, type in their postal code to find the nearest group, and follow the registration process, which includes references, an interview and training.

For her, the memories make it worthwhile, from dressing as a Viking for a Halloween hike to rappelling down the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia.

"The friendships, the adventures, it's almost too many to mention," she said. "It really is a chance to make a difference for kids, and you'll have a lot of fun along the way."