You might not know how much of my life I dedicate to Scouting in Canada but it is a little more than I give to my wife… okay, significantly more. We can get the formalities out of the way right now. I am a jerk. I am an ass. I can be the biggest dirtbag you ever met. I can also be the first person you call if you need help with anything on this planet.
Being an ass helps me to identify people like me!
I just came back from an amazing Great Edmonton Scout Camp at Tanner Youth Camp (formerly Camp Poole) and I wanted to let people know that I heard a couple people comment some incredible news to me. These people were not asses… you might recall because I am so damn good at identifying them.
I was told that it was a shame that scout groups couldn’t use the camp as much anymore now that it had been sold to a private organization. One of the people was surprised that a church group would buy the camp and then limit scouting groups from using it. That ain’t very Christian is it? Well I agreed. It is not very Christian.
Now you get to hear me rant. I am not holding back.
Good and wholesome church-going ladies should stop reading now. Decent men might want to stop too. Hey Jean, if you haven’t stopped reading yet, you are on your own. You cannot blame me for what you read past this point because I am pissed. And if that word bothered you, well, you may think less of me in 10 minutes…
You see, I am not the best Christian. I would be lying if I told you I was a good one. I am however, a pretty decent person and at this point in my life, being a good person is much more important than being a good Christian… it is the road that God put me on to get there someday I hope… and if my mother read that her heart just sank as nothing on this planet is more important than being a good Christian and she undoubtedly believes that I could not be a good man without being one… and we would disagree on this point emphatically.
Why would I rant?
It is with a sad heart that I tell you that I was not surprised to hear people speak like this. It this age of social media and social justice warriors and fake news and just a ton more crap that I can’t stand about humanity, we basically believe the worst in everything. If you read about some guy who saved a baby from a disaster you would be in awe and unbelief and maybe do some searches online to see if it was true.
But if someone told you that the worst shit in the world just happened you would just ask when and where and who do we blame for it. I haven’t got a clue as to where these rumors come from and in the future I wouldn’t blame an organization for banning scouts. We get online and spread the worst information about the best people and organizations. I am honestly in awe that we got this far because there are so many d-bags everywhere in this world.
In the midst of all this crap flowing to and from everywhere, this organization called Scouting has attracted some of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I have been on this ball of dirt and water for nearly 50 years and have never met so many self-sacrificing and generous people in my life. These people that I hang out with know who I am. They know who they are. If I have been to your home, or shared wings with you, or sat at a campfire with you, or served on a committee with you, or helped you tie down a movie screen outside for kids to enjoy a show, it is not because I am a good person, it is because you are and I know it. I am hoping, that by spending time with you, that some of your goodness can be learned by me.
But some of these people, no matter how amazing they are, get caught up in the drama when they hear bad news and to them, I beg that they clarify the information they received. Call someone. Ask someone who knows what they are talking about. Call a mentor or even call me. I probably won’t be much help, but I will find someone who can be.
Tanner Youth Camp availability?
Is Tanner Youth Camp as available to scouting groups as much as it used to be?
NO!
Not in July it isn’t. Not in August it isn’t. But then none of us scouting groups used it that much in July or August so what do we care?
Actually, not many scouting groups used it in the other ten months of the year either, which is why the damn camp got sold off in the first place. I have ripped into these asshats in the past but it needs to be said again that the people talking out of their butts need to stop stinking up the place. I don’t remember the number but 17% sticks in my head.
I believe 17% was the percentage of scout groups that used Camp Poole in the five years before it was sold. That is sickening. What really pisses me off is that the people spreading rumors and condemning both organizations are rarely on that list. Not only were some of these dicks on social media not in the 17% that utilized the camp in the previous 5 years, some of them had never been there. Some weren’t even from our council!
Big question for big people…
I am not talking about people as fat as me, but people with big brains and big hearts. Here is a question… when someone tells you that it is harder to book scout activities at Tanner Youth Camp now that it is not owned by Scouts Canada, I want you to consider the source. If 83% of the scout volunteers in your council hadn’t been there in the 5 years before the sale, how many have been there since? I am guessing much less because of stupid rumors.
Please do not be part of the problem.
- Stop listening to idiots (I can be included in here quite often).
- Call them out when they say something negative… ask for proof or where they heard it so you can chase down facts.
- DO NOT continue spreading garbage until you have confirmed it yourself or heard it from a trusted source… even then if it is garbage it rarely benefits anyone.
I am not going to tell you to be part of the solution now, because you don’t have to be. You are welcome to reach out if you want because they rely on volunteers to help with the project list, but Tanner Youth Camp is running wildly into the future with or without you.
They are building a zip line and high ropes adventure. They are renovating under-utilized buildings and building all-season washroom and shower facilities. I know, I will take a moment to let that sink in so you can cheer for that one.
Gary and Jean have been there for almost a decade (I think) and they have shown no signs of slowing down. Since the camp changed hands it seems like they have tripled the amount of work they have done. I don’t even know what some of the clearings they have made are for but it looks like they are building a beach. If they are, you clowns that are booking other facilities should stay away. Let me enjoy the beach without you please.
If you want to keep tabs on the camp, Bruce forwarded me their new website and it is awesome… just like Bruce is (thanks for the link Bruce)!
I would love if only the same 17% of groups that supported the camp for the past five years could enjoy the improvements when they are done. The camp wouldn’t make as much money but if you haven’t figured out yet, I am a vindictive dick and I don’t care so long as another dick loses out.
What I need though, is for you to stop talking to people that I like. I have explained that I need to spend more time with these amazing people because it makes me a better person. If I am not constantly striving to be a better person, I will likely push you off a dock when I meet you. It will be nothing personal. If you are a worse person than me, then you likely need a good push off a dock.
As for you people that I like spending time with, Tanner Youth Camp is still booking through Gary and Jean. It is still just as available as ever during your scouting year. If you don’t believe me, which you shouldn’t, check out their online calendar for yourself. It is jam packed with scout group bookings it every weekend.
It is clearly a better camp today and improving every month. Be a part of the improvement if you wish, but be a part of the adventure of attending the camp with your youth. Let them witness the changes first-hand so that when they hear some clown talking out his ass they can stand up as a Rover or Venturer and defend the camp that they love as much as I do.
A2Z with ADHD 