Scouts Fundraiser with BMO: Helping Homenetmen, hospitals and non-profit organizations
The Scout Group Committee is pleased and proud to announce our recent association with The BMO - Fondation de Maison Reve.
As you might already be aware, the Fondation de Maison Reve is a fundraiser sponsored by the Bank of Montreal. They donate all surplus amounts from this project to various hospitals and help many non-profit organisations.
They raise money through the sale of raffle tickets. Each raffle ticket is eligible for 3 draws of cash prizes, gift certificates and bonus Air Miles. The main prize is a fully furnished 'Dream House' with all expenses paid for 5 years. To participate in this lottery, a contestant must be at least 18 years of age. For more information concerning this fundraiser, including a complete list of regulations and prizes please visit their website at www.maisonderevebmo.com.
Homenetmen Gamk, through our association with Scouts de Montreal, has been invited to assist in the sale of these tickets and become one of the organisations that benefit from this fundraiser.
We need your help to succeed.
** All unsold tickets (including partial booklets) can be returned with no penalty within the deadlines specified by the Fondation de Maison Reve.
For more information, please contact Maral Kataroyan (514) 995-9648.
Castors/Hirondelles Parents Day
On May 3, 2008 the Castors/Hirondelles scouts group and their leaders invited all the respective parents to come and spend a meeting together. The scouts all separated into smaller groups, each preparing a different item like sandwiches, tacos, tabouleh, and even dessert. After a fun meal, all were invited upstairs to the gym to view a mural all the Hirondelles and Castors had been painting the previous weeks. Taped on the wall for all to see, the theme of the mural was music and its' various genres.
The parents enjoyed their children's work and then had the opportunity to play games together. A wonderful afternoon was had by all.
Congratulations to the leaders for a job well done.
Scouts go Sugaring Off
On Saturday, April 25, 2008, all scouts groups were invited to go Sugaring off at Erabliere au Sous Bois. Buses were rented for this all day affair.
Over 180 scouts from all groups attended along with their respective leaders and Scout khorourt members.
Everyone had a great time and congratulations to all the organizers for putting this together.
Éclaireurs Winter Camp 2008
When: January 25 - 28, 2008
Where: Camp Kinkora
The Pionnier(e)s' Winter Camp 2008
Annual Scout Leaders' Seminar
This year's Montreal Leaders' Seminar was held during the weekend of November 16th to 18th, 2007 at the Arundel Nature Centre in Arundel, Quebec where 24 leaders were present (including rovers). Also present were several members of the Montreal "scout khorout" and "vartchouchoun", their participation was mainly in the form of support, food preparation, and as silent observers during the different activities.
The objective of this and any seminar is, above all, to provide members with the knowledge and tools to become better leaders in Scouting, in Homenetmen, and as well in their community. This seminar covered notable topics such as leadership, communication, respect, time management, program preparation, crisis management, and teamwork. Different methods were used to address the various topics mentioned above. These included: speeches given by senior leaders, case studies done in groups, open forum discussions, as well as Q&A sessions. For the most part, the transfer of knowledge is done by the senior, more experienced, leaders and is geared towards the younger ones. That being said, seminars such as this are beneficial for all leaders, regardless of their rank, their experience, or lack thereof. This year's seminar set the stage, and enabled many discussions between leaders. The free exchange of ideas, opinions, and personal experiences were shared by everyone, young and old, experienced or not.
A secondary, yet indispensable, objective of this seminar was to strengthen the bonds between leaders. It was an opportunity to "get to know each other" and to interact with leaders from other teams in an informal, non-meeting, environment. Building a strong and united leadership core is a fundamental key to continued success and growth within Homenetmen Scouting.
According to feedback received, from attendees, this year's seminar was very successful. The issues and topics at hand were addressed, knowledge and tools were exchanged, and inter-personal relationships were created or strengthened. All leaders look forward for next year!
Jamboree 2007 - Les Jeux de L'Olympe scout
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of scouting, Homenetmen Gamk participated in the Scout de Montreal Metropolotain (SMM) Jamboree. This camp was held between the dates of Aug 4th and Aug 12th, 2007 at Parc Maisonneuve in the heart of the city of Montreal. 102 youth as well as leaders participated in this jamboree as did the Scouts Committee as a support and cooking team. There were an estimated 2700 participants from around the world within the park, which was closed off to the general public save for designated times where parents could visit the site.
Our groups were divided according to age into 3 (out of more than 10) sub-camp areas: the Exploratrices, the Louvetaux were in their separate sites and the remaining 4 groups (Intrepides, Eclaireurs, Pionnieres, Pionniers) were stationed in the third sub-camp. The groups participated in a multitude of activities including scouting Olympiad games, public swimming pool sessions, out-of-city activities such as Arbraska and last but not least workshops such as 1st aid initiation. Additionally, there were shows organized by SMM commemorating the 100th anniversary. Twice a day, all the Homenetmen Gamk groups united for breakfast and supper and later campfires were organized by various groups. The climax of camp for Homenetmen Gamk was the parade of the closing ceremonies where our own scouts groups led the official procession. Official closing ceremonies were held on Aug 11th, 2007 after which our group vacated the premises. The experience left a mark on all our members. They got to know fellow scouting members from various other organizations.
It was an experience cherished by all.