Here are the notes I took from the Valley Highlands area meeting tonight:

• Free swimming lessons in Perth on Tuesday September 23rd for Scouting members aged 6 and up. Call Betsy at 267-5302 for more information.
• Sixer's and Seconder's Council
• 2pm October 4th to 1:30pm October 5th
• Whisper Pines
• $12 per person for the weekend
• Includes Saturday supper, mug up, Sunday breakfast, and a snack lunch
• Your pack is invited to send your sixer's and seconders to this weekend camp where the program will centre on the leadership role of the youth in the Pack. We will have some fun, a cookout, a campfire, and a Pack program with a difference, most importantly we will camp overnight, maybe the last chance this year.
• The program is best suited to 2nd and 3rd year Cubs. Youth will receive a certificate at closing on Sunday.
• Youth should arrive at or before 2:00pm complete with personal kit for a weekend in camp with tents as appropriate.
• Consent forms and physical fitness forms must be handed in at registration time.
• Application can be made by e-mail to Chris Tyler at firstscoutkim@aol.com or by telephone (613) 283-1525 preferably after 6pm. First come first served as we have only 24 places on this course.
• Patrol Leaders Training Course
• October 24th 8pm to October 26th 1:30pm
• Whispering Pines
• $17.50 per person
• The role of the Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader is so much more than plain ceremony. The course covers the Physical, Mental, and Spiritual development of the role and duties of these two vital young Leaders. The program is best suited for 2nd and 3rd year Scouts. The program is challenging and fun but candidates should come with a firm idea that this is a training weekend rather than a camporee.
• Youth should be equipped for a weekend camp in all conditions.
• All meals from Friday night mug-up to a snack lunch on Sunday are included in the fee.
• They will require a notebook and pencil and an EXTRA flashlight for a nightime activity. All other equipment will be provided on site.
• Youth should arrive in good time to set up tents before opening at 8:00pm complete with personal kit for a weekend camp and tents as appropriate.
• Consent forms and physical fitness forms must be handed in at registration time.
• Application can be made by e-mail to Chris Tyler at firstscoutkim@aol.com or by telephone (613) 283-1525 preferably after 6pm. First come first served as we have only 24 places on this course.
• Cooks are needed for both the sixer's camp and patrol leaders camp.
• There is a camp committee meeting at Whispering Pines on Saturday 20th at 1pm.
• There is a 20' x 40' marquee (a portable garage) the can be borrowed from the camp if needed by a group.
• We were told that Cubs were invited to attend the GreenWing conservation Scout camp on October 18th for the day. I am following up with Roger Colborne, the organiser, to confirm if this is the case.
• One of the groups is going to the aviation museum for a sleepover. They are taking the train from Smiths Falls to Ottawa, and then OC Transpo to the museum.
• There is a draft horse show and fair in Lombardy on October 4th. There is normally a $3 charge per person, but on this Saturday anybody wearing a Scout uniform gets in free. One of the groups is planning on taking their youth.
• I had forwarded our program outline to Roger Nuttall and others in case people could benefit from the effort our leaders put into it. Roger really liked it and sent it to the Rover training crew, and they sent back a lot of positive feedback as well!
• The question was asked whether groups liked the current Scout Trees format. A number of groups mentioned that they weren't that interested in the fundraising aspect. They would be more interested in just getting all the youth out there planting.