[ Home ] [ Beavers ] [ Parent Guide ] [ Calendar 2005-2006 ] [ Past Calendars ] [ White Tail Award ] [ Toronto Action Award Progress ] [ Links ]

WELCOME

TO A

NEW YEAR OF BEAVERS

AT THE

91^st TORONTO BEAVER COLONY

We hope that your child will enjoy this year. If new to Beavers, you will want to know a bit about the program and what we do in our Colony. This handbook should give you most of the information you and your child will need to enter the exciting Scouting world. Any questions or comments can be directed to any member of the Colony Leadership team.

Introduction

The Beaver program of Scouts Canada was introduced in November 1974. It the newest and most rapidly growing section in Scouts Canada, an organization with over 212,000 youth and adult members.

The Mission of Scouts Canada is: "To contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens, and as members of their local, national, and international communities through the application of our Principles and Practices".

For Beavers this is expressed in the Beaver promise, law, and motto.

Beavers is a simple, flexible program to meet the needs of children 5, 6 and 7 years old. The theme of the program is based upon beavers and the beaver colony. It focuses on sharing, cooperation and playing in small groups, in harmony with nature. Individual competition and structured achievement are not part of the program.

Beaver Philosophies

Team Work, Sharing, Awareness of the World, Positive Group Experience, and Creative Expression.

For Beavers it is more important:

to try than to achieve;
to experience than to win;
to share than to keep;
to learn to work and play with each other rather than to pit themselves against each other.

Beaver Program Objectives

In the Beaver program, emphasis is placed on activities that encourage Beavers to:

find examples of their own spiritual beliefs;
experience and express love and joy;
be healthy and have good feelings about themselves;
develop a sense of belonging and sharing;
develop a sense of cooperation through non-competitive activities;
develop an appreciation for nature;
learn through fun; and
express themselves.

In Beavering the aim, objectives and emphasis are achieved through the use of a program of understanding, supportive fun, and activities built around seven elements: Games, Crafts, Music, Storytelling, Playacting, Spiritual fellowship and The Outdoors. These elements are incorporated in six activity areas: Our World; Creativity; Fitness; Our Environment; Family and Friends; and Outdoors.

Beaver Law, Promise and Motto

Law: A Beaver has fun, works hard, and helps his/her family and friends.

Promise: I promise to love God and to help take care of the world.

Motto: Sharing, Sharing, Sharing.

Colony Procedures

Beavers must be escorted into the gym by their Parents/Guardians and signed in. There will be a sign in/sign out sheet located at the door. They must be in the gym, in uniform and ready for the night’s activities by our regular start time of 7:00pm.
All regular meetings will normally conclude at 8:00 PM. No Beaver will be allowed to leave the gym until the appropriate Parent/Guardian has arrived to sign them out and escort them home.
If a Beaver cannot attend our regular meetings or special events, please contact their Lodge Leader who can pass on information for the following meeting.
Safety and Discipline:
- Appropriate indoor footwear i.e., running shoes must be worn in the gym. If weather conditions dictate that Beavers will arrive wearing rubber boots or winter boots, please ensure that your Beaver brings suitable indoor footwear to change into. Due to safety considerations, if Beavers do not have appropriate footwear they will have to sit out certain activities.
- In order to maintain a fun yet safe and controlled environment, a Beaver Sign, will require all Beavers, Leaders and guests to stop all movement and remain quiet. It would be appreciated if all Parents/Guardians or guests remember to recognize this action while attending Beaver related events.
- As a result of actions that are disruptive to the Colony’s activities, the Beaver will be placed in a "Beaver Trap — Time Out" for a few minutes. If the number of such occurrences (Beaver Traps) become excessive, a meeting will be set up between the Contact Leader/Lodge Leader and the Parent/Guardian to discuss how to best handle the situation.
Beavers should know their Law, Promise, Motto and Beaver Salute by the night of their Investiture.
Beaver Parent/Guardian involvement: There are various activities that we do as a Colony that require extra support from the parents. For example:
- Provide baked goods for meetings requiring refreshments;
- Be willing to show the Beavers about your job or hobby (this could be an outing);
- Help as a volunteer on outings: food preparation, driving, Beaver supervision;
- Act as a photographer during an outing. The Colony may submit articles to the Leader Magazine (a national Scouting publication) and a picture is always appreciated.
HAVE FUN!!!

The Beaver Uniform

The Beaver uniform is brown and blue. These colours symbolize nature: brown for the earth and the beaver’s fur coat, and blue for the clear sky and the fresh sparkling water.

The Official Uniform is:

Coby Hat in blue and brown with the Beavers Canada Crest (available at the Scout Shop)
Beaver Vest with blue pockets (available at the Scout Shop)
Group Neckerchief (presented by Colony during Investiture Ceremony)
Woggle (presented during Investiture Ceremony)
Beaver Tail (presented by Colony during the Tail Ceremony)

The only badges worn on the uniform (see below for diagram) are:

a group badge (91^st Toronto), on right chest
an area badge (Seaton), below group badge
a council badge (Greater Toronto Council), below area badge
a World Scout Badge (purple circle already on the vest)
an Ontario Province badge, on top left chest below world badge
a lodge badge, on right pocket
Service Bars (to indicate years of service), on left pocket

Items above are presented at no cost, however there will be a fee for replacements. All of these additional badges will be issued during the year. There will be a fee for replacements.

Through the course of the year, our Colony will be involved with certain official outings (e.g., Apple Day, Beaveree, Overnight Camp). The Beavers who attend these events will be given a crest commemorating the day. Apply these crests to their campfire blanket or vest only, do not attach them to their uniforms.

It is highly recommended that the Beaver’s name be printed on all items that are separate and may become lost (e.g. hat, vest, neckerchief, woggle).

Beaver Uniform

A BEAVER SHOULD RESPECT HIS/HER UNIFORM AND WEAR IT PROUDLY.

Regular Meeting Outline

6:45 - 7:00 Gathering activity
7:00 - 7:05 Opening Ceremony
7:05 - 7:15 Game
7:15 - 7:35 Craft / Theme Activity
7:35 - 7:45 Story
7:45 - 7:55 Game / Song
7:55 - 8:00 Closing Ceremony

This is just one example of a "typical meeting". The Colony Leaders will make changes as dictated by the needs and moods of the Beavers.

Permission Forms

Scouts Canada’s official policy is: For every event held away from the regular meeting place for a Colony, a signed permission form is mandatory. This includes outdoor activities such as playing in the soccer field, going to visit a cub pack, and visiting establishments such as fire halls, etc. If a signed form has not been provided, the Beaver is not allowed to participate in that particular event.

It is also a legal requirement for Scouts Canada that the parent’s/guardian’s original signature and the Beaver’s Health Card Number must be on the same document. This policy is designed to protect the Beaver while under the supervision of Scouts Canada and to protect the volunteers (i.e., the leaders) in the movement.

Ceremonies

Opening Ceremony (Tail Slap): To an outsider the Opening Ceremony may not mean much, but to Beavers it provides an opportunity to let off steam in a controlled manner. Beavers take it most seriously and enter into it with their whole heart and lungs. It gives them an opportunity to express their joy at being alive, and their thankfulness for being Beavers.
Closing Ceremony (Lodging): This ceremony is to be conducted at the conclusion of every meeting. All Kits and Eager Beavers participate in the Closing Ceremony.
Investiture Ceremony: When a youth joins the Beavers he/she is a "Kit". This is a term used to describe a young Beaver. Kits may wear the Beaver hat and vest but NOT the neckerchief or other additional badges. To become invested a Kit must know the Beaver Promise, Law, Salute, and Beaver Motto. Parents are invited to participate in the Investiture Ceremony, as this is a special time for the Beavers.
Tail Ceremonies: There are four tail levels in the Beaver program. They are the physical recognition of a child’s growth and development. A Beaver progresses through them according to their age and/or their school grade. Beavers change their tails once a year to signify their growth. Beavers wear only one tail at a time and may put their old tails on their campfire blanket or vest.
Swimming-Up Ceremony: This ceremony marks a special occasion in a young child’s life because this is the moment they join the Cub pack and take the first big step toward becoming a Wolf Cub. Parents are invited to attend this ceremony in the spring.

Age before Jan. 1st	Tail Level (September – May)
5 Years – Kindergarten	Discovery & Growing (Brown) BROWN represents the colour of the beaver’s fur, also the earth, on which we live and in which things grow. It can remind the Beavers of their responsibility to help take care of the world. It can also be seen as the time of discovery, when the Beaver is entering a new phase in life and exploring a broader world beyond the confines of family and close friends.
6 Years - Grade 1	Building & Exploring (Blue) BLUE represents the sky and water and symbolizes the immense opportunities to explore now opened to the Beaver, whose abilities are expanding and changing.
7 Years - Grade 2	Busy Beaver (White) WHITE links Eager Beavers to Tender Pads (Cubs). It is the colour of the moon and stars, which give us light to help us find our way through the darkness of the night and symbolizes distant goals, seemingly far away, but attainable.

Terminology

Beaver Hand Signal: Leader’s arm straight up with hand forming Beaver salute. This signals Beavers to stop everything they are doing and pay attention to the leader.
Beaver Salute: Special sign of greeting, like a peace sign made with bent fingers. It represents the two front teeth of a beaver.
Big Brown Beaver: A large toy Beaver mascot used in ceremonies.
Busy Beaver: Seven year old Beaver who is getting ready to swim up to Wolf Cubs.
Chopping Position: Squatting down with elbows on knees, both hands making a Beaver Salute.
Colony: The entire group of Beavers.
Dam Formation: Circle formation made by joining the ends of the riverbanks.
Eager Beaver: A Kit who has learned the Promise, Law and Salute and the opening, closing and investiture ceremonies.
Kit: A child who has not yet been invested as a Beaver.
Lodge: A small group of 4 to 6 Beavers
Lodging Position: Sitting cross-legged.
Pond: The meeting place.
River Banks: A formation in which the Beavers stand in two wavy lines, facing each other, about three feet apart.
Tail Slap: Part of the Opening; clapping hands behind your back imitating a Beaver slapping its tail.