Sequim scouting in the COVID era

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Dozens of community groups locally and across the nation have in the past 10 months been trying to solve the same conundrum: How to keep a program going while at the same time keeping participants safe from COVID-19?

For youth scout programs in Sequim, that means following the often changing health guidelines while often utilizing the great outdoors — in all kinds of weather.

“The saying is, ‘You can’t do scouting without ‘outing’,” local BSA leader Peter Craig said last week. “That gives us a leg up (on other activities) if we mitigate legitimate concerns.”

While most local teens and pre-teens are learning remotely rather than getting in-person instruction and socializing with friends at school, members of Sequim’s two Scouting BSA (formerly Boy Scouts of America) troops are weathering the coronavirus pandemic with weekly meetings, activities and outings — albeit with a number of modifications.

Scouting safely

Rene Nadon, scoutmaster for Troop 90, said when the pandemic hit hard the troop decided to meet online via Zoom. That lasted for about a month.

The group of about 34 boys met in person for a time just outside Trinity United Methodist Church, and now meet weekly at the Sequim Prairie Grange. Nadon has split the groups in two to allow for better social distancing. Meetings were reduced from 90 minutes to an hour, and hand sanitizing and masks are required.

Adult leaders still teach certain skills, he said, but teaching a youth how to tie a knot while maintaining 6 feet of distance is a challenge.

“We’re not doing as much as we would normally,” Nadon said.

Still, keeping the troop going is a vital community resource, he said.

“I think scouting is important to the community, to the country,” Nadon said. “Scouting is one of the best ways to teach kids about being on teams and about leadership.”

Local troops are seeing consistent turnout despite some hesitancy during the COVID-19 outbreak, noted Craig, committee chair for Troop 1498.

The troop has, for the first time, a girls troop of eight members led by Scoutmaster Candace Kathol and assistant scoutmaster Clint Soelter. The troop’s 17 boys were led by Scoutmaster Bob Stewart in 2020 and will be led in 2021 by Scoutmaster Kevin McGruther, with Stewart and Mike Loucks as assistants.

Troop 1498 met via Zoom in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, Craig noted, for about six weeks. But the troop’s adult leaders, several of whom have employment in the health care industry, saw an opportunity to keep the group going.

“We were very up front with the scouts: This is not fun,” Craig said. “(We said), ‘We can pout about it or we can make the best of it. It is sad. Let’s figure out what we can do and be smart about it.’”

The troop got a big boost from its charter organization, Sequim Elks Lodge 2642, and its leader, Exalted Ruler Charlie Johnson.

“They are super supportive of us trying to continue to have a program,” Craig said.

Troop 1498 members meet at 7 p.m. each Thursday at the Elks’ lodge each week, and while the group of youths and parents could meet inside the lodge the troop decided it’d be best to maintain safety precautions and meet outside, Craig said. Troop members use hand sanitizer before and after each meeting, use masks and brave the weather in a space nestled between a storage building and some tall trees just north of the Elks lodge’s main building.

There was some hesitancy from parents when Troop 1498 decided to meet in person, Craig said, but participation grew as parents and scouts saw the precautions put in place.

“Families who like to do stuff outdoors can do this,” he said. Scouts have stayed healthy with no reported positive cases, Craig said, through education and holding people accountable

Troop 1498’s girls meet under the building eaves while — thanks to hole-patching donated by Olympic Synthetics and repaired stakes via Copper Creek Fabrication — the boys meet under an old, long unused tent belonging to the Mt. Olympus District, Craig said.

While there was some hesitancy about meeting outside during the colder, wetter months, Craig said, the thought dawned on scout leaders: “Wait a minute; aren’t we scouts? How are we going to backpack for two days (if weather is an issue)?”

Active troops

Local scouts are still able to stay active with hikes — Troop 1498’s girls camped at the Dungeness Recreation Area in mid-December, while 21 boys and girls hiked to the Tubal Cain Mine and nearby B-17 plane crash site recently, Craig said — but safety precautions are still in place, with scouts using single-person tents only and not sharing any food. Scouts are driven to and from events by family members; carpooling isn’t allowed, Craig said.

He said leadership from Clallam County Health Officer Dr. Allison Unthank has been a boost for scout organizations seeking guidance.

“(She’s been) steady and consistent; that’s made it easy for us to be consistent as well,” Craig said.

While some merit badge activities are done in person, some troops have shifted to online resources. Craig noted one in particular that was a treat: Congressman Derek Kilmer joined Troop 1498 members to help them earn a citizenship badge.

Local scouts have been and continue to be active in community service during the pandemic as well. Calem Klinger and Kaleb Needoba of Troop 90 both completed Eagle Scout projects in recent months, and in December fellow troop members took part in the Wreaths Across America event at Sequim View Cemetery (Dec. 19) and collected blankets for the Toys for Sequim Kids event.

Troop 1498 is offering Christmas tree recycling, with pickup day scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 9. Cost is by donation (suggested $25) and those interested can call or text Noel at 360-461-6841 for more information.

Troop 1498 is also scheduling a drive-thru, to-go spaghetti feed at the Elks lodge on Feb. 13 and a lawn aeration service sometime in April, Craig said.

Numbers dwindling, opportunities abound

The largest scouting organization and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, the Boy Scouts of America (Scouting BSA) saw a 26 percent participation drop in the past decade, the Washington Post noted in a September 2019 profile, for various reasons ranging from bankruptcy issues to abuse allegations and more.

Locally, Craig said he believes the drop in participation stems from two things: the negative publicity from Scouting BSA national’s financial woes, along with “parent drama.”

The first issue doesn’t affect local troops, Craig said, as Sequim scouts aren’t tied to the national organization other than with membership fees. In the second instance, while adults are hesitant to get involved because of potential conflicts with other adults, Troop 1498 looks to stem those issues with good communication, he said.

Nadon said he’s seeing a drop in participation numbers at the younger “pack” level; Cub Scouts are generally of ages 5-10, with Scouts BSA members generally ranging in ages 11-17.

“I have had parents call me, saying they (scouts) are not going to meetings because of COVID-19,” Nadon said.

The pandemic, he said, is leading youths who could be participating in scouting activities choosing to be active on the computer and on their phones.

Without pack participation — Pack 4490 is still active in the area, Nadon said — the Sequim troop numbers will likely suffer, too.

Nadon said that’d be a shame considering the benefits youths can get from scouting activities. Scouts BSA offers about 135 merit badges that helps youngsters learn skills from leadership and citizenship to setting budgets, cooking, communication and, in particular, leadership skills.

“Leaders don’t necessarily know everything; they utilize the tools around them,” Nadon said. “Sometimes those (tools) are the people around you.”

Nadon noted that Sequim’s Troop 90 has been around for 95 years.

“My goal is to get it to 100,” he said.

For more information or to get involved in scouting, visit beascout.org; enter one’s zip code and area of scouting interest.