The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
James started his Scouting career in Melfort, SK, in 1950 working both as a Cub and Scout leader as well as taking on the job of writing a Scouting News report for the Melfort paper until March 1954 when he moved to Flin Flon, MB, where he started as Scout leader with the 3rd Flin Flon Troop. He had been a leader of Cubs to Rover Scouts for a total of 18 years before going to do District Council work as well as Scouting in Manitoba events for the past 32 years. He has been a District President for one year, Badge Sect., Honours and Award 1983 to 2010, Leader Trainer 2, 60th Anniversary Scouting in Flin Flon Chairman 1987 Ð 1989, wrote District Scouting history book 1929 Ð 89 and in 2007 finished history book on 5th Group history 1947 Ð 2007. James has worked on staff of Wood Badge Training courses at Lebret, SK, and Camp Whitney in the Flin Flon area. James enjoyed different parts of Canada to work on jamboree staff for a total of 19 jamborees from provincial, Canadian to world ones. While at these jamborees he took part in a number of events as food department crew, overnight hikes, pioneering training crew, in charge of B.M.X. Bicycle Races, photo department crew, in charge of N.B. Coal Mining project, rope making, CJO arrivals and departure crew and CJ07 on public relations crew. When he was at the 1992 Alcan Highway Yukon Jamboree he was given the job of Cap Chief of their Loop 2 camping area., When the Canadian Scoutree project started up in 1981 he worked on the planting project and in 2010 is still working at the project. In the '50s and '60s James worked at running the Flin Flon District Cub Camps which ran for ten days at Camp Whitney in July. The district was divided into two camps of ten days. A big event in the early years was when the Scouts of the nine troops would gather at Twin Lakes for a Camporee Weekend of competition and fun. James enjoyed working on staff at these events. They were organized by Neil McLennan with help of leaders. Since 1983 when James became Honours and Awards chairman, he has kept a complete record of all Scouting people in Flin Flon District and a large number of awards has come to people in Flin Flon. In 1954-56, he was even an instructor to teach knots to the 3rd Flin Flon Girl Guide Company for a few meetings each year. He has been active in other areas of Scouting, such as being a charter member since 1981 of the Manitoba 11th B.P. Scout Guild and in 1994 becoming a Life Member and since 2008 has been a director. He has been a member of the Centennial Scouters since 2004 and on the Fellow level of Scouts Canada Foundation since 2003. He joined this group in 1994 when it started up. Over the years he has been honoured with Bar to the Silver Acorn (04), B.P. Build Fellowship Recognition Medal (06), Commemorative Centennial Medal Scouts Canada (07), 25 Service Pin of Canadian B.P. Guild (09) and now 60 year Scouting pin (10). Over the years James has made many friends in Canada and other parts of the world and each Christmas looks forward to hearing from everyone still alive. Jeanne Fell started her Cubbing in Liverpool, England, in 1950-65 with her church group, the 25th Allerton Church Cub Pack. She had two lady assistant leaders to help her. Every summer she would take her Cubs out to a Pack Cub Camp. For meals, the leaders would cook on a grill over an open fire as well as run their camp program. As a Pack project for a number of years the leaders and Cubs collected silver paper to sell and raise money to build a hall for meetings on the church property. Weekends when Jeanne had free time you would find her out at the district Scout camp Tawd-Vale working where needed as each weekend troops would go camping. In 1957, at the World Jamboree J/M at Sutton Coldfield, England, Jeanne volunteered for jamboree canteen staff. It was here she met Jim Fell who was at this jamboree also. Jeanne left England February 1965 for Canada and up to Flin Flon. She went right into Cub work with the 5th Birchview Pack. In July 1965, Jeanne attended her first district Cub camps at Camp Whitney. Jeanne learned two things at the camps: first cooking was done in the kitchen on a stove and how to play baseball, as she didn't know anything about baseball, but after Cubs training her how to play the game she now follows it on T.V. every year. When the Cub Pack groups in 1986 and 1987 held their Cuborees, Jeanne worked on the committee fundraising and on the Cuboree program. See 'Cub' on pg. Continued from pg. After spending 22 years in Cubbing in England and Canada, Jeanne retired in 1972 to work on the 5th Group Committee and is still on the committee as secretary/treasurer. From 1988-91 Jeanne organized youth to work the canteen at the yearly Indian Metis Giant Bingo at the Community Hall as a fundraiser for the 5th Group. Jeanne has worked at two jamborees in Canada. In 1967 she worked at the Provincial Jamboree at Buffalo Pound in Saskatchewan in the canteen and at the Canadian Jamboree in Alberta in 1993 in the financial services area. In 1993 Jeanne started helping Francis Wall at the Cub fish pond fundraiser and still runs the fish pond, usually at Trout Festival time. From 1995 to 2007 Jeanne worked at the 5th Group Committee bingos at the Bingo Palace to raise money for the group. Awards Jeanne has received over the years are Bar to Medal of Merit (95), Certificate of Appreciation from 5th Group (09) and now 60 year certificate and pin (10). Awards On April 8, 2010, at Government House, Winnipeg, the annual Scouting Awards ceremony was held. To start the event Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba Philip S. Lee welcomed everyone. Manitoba Council Commissioner Mike Papst announced who was taking part in the ceremony. There were 12 Chief Scout awards and five Queen Venturer awards for the youth. For the adults awards Ð 14 medals of Good Service, eight Medal of Merit and one received the Bar to Medal of Merit. This year, they presented four service pins and certificates. There was one 45 and one 55 pin for Winnipeg Scouters. James and Jeanne Fell, of Flin Flon, received 60 year awards. Everyone couldn't believe two in one family received the 60 years awards. Dan Boily was to receive his medal of Good Service but could not attend so will receive it in Flin Flon later. It was nice to see youth from Dauphin and Thompson areas at the awards. Some groups in Manitoba met even if they have four or five and other areas have larger groups in their areas. A lot of the youth in one Chinese group in Winnipeg have earned almost all the Scout badges as their sash is filled with badges both front and back. After the main awards ceremony was over people moved around mixing to meet new and old Scouters. There were a lot of addresses exchanged. The evening ended up with everyone invited into the food area for a very good meal. James met a lot of old friends as well as meeting new ones, and this keeps his interest in the Scout Movement.
