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What would ‘ you buy with your Source.ca gift card? While some clubs still attract more females manmalcs.suchassewing,themisone4-H clup 1h?! am them equally - welding. Shrinking gnmiment and growing competition for young people's time have forced some organiz‘ations to n:- invent thetnsclws during the letccntury. they offer courses in everything from weld- ing to leadership. Some have gone (IN-d to attract members. Others have gone outside their usual wne. ethnically and gamphicafly. 4 41 isn't just for farmch anynmm. The youth group that turns It!) in 2013and was onceknown kids showoff their calves, now oflers programs in photogra- phy, history. outdoor adventure. welding and even chocolate ' The change in focus for 4-H we?» a conscious one the examination embarked upon in the 19905 to am more membem 4-H. has not. tamer. abandoned its roots as an agriculture-based organization. It still offers programs in plouyung. farm safety and mmmmmisthaeismatmmyof ‘lt’splmyneattotuveag'flnmmfledby commtetolnvedmtmmrahoudlofakidw- muMadbyahm'saidGlendammiltonpmsi- dentafflmcMA-Hhm‘afionofadmydub mmbaslrhadfiunToronto’swPu-km “lnthceqd. drgiflsmaflyviamioknawhéw to do that." Ms Winter said. Another organization that has transformed itself to remain relevant is Scouts. “4-H is‘ one of the best kept secrets in the province.” said Marie Winter. Manager of mem- ber services and development for 4-H Ontario. 4-H. like many youth organiutiom initially only attracted boys. although It was not a maleâ€"only group In the 192th it started offer- ing hqmet-‘rmking-type of programs to entice Since the l9805. acceding to Ms Winter. membelshipisamntio of females to males. COMMUNITY: Organizations g0 cooed, welcome diverse chapters to attract memgers . ‘ Youth groups Ehangé with times Originally the Boy Scouts. the orga- It worked. ‘Value systems have been sadly lacking in our school systems for many years and are just now returning. Youth groups play a critical ml: here in dcveloping our future leadm.‘ hesc amn’t your grmldpamus' youth groups. York Region. BY SANDRA BDLAN )«plullfi‘yrnrg mm “Guiding has. for the first time. not only in Ontario. but across Canada. experienced a membership growth.” said Mamie Cum- ming provincial commissioner of Ontario (Bid Guidm loanne lannuui, mmmunity guidet for Stoufiville GM Guiding. attributes the uptake Scouts hit its peak membership in the 19603 What followed was a steady decline for three decades. ‘ It was only'about 10 years ago the lst Bal- lamrae Scouts. which started in 1955, had one Beaver troop But it wasn‘t because the wenen‘t interested. I! was because there weren‘t any adults mlemed In being 'leadem. accord.- ing to Doug McDougnll. registrar for ls! Bal~ Ianu'ae Scouts “Canadian has changed so much werthcmanyyears'lhemamsomanynew and what a better way to welcome them into Canada and the scouting pro- gram." Ms Mackie said “We all need to belong This is particulany important for young people who are trying to find their way.“ said Steve Kent. chief oommis» s-ionet of Scouts Canada “We suspect parents are embracing scouting because patents are going back to those values.“ she said. ‘ The fundamental of Scouts are: duty to God. others and self. Youkmwthembest but long before scouting became co-ed. if gids wanted to take pm in outdoor adventures. they joined the Chi Guides. Scouts has not only embraced auMlivs that interest a 201] youth. it has fully embraced the area's cultural diversity. Butdlankstohardworkbyacoupleofdle volunteer leaders they did have. the group has been rejuvenated. ' “Aslomasweget'meymmgkids,wefeed them all the way.” Mr. McDougall said lnancrawlmereyoulhgroups mlghtbe thought of as uncool. how are these organiza- (ionsabletoamactandretainkids? The organization as a whole. acceding to Ms Mackie. has experienced a rewrgence over the past three years with a IDS-percent increase in Rs membership over last year alone. When Scouts started accepting girls. enrol men! for Guides dropped. Imitation chame hilly co-cd in 1998. Along with teaching outdoor skills. it now also offers those higNy-cmmed badges in smvwboarding. computer :c'chnolng): pct cam‘ and photography. In York Reg‘um. them arr- 12(1iinesv and um- Muslim grpup. "While the outdoors is still our primary Imus. we've kept up with the limes and warmed kids use these tools."lsaid Susie Macho. com- munications sgmcialiSI for Scouts (hnada. scours NOTJUST m Vatuod a WIN 1 OF 3 GIFT CARDS FROM THE SOURCE! SOURCE “In!!! AirCadels isfundedbythe Department of National Defense. in partnership with the‘AirCada leagueofmnada. but its members are not a pan ofthc military. nor am they expected to be And for the most pan, they don't enlist. The mganization is also no longer exclu- sively male. ‘ to the organizatioin listening“) what the girls want. but without compromising the organization's cpte values of friendship. fun. care and respect. That also mums no boy; a . 'Annual surveys to the membetshlp Indicate a strong desire to remain female only." Ms lannuzzi said. squadron in Whitchurch-Stouffville nf the shift that took place in the 19703. "I think we've gone a long way in terms of under standing gender equality." However. it remains a male-dominated mm with only about one-third at those enrolled being female. awmdmg m (2pc. Harvey. interested in preparing to join the Royal Canadian Air Force ip the early 19405. it now offers just about anything a youth could ask for from an-otganization: smns, leadership training, camping, music and dtimnship events ' .‘We “scammed it really shouldn't be a boys dub.“ said Captain Scan Harvey of (he mcenfly formed 70? Marion On Air Cadet But not all'is good in Guiding In 2010. about half of the organization's 33 Ontario camps were sold due to under utilization. None ofthose camps wem located inYork Region. awarding to Ms Cumming » ‘Alotofthemponsewegetfmm par- ents is that kids are doing two and three W-Wc’d pmfer we be thei: but that doesn't always happen." Said Kathleen Mfll'Phy. unit administrator for the York Region area. One youth gmle that has (fined out a unique niche is the cadets. which has air. anny and sea divisions. ' Bantam: scouts. cubs and beavers show of? their numbers a! a meeting this spring. -de 510‘!” ' FLY!" ‘ {MAL} ' (OWNS - [UKXHLIRH ' (hTIlOGlKS ' (ONYIS glyerlandsa‘ Fa man When. pt to md-mmanoca hwy/mscoutua/mx. MWDIE n‘ “mace “It takes a village to raise a child." L‘pt. Halve-y quotect "Value systems have been sadly lacking in our school systems t’nr many years and are just now mmming Youth groups ptay a critical role hmr m developing our future leaders." “A group is the start of a m-twmk that can suppon them fur the mt 0t UK‘II‘ 1m mgmdlessof the program being pun sented.” Cpt. Harvey said. However. it remains a male-dominated mm with only aboun one-mind at those enrolled being female. acamdmg m (Ept. “I‘d lilac to see it 50-50." he said. While‘kids were Scouts. Guides and‘4â€"H in the 19603 W to the l990s. the cadet orgqnizmion remained mlanwl) unknown. until 9/11. “Nth our participation in Afghanistan we Saw What the military meant to mu country.“ Cp‘t. Harvey said. m TD GIRLS ’While enrolment has since dipped sums the (hunky. it remains steady in York Region. Whether it. be cadets. Scouts, (th3th or 4-H. the one thing youth organizatiuns have in common is théy want to help nur mm a youth into becoming the best adult he or she can be. $1M? PHOTO/JIM MASON PIOOLK Y5