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New Westminster scouts to fly the city’s flag

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The 12th New Westminster Scouts will be flying the city’s flag with pride.

This July, a contingent of local scouts will head to Vancouver Island for the 2019 Pacific Jamboree, a weeklong camp where participants will enjoy a variety of activities including trading badges, rock climbing, swimming, canoeing, mountain biking, biking and more. When scouts from all over the Pacific Northwest and around the world set up their camp, it’s common practice to fly flags at campsites as a matter of differentiation and pride.

A delegation from the 12th New Westminster Scouts appeared before council on June 10 to seek permission to borrow a city flag so the scouts could fly it at their camp, along with their troop flag and the Canadian flag. In addition to representing New Westminster by flying the city’s flag, they also asked about the possibility of getting some City of New Westminster pins to trade with other scouts.

“I am going to look at staff and assume they are going to be able to dig out a flag that we have in stock somewhere,” said Coun. Patrick Johnstone. “Scouts, I believe, are very trustworthy to keep track of something that is given to them that is of value. I would move that we actually donate a flag for their permanent collection, so they can have it for future jamborees or for whatever use they have for their troop.”

In addition to providing the scouts a flag, the city also agreed to provide them with pins for trading. The scouts presented council and senior city staff with a badge they had designed for trading at the Pacific Jamboree.