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Parent Helper

Did you know that you don't need to be a Scouter to volunteer with Scouts? We need Parent Helpers regularly to support local Groups in various ways.

Scouting is a family activity. Parents sharing the experiences their child has through Scouting brings families closer together. If you are a parent of a child in Scouts there are a variety of ways to share in these experiences without becoming a Scouter.

Each Group can use help in small (or big) ways and in many cases it's for simple tasks that are suited for those with occasional, limited time. Each bit of help means that your child's Scouter has more time to focus on prep time, the Group activity, or other responsibilities.

Check out some Parent Helper opportunities below then connect with your child’s Scouter to see what needs you could fill!

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Parent Helper Jobs

Connect with your child's Scouter for these and similar jobs where your help would be invaluable!


Help Area How You Can Help
Area Camp Helpers These roles are specific to the camps being held and will vary. Large camps create lasting memories for the youth and Scouters but they also require a lot of support. Consider helping the Scouters planning the activities by: helping with camp prep (for the activities); helping the day of camp; or helping with the clean up. Volunteers are always welcome!
Camp Helper
 Do you love being at camp? Why not help out at your child's next camp? Scouters handle everything from camp set up, to meal prep, daily activities, clean up and more. Consider helping with meal prep, activities or camp maintenance to help the camps run even smoother for the youth and the Scouters!
Communication
 Are you organized and easily reachable? You might be the perfect person to be the parent phone tree/call list/text list lead when the Section is away from their primary meeting site. It would be your job to notify the other parents if there is a delay or an emergency.
Cooking
 Do you love cooking? Why not share that love with the youth! This can be done at regular meetings or at camp.
Environment and Lore
 Do you know a lot about nature and the tales that go along with it? Share your love and passion for the outdoors and stories with the youth at campfires, either at a meeting or at a camp.
Fundraising Assistant
 Not all adventures are free. Help send your child and all of the youth in the group on awesome adventures by helping to organize fundraisers. Fundraising takes the help of a lot of people to make it work - and every little bit counts!
Organization and Planning
 Camps and outings take lots of planning to be successful. Help the Section by assisting with some of these tasks; this can include grocery shopping with the youth, helping to organize the gear, drying the gear after camp, or managing the lost and found items. Many hands make light work!
Resource Person Do you prefer helping from behind the scenes? Scouters need a lot of supplies to make meetings and camps work. Why not share your skills by helping to prepare some of those materials from home? If you have some extra time, why not offer to pick up some supplies? Every little bit helps!
Singing/Music/Art/Drama Creative Expression is one of our key Program Areas and is an essential part of Scouting. Share your passion with the youth by leading them in songs or skits at a campfire or meeting. Is playing an instrument or drawing more your style? Why not share that with the youth? Scouting is all about developing well rounded youth and the fine arts play into that!
STEM It defines the world. Science-Technology-Engineering-Math. If your passion is STEM, consider helping the Scouters with some STEM activities. Just as Science is a widely varied discipline, so are the types of activities youth can do. Help youth learn about computers by taking apart old ones and reassembling them; learn about trajectory by playing life sized Angry Birds in the gym with box forts; help them build quinzees in the snow and explain why they are stable shelters; the options are endless!
Woodworking Who doesn't love the smell of sawdust or the calming motion of sanding a newly created work of art? Are you handy with tools and would like to share those skills with the younger generation? If this sounds like you, consider signing up to help with Kub Cars, bat/bee houses or with many of the other woodworking style activities that our groups do.

Parent Helper FAQ

As a Parent Helper do I need to be in Scouts to volunteer?

No. If you are a parent to a child in Scouts, you may volunteer as a "Parent Helper" to your child's Group.

Yes, however, Scouters (Group leaders) can better prepare if they know in advance who can help and for which tasks. Please reach out to your child's Scouter.

No. While we would love to say "yes", there are some limitations. Please connect with your child's Scouter.

Yes. There are lots of jobs that you can do from home. E.g. preparing crafts, making phone calls etc.

Yes, you just need to watch a short video, Safe Scouting for Parents and sign a code of conduct. Some jobs (first aid or camp cook) will require a police record check in addition.

Serving thousands of adult and youth Scouts across Northwest Territories, northern and central Alberta, the Northern Lights Council carries out Scouts Canada’s mission of developing well-rounded youth prepared to make the world a better place.

Edmonton - Prairies Service Centre
14205 – 109 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5N 1H5

Office: 1-780-454-8561
Shop: 1-780-454-8561 x229
Toll Free: 1-800-480-2054

Fax: 1-780-451-5333
Email: northernlights@scouts.ca