Members of the 5th Weyburn Scouts joined scouts from across Saskatchewan at Camp Pi-anue from June 26 to July 4.

Camp Pi-anue is a semi-wilderness, progressive Scout camp that has run in the first week of summer holidays for the last 22 years. The camp was started by Don Rose of Yellow Grass, and Verne Cooke of Weyburn, and they are still Camp Chief and Assistant Camp Chief respectively.

The camp is based at Gillis Lake in the Moose Mountain Provincial Park. This year there were 91 youths with 135 participants from troops in Weyburn, Estevan, Yorkton, Esterhazy, Outlook, Assiniboia, Govan and three troops from Regina.

Camp Pi-anue offers seven stages of programming for third-year Cubs to third-year venturers. The camp gets its name from the combination of pioneering (camp construction using knots and lashings to hold tree spars together) and canoeing.

Added to these is a mix of light-weight backpacking and backwoods camping. The program also teaches first aid in a wilderness setting, orienteering, wild edibles, and provides Scouts an opportunity to experience the wilderness of the park. The week ended with a trip to the water slides in Kenosee, and challenge day on the last day.

This year the brown stage, for first-year scouts, consisted of 38 youth who had to be split into two groups. From both groups, Janelle Whitrow of Yellow Grass, a member of the Weyburn troop, received the Individual Award for personal achievement.

Steven Kerr-Lazeski, Kim Thorn, Ricky Hoffman and Chelsea deVries of the 5th Weyburn troop received the Troop award for the gold stage (third-year scouts). For the second year in a row, the entire 5th Weyburn received the camp chief award for the best campsite, which is awarded for tidiness, layout and appearance. As well, the Weyburn group was the first troop to be awarded the Norm Bohn Memorial Pioneer award by putting in the most work and best lashings for their camp gates.

Norm Bohn was an assistant provincial commissioner who supported scouting in Weyburn and at the camp, and when he died, he left a donation to the camp.

Brad Thompson presented Steven Kerr-Lazeski a handmade knife on behalf of the group, to remind him of his time with the Weyburn troop. Steven is moving to B.C.

Weyburn members who attended included leaders Brad Thompson, Rod deVries, Mike Endicott and Natasha Borth; first-year scouts were Janelle Whitrow, Dylan Grant and Jordan Chuckry; second-year scouts included Kelli Watson and Regan Froese; third-year scouts included Chelsea deVries, Ricky Hoffman, Kim Thorn and Steven Kerr-Lazeski.

Other camp staff attending from Weyburn and area included Dale and Debbie Thompson, Mark, Chris and Megan Thorn, Don Rose, Verne Cooke and Allen Johnson.

Many families and friends attended the family supper on the Saturday night in spite of the rain and bad road conditions, and helped the Scouts pack up in the mud on Sunday. These included the Watsons of Yellow Grass, Leanne Whitrow of Yellow Grass, Daimon Grant of Weyburn, the Froeses of Weyburn, and Chris Wagner of Weyburn, a past Rover with the 5th Weyburn troop.