Tashme Scouts and Guides

Tashme Wolf Pack, NNM 1995.101.2.

Parents and adult leaders were eager to form Boy Scout and Girl Guide groups in Tashme, partly to provide continuity for the children and partly to keep them constructively occupied.

Shige Yoshida, who was part of the Boy Scout organization in Chemainus before being sent to Tashme, was the organizer and leader of the Tashme Boy Scouts. Cubmaster Vic Kadonaga led the Cub Scouts, with 48 young boys organized in eight groups of six to a cub pack. The Tashme Stars, similar to Girl Guides, was organized for the girls in the camp.

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Outdoor Group Portrait of the First Tashme Boy Scout Group; Tashme, BC

This image shows four rows of boys in boy scout uniforms posing for an outdoor group portrait in Tashme, BC. Two men in suits and ties sit at the front center of the group. Behind them are two flags: one displaying the union jack and the other unidentified. Trees are visible behind the group. The text appearing at the bottom of the photograph reads, "1st TASHME BOY SCOUT GROUP / SECOND ANNIVERSARY/ FEBRUARY 25 1945".

1945

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Group Portrait of the Tashme Boy Scouts in Front of Forest; Tashme, BC

This image consists of roughly four rows of young boys dressed in boy scout uniforms of shorts, collared shirt, scarves, and hats. The first row is seated on a wooden bench, the two on their left have their hands on their laps, while the rest of the boy s have their arms crossed over their chests. The back three rows are all standing. The boys on the leftmost edge, and rightmost edge, of the second row are both holding flags. The boy on the left is holding what appears to be the flag of England while the flag of the boy on the right cannot be identified. In front of the first row are two smaller Boy Scout pendants crossed behind a small cup.

Circa 1943

Boy Scouts Hold Torch Parade, Receive Medals in Ceremony

TASHME. With youthful scouts bearing high their 110 torches, a brilliant Torch Parade around the entire settlement here was a highlight of ceremonies performed by the first Tashme Boy Scout Troop marking their first anniversary during International Scout Week on Feb. 23. The ceremonies were also featured by the presentation of awards to outstanding scouts at a mass rally attended by some 400 people and by a mass investiture of the entire troop led by M L Brown of the BC Security Commission. Placement Commissioner George C Collins, in a brief address, assured the rally that he was anxious to give the scout work every possible assistance in the future.

Several short talks were given by Tashme personages; including .W. Hartley, Tashme supervisor; Mitsuyuki Sakata representing the judo club; Dr. McNeill, Honorary Group Committee member;. Mrs. Miye Uyeda, on behalf of the school teachers; Bob Kadoguchi, Tashme Youth Organization and Mr. Brown.

Awards Given – Awards were presented after the scouts marched into the hall to the strains of "Pomp and Circumstance", lining up at attention. Scoutmaster Shige Yoshida opened the ceremonies with a short talk and introduction of the guest, following which he presented the awards.

These were as follows: Silver medals for individual all-round scouts: Kazui Fukumoto, Sishi Tahara; bronze medals: Richard Masuda, Kazuo Kadonaga, Shuzo Sumi, Mitsuo Tanomiye. Patrol Awards: Fox Patrol, including Patrol Leader Fukumoto, and Jim Morita, Akiyoshi Nagami, Henry Oki, Hisao Wakabayashi, Yoshitaro Minato and Genichi Ohashi. Stag Patrol, including Patrol Leader Arnold Arai and Yoshiyuki Misumi, Fumio Abe, Shuzo Sumi, John Hatashita, Mikio Seki, Yoshio Fukumoto, Koji Morishita.

The International Scout Yell, conducted by Vic Kadonaga, acting scoutmaster, and a skit “Murder at Short Notice” directed by Mr Kadonaga, rounded out the first half of the program.

Lit Up Brightly. The second half commenced, with the Torch Parade under the supervision of Tsutomu Kawabe and George Watanabe. It was the first time Tashme was lit up so brightly with the torchlight reflected from the .white snow.

After the parade the scouts themselves enjoyed themselves at games and then the best part of the program took place in the classroom of “D" building which had been arranged by assistant scoutmasters Hideo Okawara and Kazuo Oiye. Soft drinks and fruit was donated by the Tashme Youth Organization, which sponsors the scout work.

Musical items were performed by Bobby Ito and Vic Kadonaga who also directed the indoor camp fire to the great enjoyment of the boys. Among scouts present were Jimmy Collins and Jimmy Rolfe, visiting from a West Vancouver scout troop.

from New Canadian, March 11, 1944

Shige Edward Yoshida