Cape Dorset (Dec 13/04) - Scouts Canada now has a group of Scouts and Cubs ready for action in Cape Dorset.

Ten Cubs, 20 Scouts and their leaders, including Cary Merritt, Miles Voakes and Joe Vautour, officially became members of Scouts Canada during a ceremony at the community hall on Nov. 27.

Peter Ottokie, a Grade 7 student at Sam Pudlat school, wanted to be a Scout because, "It's fun," he said on the phone while home from school due to a blizzard last week.

The uniforms are pretty spiffy, too, the 12-year-old said.

"They are pretty colourful," he said.

Scouts has a long history in Canada dating back to 1908.

Today there are 25 million youth and adults, boys and girls involved in Scouts in 216 countries and territories around the world.

Cubs are ages eight to 10, Scouts range between 11-13.

Scouts teaches good behaviour, life skills and overall preparedness, said Merritt.

The famous Scout motto is "Be Prepared."

Inuit traditionally have always been prepared, too.

Scouts Canada listened to feedback from organizers in Cape Dorset and developed Northern badges for the kids to earn, including iglu building, traditional sewing, pet care, traditional cooking, qamutik making and snowmobile safety.

Merritt said that in the spring, he hopes to get all the materials to build wooden racing cars, part of the Cubs program.

"The kids will learn how to assemble their own little race cars," he said

"There is a four-lane track, too, elevated, like a Hot Wheels track, and we hold races."

This is all great as far as Ottokie is concerned.

But what is he really looking forward to learning at Scouts?

"I want to learn how to tie knots," he said without hesitation. "Any kind."

Scouts meet in Dorset Monday and Tuesday nights at the community hall.

Volunteers willing to help out are always welcome, said Merritt.