Remembrance Day

All Sections (youth and Scouters) attend the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Armories and the cenotaph. We are in full uniform and wear a poppy. As this is a formal event, Scouters are encouraged to wear any medal received (Medal for Good Service, Medal of Merit, etc.)

We marshal on Queens Ave. between the Armories and Queens Avenue United Church. We are always last in the parade, so gather towards Tipperary Park. We typically arrive around 10:00 and the parade starts marching at about 10:30 or a bit earlier.

The typical order for the parade is:

• Parade Commander
• Youth bearing the Canadian flag
• Youth bearing the Section flags in the order (l-r) Scouts World, Scouts Canada, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers, Rovers.
• Beavers with Section Scouters
• Cubs with Section Scouters
• Scouts with Section Scouters
• Venturers and Rovers
• Group Committee

Two Scouts are honored with the task of laying the 12th New Westminster Scouts wreath alongside those of the other dignitaries. They can break off from the parade and pick up the wreath from a tent on the front lawn of City Hall or the wreath can be picked up from the Legion in the week before the service.

After the ceremony at the cenotaph, we parade clockwise around the City Hall block and end up between the Armories and by Queens Ave. United Church at approximately 11:45.

A wreath is typically ordered by our Group (~$70). It is ordered from the Legion on 6th St.

Often the Coho Area designs commemorative patches for the event. The deadline to order is typically a few days after Remembrance Day. Typically the contact is Patrick McCarthy or Rob Clayton.

Things to remember to do before the event:

• Order a wreath from the Legion (a #14 wreath) by emailing rcl2poppyfund@outlook.com or contacting the Legion.
• Confirm the plan with the City and/or The Royal Westminster Regiment. Contact at the Regiment is typically Capt. Desaulniers at (604) 666-4373, Richard.Desaulniers@forces.gc.ca
• Pick up the Section flags and the leather flag carrying belts from the locker. Ensure whoever is doing this, arrives on time!
• In the Group Committee meeting, discuss and agree whether we are ordering commemorative patches for the youth and Scouters who attended. We have done this for many years and we also give the same patch to members who participate in the Veteran Grave cleaning.
• Sometimes the City will ask a representative to recite In Flanders Fields.
• An Adventure Application Form (AAF) is required.

Things to remember to do on the day of the event:

• Before the Armories service, send two Scouts to pick up the wreath from the tent on the lawn in front of City Hall.
• Section Scouters to assign a flag bearer from each Section.

Parade/ceremony protocol

We are not a military organization and therefore marching is not our thing... we are more of a blob. That being said, there is some protocol we should follow and reviewed with the Scouters/Youth in the week before the ceremony.

• Follow the nearby cadets and when they are called to attention, we should stand at attention.
• Same thing for calling at ease.
• Scouters should salute (Three fingers of right hand with thumb holding down the little finger. Hold close to the temple.) for O Canada, Last Post/2 Minutes of Silence/Rouse, and God Save The King.
• During the Last Post/2 Minutes of Silence/Rouse, the flags should be lowered (drop tip to 45 degrees).
• During the march along Royal Ave., we parade past the officials. At this point only the Parade Commander salutes the officials. The remainder of the contingent just marches.

Things to remember to do after the event:

• Order the commemorative patches. They are typically offered by Rob Clayton, robwclayton@hotmail.com with cheques payable to 1st Port Coquitlam Scouts.

Some history

In the past, we met at the Queens Ave. United Church. We sat together and filled the first 4 pews on the right hand side and watched the ceremony from there (it was broadcast from the Armories). The church service started at 10:00, but everyone was to be in the church and seated by 9:30. After the service, we paraded down to City Hall and marshaled between City Hall and the Cenotaph. After the service there, we paraded clockwise around the block and back up to the Church where we dispersed.

In 2015, the service in the Church was eliminated and, by invitation, we joined the service in the Armories. They told us that this was for youth and Scouters only and there was not enough room in the Armories for parents to attend but the public streamed in and the place was packed to the rafters (so get there early). After the service, the Scouters, Rovers, Venturers, Scouts, Cubs, and Beavers assemble on Queens Ave. with Section flags and be ready to march down 8th Ave. to the cenotaph for 11:00.

After Covid, the service in the Armories was eliminated.

The wreath used to be ordered by the Guild and we used to forward the original receipt for the wreath to the Area Commissioner and are reimbursed by the Area. With the collapse of the Guild and the dissolution of the Areas, the Group takes care of this now.