THE KINGSTON SCOUT MUSEUM

The Kingston Scout Museum has been a virtual entity since August 2022. We have been re-branding and creating a new website that features 'Collections' of artifacts and 'Exhibits' describing various aspects of the history of Scouting and Kingston Scouting in particular. A Heritage Grant from the City of Kingston has enabled us to organize and photograph our artifacts. The website including the new virtual museum went live in mid-October 2023. With the museum unable to accommodate visitors volunteers have taken our artifacts out to the community by participating in events around the community.

The space the Museum has occupied for half of 2022 and all of 2023 was provided by the City of Kingston. That space afforded us the opportunity to work on our artifacts. With the website up and running the next priority was finding a new space (Our arrangement with the City ends on Mar.31st 2024). We were hoping to find another 'home' that provided both storage and work-space (We have secured such a space in April 2024). In 2023 we continued digitizing our artifacts and creating new 'Exhibits' - those Exhibits will be rolled out during 2024. In 2023 we also began a specific outreach program involving former and current 'scouters' (those being adult volunteers working with scouting youth). Our first 'Scouters' Club' involved inviting these folks out for an afternoon of renewing acquaintances viewing some of our artifacts and previewing new exhibits. This program will continue on a quarterly basis. We have also begun broader outreach programs taking our artifacts out to the public during various events in 2024 - 'March of the Museums' Kingston Heritage Fair three different Princess Street Promenades 'Movies in the Square' {tie in to 'Night at the Museum'} Scouting Bike Rodeo and the 50th Anniversary of the Beaver Program.