The Applewood Acres neighbourhood is inextricably linked with G.S. Shipp and Sons, its owners and developers. Although a first Shipp subdivision began south of the QEW in 1951, Applewood Acres as we know it (north of the QEW and east of Stanfield, then called Second Line) began in 1952, and extended to West Acres (between Second Line and Cawthra) where the development began in 1954.

A local Group Committee came together in 1953 to apply to Scouts Canada for recognition and the right to establish Scout troops, Cub packs, and Girl Guide companies in Applewood Acres. By 1970, there were four Cub packs in Applewood and four Girl Guide companies, as well as Applewood A troop and Applewood B troop (which met in the West Acres School).

Applewood A Troop formed in 1954, first meeting in the new Applewood Public School. At that time, the Haliburton Scout Reserve (as it became known) operated camps all summer for troops that were too small or unable to operate on their own. In 1955, the fledgling Applewood group – calling themselves the Blue Spruce patrol – went in buses to their first summer camp. The next summer a larger group from Applewood A went back.

The camp doctor at the Haliburton Scout Reserve was none other than Dr. Jim Anderson, who doubled as the camp’s teacher about flora and fauna. Looking to move out of the city, and having met the Applewood A boys, Jim (or “Doc” as he was known by most of the scouts) applied to the Applewood Group committee to become Scoutmaster and in 1956 began a memorable run as the driving force behind the A Troop. Dr. Anderson’s role diminished during the 60s when he took on teaching duties at the university in Buffalo, and he left the Applewood area.

In 1956, Dr. Anderson taught at the U of T’s School of Medicine, where recent graduate and Renaissance man Dr. Ken McCuaig joined him in 1958. Recently married to his Windsor sweetheart Marg, Ken moved to the Applewood area – and to the Applewood A Troop – in 1958. For reasons that have become obscure, Ken was known for years as “Scouter Tex”. Thus did string figures and ukulele enter the Applewood A program. Ken was the hub of Applewood A Troop increasingly through the 60s and until the introduction of the Venturer program in the early 70s changed the Scouting landscape. With help from Grant Dobson, Don Macauley, Steve Rogers and others, Ken oversaw the Venturer company (ages 15 – 17) until its dissolution in the late 1970s. Dr. Bill Winegard (a PhD, not an MD) swore after four war years in the Canadian Navy that he would never be cold, wet, and dirty again. But when his sons entered Scouts, and having met Jim Anderson at the U of T, Bill volunteered for some leader duties. To Jim Anderson’s delight, Bill found himself cold, wet, and dirty again at several Applewood A summer camps.

While we learned a lot from tying knots, working toward Queen Scout and Bushman thong honours, and selling apples at the plaza, most of our memories – and most of the pictures on this website – were born either at Scout camp during the last two weeks of August each summer, or during Spring Flaw, the wacky set of skits and music over a weekend near Easter.

The first Spring Flaw was produced by the Troop in the church auditorium in 1959 and continued as an annual tradition until 1969. The show was all original skits. Aside from the kind patronage of all the parents, friends, classmates, and relatives who steadfastly bought tickets each year, the show depended on everyone’s zany sense of humour and boundless energy, and featured writing bees among the scouts themselves. The leaders’ wives and other script mums cut and sewed for weeks to make the many costumes, both charming and outrageous.

The annual “Spring Flaw” 3-night performances were fun and very successful. So successful as fundraisers in fact, that the cost per scout for a 2-week summer camp, including the bus, was only $25.

AND MUSIC! At weekly Scout meetings, at camp, in the Spring Flaw, there was always song. To this day, A Troop veterans find themselves singing folk songs, spirituals, and show tunes that they learned back then. A Troop was also very fortunate to have excellent musicians. In addition to Ken McCuaig’s ever-ready ukulele, there were many excellent guitarists. At one summer camp, there were 11 guitar players – too many to mention!

The tradition of the Troop’s annual summer camp during the last two weeks of August began in 1958. Canoe trips, first-class journeys, wide games, structures of logs and rope, campfires, Bannock, sun and rain … unforgettable. It seems long ago.

A Troop was blessed with dedicated and inspired leaders, who always seemed to like kids (even teenagers!) and taught us well. We are grateful for their leadership. There can be no doubt that many dozens of boys became better men because of them.