YORKTON – The Yorkon Scouts held their annual Couch Rally May 4.
The rally saw eight teams push wheeled couches around the city for the Amazing Race styled event.
"It was very much like the Amazing Race on television. They would go to each place and they had two activities to complete," told Kent Latimer, Local Group Commisioner for Yorkton Scouts, in an interview with SASKTODAY.ca.
"For example — at the cemetary they had to count the number of graves of soldiers and then their next activity was they had to clean two graves of soldiers'," said Latimer.
The Gallagher Centre, Grumpy's Grill, Patrick Park (to play frisbee golf), Scoops, City Centre Park, the Brick Mill, the Yorkton Cemetery, the Bently retirement community, St. Mary's Church and the Western Development Museum were among the Yorkyon landmarks the teams were required to visit and perform a specific activity in order to advance in the race.
"It was just absolute good fun," said Latimer.
"We had scouts from all over the province," said Latimer, noting teams from Weyburn, Hudson Bay and Regina visited the city for the event.
Latimer said 49 scouts participated in the event which he estimates represents about 40 per cent of the scouts in the province.
"Every year the teams that show up always come back and they tell their friends," said Latimer, noting that partipation has more than doubled since their inaugural event.
"It's growing," said Latimer.
Latimer said that teamwork isn't the only benefit of the youths participating in scout events like the Couch Rally.
"This develops teamwork — and especially today with the rain and the hail and sleet — it develops grit in kids," said Latimer.
"Not one of them quit. Not one of them stopped. They just kept going and they finished the race," said Latimer, adding, "they walked 13 kilometres today ... and it requires teamwork to push a couch 13 kilometres around town."
Latimer said for those interesting in enroling in Scouts, to visit the organization's website, Scouts.ca.
"I've seen a lot of kids go through the scouting program from Beavers to the end of Venturers and they are fabulous community leaders," said Latimer.
