The sizzle of hamburgers and smell of onions wafted from All Secure Storage’s parking lot, as the company celebrated three milestones and fundraised for an international Scouting trip.
Located at 1403 Caribou Street East, the business held a barbecue on Sept. 22 to celebrate its 12th birthday, the fact it has been a U-Haul dealer for 10 years, and the fact it has been under new ownership for five years. Perched on the condiment table was a jar to collect donations for a Scouting jamboree in Australia in 2022.
Kent Latimer, owner of All Secure Storage and a Venturer Scout advisor, explained he is in charge of organizing the Canadian contingent that will head Down Under in 18 months. He pointed out it will cost $5,000 for each youth to participate; 10 Scouts from Saskatchewan are expected to attend the jamboree, although he was unsure how many youths from Moose Jaw would attend.
“Jamborees are life-changing (events) for these kids,” Latimer said as he flipped burgers, adding with a chuckle that even though his organizational role is one big unpaid job, he loves doing it.
The World Scouting Jamboree was held last year in West Virginia, an event that Latimer attended. He recalled that the energy of the Scouts and leaders was so electric that it could have (metaphorically) powered a small city.
The event in Australia is that country’s jamboree, but it has opened up the multi-day pilgrimage to other Scouting troops worldwide; 16 countries have committed to attending.
The pandemic has made holding Scouting meetings difficult, as provincial guidelines have eliminated any overnight camping trips, Latimer said. Most groups have moved online and are meeting via Zoom, while leaders attempt to keep things exciting.
“(It’s been) touch and go. It’s not like being out camping and hiking,” he continued. “(However,) we have kids doing badge work.”
The pandemic also forced the cancellation of six jamborees across the world this summer.
Anyone interested in supporting the Scouts’ fundraising efforts can email aj2022canadacont@gmail.com.
Besides Scouting, Latimer was also excited to talk about the accomplishments of his business during the past year. He pointed out there are 21,000 U-Haul dealers across North America, and this year alone, his dealership made the company’s Top 100 three times, including reaching positions of 84th, 42nd, and 10th recently.
“Lots of dealers never make that list,” he added. “So, we’re proud of that.”
