Ask Davy Greenlees if Scouts is for just for kids.
He started in Scouts Canada when he was about 11 years old and never left.
"Through Scouts I learned the benefits of service towards the community," he said. "I have always been on the lookout for things that I can do and how I can help using any of my skills that might help somebody."
Greenlees has scaled back his volunteer role in the last year or two but remains active in Scouts Canada, the Prince George Relay For Life and the RCMP Youth Academy.
"I'm a scout leader for those aged 11 to 14, a Venturers (those aged 15 to 17) advisor and then I also am an advisor for Rovers (those aged 18 to 26)," he said. "In Venturers and Rovers the kids pretty much make up their own program and lead themselves and I'm along to make sure the programs are good and everybody's safe, registered and good decisions are being made."
Greenlees also helps the Venturers and Rovers connect with resources so they might better pursue their interests.
In the past, Greenlees served as the Scouts Canada area commissioner overseeing two territories that encompassed the Cariboo and Central Interior from Clinton to Mackenzie and from the Alberta border to Burns Lake.
"During that time I was managing the volunteers, overseeing programs and making sure everyone was supported," said Greenlees of the three-year stint. "It was nice after that to take a step back and have a breather. My primary enjoyment in it is from working directly with youth and giving them opportunities that they wouldn't normally have or even know that they have and taking them out and showing them adventure as well as the pleasure one can get in serving the community."
Under his guidance, Scouts volunteer in a variety of ways throughout the community, including participating in the Salvation Army's Kettle Campaign. In the past the Scouts had a partnership with Spruce City Wildlife Association where Scouts would do presentations when students would tour the hatchery and Scouts would also run the fishponds that could be found throughout the community at outdoor festivals like the downtown Summerfest.
The Scouts also volunteer on an ongoing basis for St. Vincent de Paul Society.
"I think of all the volunteering that I do, especially with the youth programs, it's most satisfying to see youth come back and fulfill the same kind of role - in my Scout troop right now - and I believe it's the biggest scout troop in the north - three of my leaders with me were my Scouts at one point," said Greenlees. "It comes around and they're taking on major roles so that I can be a supportive leader to them and let them be up front and that means the most to me."
Greenlees, who is also a special constable with the Prince George RCMP, takes on a role that's part-time work, part-time volunteer during the annual RCMP Youth Academy, in partnership with School District 57, held every spring break for eight days to offer those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement a glimpse of what it takes, not only physically with the depot-like boot-camp training but also police sciences.
"Those youth that go through the academy and then become police officers will contact me afterwards to let me know," said Greenlees. "It's fulfilling to see that and to have those now-young adults contacting me and saying 'look what I've done.' That gives me an opportunity to be proud of the work that they did."
Greenlees is a member of the Jeep Owners Group of Prince George, who not only off-road but also come together to raise funds for various community organizations.
Since its inception 24 years ago, Greenlees has volunteered for the Prince George Relay for Life, the only 24-hour cancer relay in Canada, that in most recent years continues to raise the most funds by a single community each year throughout the nation.
"It used to be called the Romp and Stomp, that's how far back I go with the relay," laughed Greenlees, who is a cancer survivor. "I got involved helping out on the periphery a little bit and worked on making it better and better - and bigger. I just do my best to make it the great fundraiser that it is and more important than the actual dollar amount is the community significance and the connection that people have with the event and the experience you get when you attend. I want everyone to have the same experience that I have every time. It's more than just a walk around the track (at Masich Place), it's something so much more than that."
It also gives Prince George a chance to showcase what Prince George does, said Greenlees, who is on the organizing and executive committees for the relay, co-chairing and chairing over the years.
"It's an amazing community to live in and work in and there's no shortage of people who want to come out and help," said Greenlees, who likes to blend his volunteerism by engaging the Scouts to volunteer at the Relay For Life doing site cleanup and parking lot duty.
"And that's one of the highlights for their year, too," said Greenlees, who has lived in Prince George for at least 25 years. "They always look forward to coming out and helping. To me that's pretty cool that they see the significance of that pure volunteering. Some of the kids who have been doing that for years now sit on the committee and help run the event."
By merging the volunteerism, Greenlees said he then feels it's more like one big volunteering stint with many facets to it and at the core is always youth.
"In this day and age especially when it's so easy not to be part of the community for kids and young people where it's easy to go to work and go home and play your video games and not be social or only be social via text and social media, it's pretty impressive that these young adults are out doing things and supporting the community in a way that they find important to them."
Flip through The Citizen's Volunteer City series, featuring stand-out volunteers in Prince George:
