Camporee's Chief Visited by Father, Resident of Malta

WALLACEBURG (Max Heath) - Virgil Vella of Senglea, Malta, making his first visit to Canada; dropped in on 100 scouts participating in the 10th annual scout camporee at Sydenham Valley Scout Camp near Wilkesport.
His visit to the campsite was two-fold. He was visiting his son, Thomas Vella-Zarb, of Wallacebung, whom he had not seen in eight years and who was Camp Chief for the Wallaceburg and District Council. He had also camped at Point Pelee and the Pinery, so the trip to the camp site served as a means of checking upon "real" camping.

Mr Vella, a civilian clerk at the British naval base in Malta, had also visited a daughter in St. Thomas, whom be had not seen in eight years and a brother in St. Thomas wham he had not seen in 18 years. A visit to Niagara Falls was also included in his travels, along with the outdoor camping.
TRAVEL EASY - "Travelling in Ontario seems so easy", he remarked, "distance does not count here -- in Malta 14 miles is a long ways." Mr. Vella's seven-week holiday ends next Saturday, and the one thing he will remember about this section of Ontario is that it all looks alike, the country, he noted, "does not change from Windsor to St. Thomas." Mr. Vella spoke of high unemployment in his homeland, where they have had to rely on the British and their naval base. "The island was built like a fortress," he added, "but now it is not needed -- and we have no industry to fall back on. "We don't even have raw materials which might attract an industry"
However, they are not taking it "sitting down." Government officials have granted the spending of half a million dollars for a re-building program. He said it was planned to turn the island into a tourist centre. New hotels are under construction now, as the 300,000 population moves to guarantee its future.

Al Paque, June Peckford, and Tom Vella-Zarb at Scout Council Presentation Night. June received her Pack Scouters Basic Training, Tom received the Part I Wood Badge for Troop Scouters, Extension diploma in Venturing.

Courtesy, THE CHATHAM NEWS, June 22, 1967

Plans for Scout Week - Wallaceburg and area Scout and Guide leaders meet to plan Interdenominational Church Services on February 27. Services conducted by Scout and Guide Leaders, will be held to observe the close of Guide and Scout week. From left: Al Pacque, District Cub Master, Mrs. Leonard Verbeem, Brownie Leader, Fred Tompkins, District Commissioner, Tom Vella-Zarb, District Scout Master, all of Wallaceburg.

Courtesy THE WALLACEBURG NEWS

Scout Camporee - Among 350 scouts from Ontario and Michigan who attended a camporee at Sydenham Valley Scout Camp, Wilkesport,over the weekend were, from left: Vincent Sciberras, St. Thomas, Robert Wolf, Wallaceburg, Keith Lapointe, Sarnia, Robert Friedlibe, Lansing, Michigan, and Scoutmaster Tom Vella-Zarb, Wallaceburg. Photo by Hamilton

Crew Wood Badge at Blue Springs, 1966