Once an NSO has indicated to Scouts Canada that it has a section/group interested in participating in PPP/DPPP, Scouts Canada will do its best to facilitate a linkup. A Canadian section/group with similar interests will be identified, and a Canadian Scouter provided with the NSO’s contact information. Once the Scouters have connected, they will collect, review, collate and send their section/group’s correspondence and photos, as well as remain responsible for youth behavior. 

The Contact Scouter or the Group Commissioner of a section/group must register the section/group by contacting the National Coordinator at penpal@scouts.ca telling us what group you belong to, your area, council and if there’s a country you’d like to partner with. All participants in this program must be an active registered member of Scouts Canada. 

If you have already made friends with another group in another country, you can absolutely write to them! This is part of what scouting is all about! The Pen Pal Program/Digital Pen Pal Program are here to help groups get connected with other groups in other parts of the world. 

When you register for the Pen Pal Program/Digital Pen Pal Program, you can indicate not only what country you would like to correspond with, but also what age section, like another group of Beaver Scouts. 

Using the Pen Pal Program is a safe and secure way to make a connection. We can ensure that any group you’re paired up with is in good standing with a member organization with the World Organization of the Scout Movement. This way we can maintain our commitment to protecting our youth.

No, you will need to sign up with your section or group. The basic program format requires section/group interaction, NOT individual contact. 

To protect youth privacy, first names, ages, interests and hometown are all shareable information; personal email addresses, telephone numbers and home addresses are not. Photographs must conform to any NSO privacy rules. When meeting virtually, the “Two Scouters” rule will be observed. What this means is that two Scouters from each NSO will be online during each virtual meeting to guide its conduct. Parents are also welcome to participate in virtual meetings as observers.