When Deryck Robertson began his first summer in Scouts at 11 years old, he had no camping experience apart from The Salvation Army’s junior music camp. He was invited to Camp Madawaska on the border of Algonquin Park, Ont., where his Scouts group was set to paddle canoes from the lodge to a nearby island to build lean-tos and sleep overnight.

“It poured rain and the lake was angry,” explains Robertson. “My sleeping bag fell into the water, and it wasn’t waterproof. We tried to build shelters in the rain, and it was a miserable night. But during it all, I thought, This is so awesome.”

Since then, Robertson has had many similar experiences that inspired his passion for the outdoors. “It’s in those moments that I think to myself, I can do this because I didn’t give up,” says Robertson. “For a lot of young people, there is a moment when you realize there is adversity, but you got through it. Once I got a taste for that, I knew it was for me.”

Now, Robertson leads the Scout group at Peterborough Temple, Ont., where he watches young people experience that same sense of wonder as they discover nature and God’s creation.

Paying It Forward

Robertson grew up in Toronto where he attended Danforth Citadel, now Agincourt Temple Community Church. In his youth, he participated in junior band, singing company, scouting and eventually senior band and songsters.

“My parents put me into scouting, and that’s where my passion for the outdoors started,” explains Robertson, who ended up taking over the Cub pack at Agincourt before moving to Peterborough for school. “After my first year attending Peterborough Temple, the young people’s sergeant-major asked me if I’d be willing to run Scouts here. Thirty years later, I’m still doing it.”

Robertson began his post-secondary journey at Fleming College in Peterborough where he studied forestry. Later, he studied biology and environmental science at Peterborough’s Trent University, in addition to earning a teaching degree.

“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Doesn’t learning about and exploring science lead you away from God?’ ” he says. “But it doesn’t. As I learn about all these connections in nature, it becomes clearer in my mind that this is not chance. The intricacies of nature are too infinitesimally small to just be random.”

Now, Robertson works as a Grade 7 teacher and aims to be a leader and mentor to young people. “I look back on people such as Bill Chinnery, my junior bandmaster, and Cliff Cummings, who led beginner band, who were mentors to me and other young people at my corps. They watched us grow up and take our places in the world, and I imagine that is pretty cool to see,” says Robertson. “I always look for ways to pay that forward. People invested in me as a young person, and now I invest in the lives of kids through scouting, corps cadets and teaching. I think that’s important.”

Scout’s Honour According to Robertson, scouting in The Salvation Army dates back to the early 20th century. At the time, the Boy Scouts were already an active organization throughout the world, but co-Founder William Booth wanted the Army to have its own scouting organization as a form of ministry and outreach. Today, international Scout groups are run by various Salvation Army territories, with Canadian groups operating under Scouts Canada.

For Robertson, scouting is about fostering leadership qualities, teamwork and a love of the outdoors in children. He also sees it as a bridge between the church and the community. In his own group, he has had the opportunity to work with kids from various backgrounds, including children from Nigerian and Syrian families new to Canada, introducing them to scouting and The Salvation Army.

“One of our leaders was part of a team that helped resettle families from Syria, and all six kids came out to Scouts,” Robertson shares. “They couldn’t speak any English, but they were welcomed as part of our group. It was great to communicate with them and see their growth over the years, to welcome them into a group where they could come every week and have social time, learn some skills and go camping.”

Scouting has also been a means of connection beyond Canadian borders, as many Salvation Army scouting groups are still thriving in Europe. Robertson recounts international scouting experiences, including camping with corps in England and hosting Scouts from Sweden in Canada. These connections, he believes, create links to Army groups worldwide and provide an opportunity that many kids may not have had if they were not involved in Scouts. “I tell the children at Scouts and those that I teach, you will have opportunities in your life to do things that you would not have if you didn’t have these skills,” he says.

More Than Words

When he isn’t exploring the outdoors or teaching others, Robertson writes poetry often inspired by his connection with nature. “God gives us passions, and being outside is mine. When you’re outside, there’s a lot of time just to sit there with nature, and be inspired and at peace,” he says. Robertson has published several works including a book of poetry entitled All We Remember, which was published in 2021.

As a Christian writer, Robertson says that his writing process has spiritual input. He enjoys narrative, creating a storyline and evoking emotion and feeling through words.

“We don’t have all the answers, but we know we can get answers from God,” he says. “My favourite line in any Army song is from O Boundless Salvation, and goes back to William Booth: ‘My tempers are fitful, my passions are strong.’ Those are human emotions we all have, and I don’t steer away from writing about those emotions.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Robertson founded Paddler Press, a platform that publishes anthologies of poems and connects poets from across the world, including countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, India, the Philippines, the United States and Canada.

According to Robertson, the first book published by Paddler Press was supposed to be a one-off anthology of poetry inspired by Tom Thomson, a Canadian painter who, like Robertson, was inspired by the natural world.

“I was amazed at the submissions,” says Robertson. “I had poems submitted from all over the world, and I had people say, ‘Who is this Tom Thomson guy?’ And they started learning about Canadian history through it. So I thought, This is great. Let’s just keep it going.”

Since then, Paddler Press has published many volumes of poetry, such as Changes, Grace Notes, History, Roots & Wings and more. In December, it celebrated the publication of its 10th volume, a collection of poetry for children called Outside/Inside:New Poems for Children.

Part of Mission 

Within The Salvation Army, Robertson uses his passions and artistry to share the love of Jesus, and has been a member of the Canadian Staff Songsters, alongside his wife, Heather, since its inception in 2016.

“Being part of the staff songsters has been a real blessing, and I get to do it with my wife,” he says proudly. “I really believe in our ministry. We’ve received letters and notes from people who have mentioned how much they appreciated the ministry and fellowship. We’re interacting with people and spending time with people. That’s a huge part of our mission.”

For Robertson, both scouting and singing in the Army is a way to reach out to the community and invite them in. “We have people that aren’t associated with church, and these are the perfect opportunities to invite them to a concert or to Scout Sunday,” he says. “We hope it’s something they will experience and think, Maybe we’ll come back.”

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