Eighty-six-year-old ‘Scouter Wayne’ wins back his role as Scout leader

After 66 years as a volunteerwo Scout leader, Ottawa’s Wayne Hannan was incredulous when he received a letter last year, dismissing him from his cherished role as a “Scouter.”

In November 2023, Hannan’s annual application to renew his volunteer status was denied by Scouts Canada because of what a group commissioner said were “safety concerns” and a “resistance to program adaptation.”

It meant Hannan would no longer be permitted to serve as a Scouter with the 115th Sea Scout Troop in Ottawa.

“I felt very, very upset, very angry,” Hannan, now 86, recalled in an interview Tuesday. “I was very disappointed, especially since they would not respond to tell me what their concerns were all about.

“Every time they sent a letter to me, I appeared to get worse and worse,” he said. “They found more reasons to get rid of me, more things wrong with me. All of it was totally untrue. I just said, ‘Enough’s enough. This is not fair and has to be corrected.’”

Hannan hired a lawyer, and took Scouts Canada to court to reclaim his reputation and his role as Scout leader.

In a recent decision, Superior Court Justice Calum MacLeod came down resoundingly in favour of the man known as “Scouter Wayne.”

“There is little doubt that viewed objectively, the applicant (Hannan) has been treated shabbily and denied any semblance of due process,” MacLeod concluded.

The judge said the allegations made against Hannan were without substance, unsupported by evidence, and “deeply unfair to an elderly and long-serving volunteer.”

“There is not a single document, note or record produced by Scouts Canada to substantiate these concerns despite the policies … that require documentation of admonitions, warnings, or coaching support,” MacLeod said.

The judge found that Hannan’s treatment did not follow Scout Canada’s own rules and was arbitrary and discriminatory. He ordered that any new application filed by Hannan to renew his volunteer status be processed in accordance with the court’s findings.

He also awarded Hannan $50,000 in court costs.

Hannan said Tuesday he was pleased with the ruling since it meant other, long-serving volunteers would be treated fairly.

Hannan’s association with Scouts Canada began in September 1950, when, at his mother’s urging, he joined the Scouts program. His father, a railway engineer, had died in a workplace accident earlier that same year.

Hannan loved the Scouts. He hiked with them to the top of Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks, cruised down the Rideau Canal to Kingston and sailed on a tall ship, the St. Lawrence II.

He earned the prestigious Queen’s Scout award (now King’s Venturer award) and became a Scout leader in 1958. He’s been a volunteer Scout leader ever since and maintained his involvement throughout his career in the federal public service, where he worked as a clerk and warehouse manager.

In 2001, he became a Scouter with the 115th Troop of Sea Scouts. Founded more than a century ago, the Sea Scouts focus on canoeing, boating and other naval skills. Hannan worked with children aged 11-14.

After Hannan’s wife, Carolyn, died in February 2021, the Scouts also became his major source of social interaction. “This is my hobby,” he said. “I’m not interested in golf.”

Last November, when he received the letter that demoted him and restricted his duties, Hannan sought to understand how his performance had fallen short, but was unable to obtain any answers.

In court, Hannan’s lawyer filed affidavits from the Skipper of the 115th and from two parents, all of whom said Hannan was a safety-conscious and valued leader. A group of former Sea Scouts submitted a petition for Scouter Wayne’s reinstatement.

MacLeod said the only evidence that might explain what was behind the letter suggested it may have been connected to Hannan’s opposition to the way in which a former group commander, an older woman, was replaced in 2022.

“The previous long-serving commissioner was not reappointed to her position in circumstances which appear similar to those of the applicant (Hannan),” the judge noted. “The applicant was vocal about the unfairness of simply dumping a long-serving volunteer at the meeting where it was announced. One of the witnesses speculated that the two events were related and was concerned that it reflected a decision to get rid of older volunteers.”

In court, Scouts Canada argued that the organization required complete control over decisions about who to accept as a volunteer. It said policies on termination and discipline did not apply when renewing the status of volunteer Scouters.

But the judge ruled the structure of Scouts Canada, and its well-publicized policies and procedures for volunteers, meant that the relationship between the organization and its volunteers was “contractual in nature.”

A Scouts Canada spokesperson said the organization was reviewing the court ruling before deciding on next steps.

“We take the findings of the court very seriously,” said Kayleigh Kanoza, Scout Canada’s senior director of strategy and change. “Our organization is built on the dedication and passion of volunteers, and we are deeply grateful for their service, which is essential to the success of our program.

“We are committed to fostering a positive and supportive environment for all our volunteers and will continue working toward that goal,” she said.

Hannan was officially returned Monday to the roster of active volunteers with the 115th Troop.

“I’ve said all along that all I want is to be returned to my previous status,” Hannan said. “I get real satisfaction working with young people.”

Scouter Wayne celebrates his 87th birthday next week.

Andrew Duffy is a National Newspaper Award-winning reporter and long-form feature writer based in Ottawa. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe