Here is the order things go in.  

Today (December 24) is Christmas Eve.  That is followed by Christmas Day and then comes Boxing Day.

After that, any day can be "throw out your once majestic pine tree that now looks like a refugee from a Charlie Brown Christmas with only a few needles left on it,' day.

And when you do plan to get rid of your well used real tree, give the 1st Airdrie Scouts a shout and let them recycle it.

Scout Leader Rob Noble says once again the troop will be performing civic duty by getting rid of people's no-longer-wanted trees.  Noble says they'll be doing the job this year according to the rules around gatherings.  "This year the scouts are going to be going around just in their own family groups.  The scouts with their own parents driving around with a truck and a trailer picking up Christmas trees from all the places that have signed up."

Noble explains that the 1st Airdrie Scout troop has done the "tree-cycle" as a community service for a number of years now.  It's grown in popularity among Airdronians from around 100 trees a few years back to last year when they recycled 269 trees.  

Donations are welcome for recycling but not necessary according to Noble.  2020 has been a year where not much scouting has gone on but he is hopeful that things will get better in 2021.  "Right now we're not meeting in person and we're still having to do our meetings online but sometimes we put together different packages that we can all work on together so we're still needing supplies for that.  Eventually, we will get back to in-person and there will be camps and hikes and our groups are all looking forward to planning a multi-night summer camp or hike in the warmer season."

COVID-19 ruined many people's exciting plans, including the scouts who had been planning a hike in the Grand Canyon in 2020.  "That's one thing that was put on hold and I'm not sure if it's going to happen but we're trying to replace that with something a little more local so there's a higher chance of it happening," he says.

The scouts first recycling day will be on Sunday, December 27th.  Subsequent ones will go on January 2nd and 3rd with the final one on the 9th for diehard Christmas lovers.

While the virus has made many fundraisers less successful, Noble doesn't think that may happen to the scouts.  "I think with the government opening up free permits to go out to crown land to cut down your own tree.  I think that has encouraged more people to try and have a live tree this year.  I think live trees kind of have an extra special element of Christmas. It seems like, from what I've heard, there a lot more people that have gone to a live tree this year."

You can book a tree pick up by going HERE and also make a donation to assist the 1st Airdrie Scouts with their many projects.  

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