Dear Scouters of Shining Waters Council,
On Wednesday, January 8, you may have heard the news of a plane crash in Iran, killing 176 people, including many Canadians. It is with great sadness that we now inform the entire Shining Waters Council one of the victims is
Alina Tarbhai, a current Scouter with 392nd Thornhill. She started her Scouting career as a youth in the '90s and has been a keen Scouter since 2012. Her mother is also one of the victims. Our deepest condolences to Alina's family and all those who have been impacted by this tragic event.
Alina dedicated her life to volunteering and continuously gave back to the community, through Scouting, as a teacher at the Al-Haadi Islamic Shia Study Centre (Madaresa), and the community at large. She had a beautiful heart, bringing happiness to all those around her.
Alina always had a smile on her face and kind words to share, no matter how hard things became. Kids would continue to call her Scouter Rainbow at Masjid (mosque) when they saw her not at Scouts and many years after they had left Beavers.
Since Shining Waters Council learned of this tragic news on Wednesday morning, we have been in touch with 392nd Thornhill to provide our support. Representatives from your Council Leadership Team, as well as Scouters from many local groups, had the opportunity to attend the Majlis (Vigil) for Scouter Alina on Friday evening. We also had the chance to meet Alina's father and brother in-person to thank Scouter Alina's contributions to the Scouting movement on everyone's behalf. Her father mentioned Scouting had been a big part of Alina's life since her childhood. Her brother also shared many fond memories of Alina in Scouts.
Both Alina's family and 392nd Thornhill Scout Group received many supportive words from many of you since Wednesday - through WhatsApp, social media, phone, in-person, and many other means. Both the family and 392nd Thornhill appreciated the immense support they received from the Scouting community. Thank you. While many times we are proud of our own identities, at times like this - we become one big Scouting family - backing each other with compassion. The family and Group ask that we pray for all the ones we've lost, as they continue the process of healing through time and support.
Other arrangement details will be shared as it becomes available.
While we support our fellow Scouts, sometimes, we also need support from other people. Scouts Canada retained professional counselling resources to help everyone in Shining Waters Council to cope with any challenges or difficulties we experience from this tragic event. You may find the following guide helpful:
Recovery and Coping Strategies. The guide also contains a phone number you can call to obtain additional assistance and support if you wish. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential.
We are grateful for Alina's services to Scouts - and will forever keep her in our hearts. Together, we will continue Scouter Alina's legacy.
Yours in Scouting,
Kit Cheng, Council Commissioner
Jason Gingrich, Council Youth Commissioner
Nicole Donadio, Council Relationship Manager
