It looks like fewer Island youth will have the chance to participate in scouts this year.

O'Leary, P.E.I. is set to become the latest Island community to lose its local cubs, beavers and scout programs, all because of a lack of leaders.

Frankie Dewar has been a scout leader in O'Leary for 50 years.

But Dewar, 81, says the last year of scouts has been tiring and she doesn't have another season in her.

"Oh I was exhausted," said Dewar. "You know you run out of, I don't know if it's energy, spunk or initiative."

Without Dewar it looks like there won't be any scouts program in O'Leary. There were barely enough leaders last year to supervise the 30 kids in beavers, cubs and scouts. This year, there's only Dewar.

Geoff Tucker is Area Commissioner for the P.E.I. Scouting Council. He says this isn't the first time a lack of volunteers led to burnout, and the end of a local group.

"The leaders found they themselves were doing the registration," said Tucker. "They were doing the fundraising, the everything. It just got to be overload."

The number of kids involved in scouts on P.E.I. has dropped dramatically since 1999 when 784 youth were led by 293 adult leaders. Those numbers are now down to 264 youth with 88 leaders. 14 local groups have shut down in that time.

Frankie Dewar says she hopes enough people will come forward to keep O'Leary going, but says it's unlikely.

She says when parents don't get involved, it's their kids who miss out.

"I think we've had a lot of fun together," said Dewar.