For parents
What is Scouting?
Many of you will have been Scouts or Guides when you are younger – but others have not. Scouting is a youth movement that has been around since 1907 – our purpose is to provide your children with Skills for Life. We and other Scout groups do this by having fun and basing our activities around the Scout Promise and Law. Our aim as leaders is to ensure that all children achieve their full potential, whatever that is. The requirement to make and understand a Promise is what sets The Scout Association apart from other youth organisations and is the ‘value added’ dimension of Scouting.
How can you help?
All the Leaders and supporters in the Group our volunteers – they give up their time to organise and run Colony, Pack and Troop nights, and other activities that your young people take part in. We are always looking for more help to spread this load.
Working with young people
We can always use more help with the activities we do – whether that is a:
- a regular Leader or helper helping us at Pack meetings;
- a one off helper sharing some of your skills or hobbies with our members;
- a member of the parent rota coming along to help at one or two meetings a term;
- a camp helper (note adults who want to stay over night have to complete a Scouting DBS check)
Supporting us in other ways
Alternatively – if working with our young people is not your cup of tea or you don’t have the time to support us on section nights – there are tasks that you may be able to help with:
- Managing waiting lists and membership lists;
- HQ and equipment maintenance;
- Organising and running fund raising activities;
- Managing the financial aspects of the Group;
- Attending “Group Execs” – Scouting’s PTA! to offer feedback to the Leaders etc.
Supporting your children
Sometimes we ask your children to complete badge work we are doing outside our meetings – by completing diaries or completing small worksheets. There are lots of badges for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts that we don’t do during meetings – but your children may interested in – if they would like to work for a badge please talk to the Leaders who will check the requirements and let you know what your children need to do or demonstrate to get the badge. See the links page for these requirements.
Safety
All activities will be run in accordance with Safety Rules laid down by The Scout Association.
Insurance
No responsibility for personal equipment or clothing effects can be accepted. The Scout Association DOES NOT provide automatic insurance cover in respect of such items.
An inclusive group
We are very keen to welcome all children into the Group and can accommodate children with special educational needs, medical conditions or physical disabilities. If your child has difficulties with for example following instructions, reading or writing please let us know so that we can ensure they are properly supported during activities.
Please talk to a leader in confidence and fill in the Section’s medical form.
Similarly, please let us know if your child can’t eat a particular food or has a specific allergy. Please don’t assume that they won’t come into contact with it during a meeting it is always safer to let us know.
We try and keep our costs to a minimum, but we understand that some may still feel our fees for meetings and events prohibitive. We do not want financial matters to preclude any young person from joining the Group and taking an active part in our programme so please talk to a leader in confidence if there are any issues.