September 2010
CHAMBOREE 2010 – A FANTASIC WEEK!
JOIN THE ADVENTURE THE SCOUT ASSOCIATION CHESTER AND DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL District Centre: adjacent Westlea County Primary School Weston Grove Chester CH2 1QJ E: enquiries@chesterscouts.org.uk T: 01244 398635 Registered charity no. 511406
ANOTHER GREAT CAMPING SEASON! Eight of our Groups camped at Chamboree 2010. Well done to them and many thanks to the organisers who produced a great experience for everyone who took part. Beavers visited on the first Sunday and were able to see the display of medieval jousting! Other Groups and Units camped in Llanberis, Llandrillo, Ireland, Dorset, Cornwall and Ambleside and narrow boated on the Black Country Ring.
this summer getting sorted out so that in the autumn you will be able to benefit from his vital involvement in adult training.
GANG SHOW ON THE MOVE! Our Gang Show will take place as usual at the half term in February 2011. But because of building work at the King’s School we are unable to go there for the show. This is a great disappointment as we have enjoyed excellent relationships with the school and the shows have been great.
Please don’t forget to send in form NAN before you go to camp. This is a condition of the Nights Away Permit.
However, another partner has been identified and the show will run at the Catholic High School. We look forward to working with them and to enjoying even more support from people in Scouting and the general public. Make sure you buy tickets and encourage others to do the same!
CHIEF SCOUT’S SERVICE AWARDS
GILWELL 24
Many congratulations to those who have received recognition of their service to the Movement:
Gilwell Park was the best place to be on the middle weekend in July as thousands of Explorer Scouts enjoyed the annual activity extravaganza that is Gilwell 24.
Another good summer season of camping – keep it up, it’s one of the main reasons why youngsters join Scouting: to go camping.
50 years Eric Plenderleath, District Vice President 30 years Christine Owens, DCSL, CSL 18th Chester (St Mary’s) 25 years Arthur Brighton, District Appointments Administrator, Adviser for radio technology Ian Harrison, Pack Assistant 1st Tarporley 10 years Vicki Courtney, ACSL Cestrian Emma Ivens, ACSL 18th Chester (St Mary’s) Karen Shearsmith, Group Assistant 42nd Chester Stephen Smith, SL 1st Farndon 5 years Jordan Smith, ASL 8th Chester Helen Willman, 48th Chester (St Columba’s)
Doing a full 24 hours of activities is a challenge in itself but undertaking the task on one of the hottest days of the year is quite another. However, the soaring temperatures proved to be no barrier to those adventureseekers who were determined to run, jump, fly, climb, swim, speed and laugh their way through the festivities. With classic activities such as climbing, zorbing, quad biking, mountain boarding and much, much more, including many new activities, it was an adrenaline-filled couple of days. Although just walking around the site was exciting enough as bumping into old friends and meeting new people is normal behaviour at Gilwell 24. Well done to all those Chester Explorers who took part!
DISTRICT MEETING – 2 SEPTEMBER The meeting on 2 September will be Sectional – separate meetings for each Section and for Group Scout Leaders. Agendas will be sent out separately.
LOCAL TRAINING MANAGER We are delighted to let you know that Richard Johnson has been appointed Local Training Manager for Chester. He will continue with the 42nd Chester and arrangements for a successor for Richard as Assistant District Commissioner (Beaver Scouts) will be made as soon as possible. Richard will we are sure bring his usual enthusiasm to this new challenge for him and he can count on the District's support for his efforts. He has been spending some time
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SANDSTONE BEAVERS COMPLETE BEESTON HIKE Beaver Scouts from 1st Sandstone raised £1,000 for the charity “Children on the Edge” on Saturday 3 July by hiking 6 miles along the Sandstone Trail. 16 Beavers set off from their Scout Hut on Bickerton Hill at 10 o’clock, had a picnic lunch in Bulkeley Woods, and all arrived safely at Beeston Castle at 2.00 pm where they spent two hours exploring the castle. In perfect hiking weather they stopped off along the way to explore the caves at Rawhead and Droppingstone Well and played in the woods. They were accompanied by 15 parents and leaders, making a great family day out to start drawing the year to a close.
If you aren’t clear about where you might fit in, contact any of the three managers or the District Commissioner. There is a leaflet available which gives more detail.
WOOD BADGES Many congratulations and thanks to the latest Leaders in the Distruct to earn the Wood Badge for their current appointments: Sue Darlington CSL 1st Malpas Dave Evans ADC (Adult Support)
Next year all Beaver Scouts in Chester District are invited to take part on 25 June when we hope to make the Beeston Hike an annual midsummer event for Beaver Scouts.
MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION INCREASE At the Board of Trustees meeting on 26 June 2010, it was agreed that the annual national membership fee would be raised slightly. For 2011 the subscription will now be £20.25 with a 50p reduction to £19.75 for early payment. The rise has been kept as low as possible and reflects the UK’s rise in inflation, as well as a means to invest more in the development of Scouting. In the last three years this has included improved training and training materials, effective campaigning to prevent rises in water bills for local Scout Groups, continued delivery of Scouting magazine and all six section supplements, and providing more focused support for local Groups, Districts and Counties to grow Scouting.
SCOUT ACTIVE SUPPORT A term you have been hearing increasingly is Active Support – the new name for the Scout Fellowship. The aim is to provide a slot for any adult who would like to help us but can’t offer support at Group level. We shall have three Active Support Units in Chester District: Scout Fellowship ASU – managed by John Riley Activities – managed by Roger Hewitt Gang Show – managed by Keith Harding
NEWS FOR CHESTER SCOUTING
The District Executive had a long and careful debate about our budget and decided (as previoulsy announced in 2008) that an increase in the District membership fee is necessary. It was announced in 2008 that the fee for 2010 would be £3 and for 2011, £3.50. Even then, this will mean that our 2011 fee will only be 5p more than it was in 1997. And this is without taking into account the increase in services to which we are committed and of course the increase in costs we all face. We are lucky to have reserves on which we can draw but our budgets recently have been in deficit and we need to make sure that we don't reduce our funds too much. Even with the slight increases, Scouting remains one of the most affordable extra curricular activities for young people today and we will ensure that it continues to be so in the future.
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HILL WALKING TRAINING The next hill walking course is being held at Yr Hafod in Snowdonia from 8pm Fri 29 – 4 pm Sun October 2010. There will be different levels of training available T1 training, T1 assessment, T2 training and T2 assessment. The cost of the course is £50 covering accommodation, food, training etc. If you need any further details then please contact Andrew Wood on 07801 450792 or 10606 860798
FOR YOUTH’S SAKE
valued for the vital role they play in their communities.
CYP Now cannot do this alone. That’s why they are asking young people, parents, children’s and youth organisations and practitioners to sign their online pledge. They also want to hear your stories about how young people’s services are making a difference in your communities and how spending cuts are affecting youth organisations’ ability to provide support to children and young people. Over the coming weeks, they will publish articles in the magazine and online, and lobby the media and politicians.
These are challenging times for young people and those who work with them. Almost one million young people are not in employment, education or training and the continuing economic crisis is placing strain on all aspects of family life. But just as demand for support for young people grows, some of the services set up to help them are coming under threat. Cuts in public spending are forcing local authorities and charities to make tough decisions about the support they provide to young people. And, sadly, as services for young people are afforded little protection under existing law, vital initiatives from youth counselling to youth clubs to detached youth projects find themselves at the front of the line for cuts. That’s why the magazine CYP Now is launching the For Youth’s Sake campaign. The campaign aims to highlight the invaluable role young people’s services play in communities and raise awareness of how such services cannot be lost without consequence. It will show how services such as youth groups are not places where young people just go to hang out, but are a vital point of entry for a range of support from sexual health to careers advice. They are the ultimate prevention and early intervention services that help to turn around young lives and save taxpayers money. The campaign has three initial priorities. •
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The first calls on the government to set out its vision for young people, as we know little about how it intends to help young people achieve their full potential. The second priority asks for young people to have a genuine say on a local and national level in shaping the services that affect them and calls for them to be given powers to decide where money is spent in their communities. Third, we’re calling on employers to invest in the youth workforce to ensure young people are provided with the best possible support from properly trained staff and volunteers. We also want those who work with young people to feel
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The online action page shows you what steps you can take to make sure young people remain a priority. You can support the campaign by signing the For Youth's Sake pledge. You can also leave your messages of support in the forum with your name, job title and the organisation you represent. Alternatively, you can email your messages to cypnow@haymarket.com.
BBC TOURS Do you know that the BBC in Manchester is now open for public tours? If you've ever walked past the BBC on Oxford Road in Manchester and wondered what goes on inside, well this year could be your last chance to come on a tour of New Broadcasting House, before the BBC move to their new home at MediaCityUK in Salford next year. You will have the chance to see the North West Tonight studio or pop into BBC Radio Manchester. BBC Tours run regularly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and last for approximately 2 hours. The tours are open to anybody over the age of 12 yrs. If you would like to book a tour of BBC Manchester, please visit the website www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours or call the booking line on 0370 901 1227.
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ENTERPRISE AND ADVENTURE WITH THE ENTREPRENEUR AWARD In July, BBC Radio 2 Breakfast presenter, Chris Evans, was presented with the inaugural Scouting Entrepreneur Award. This award celebrates the skills on show when Scouts demonstrate a mind for business. The new scheme has been delivered in partnership with Homeserve. The tasks stipulated will help Scouts become more self-confident and also help build team working skills. To earn the accompanying badge, Scouts may present a business pitch to a panel of local business people, just like real entrepreneurs in the BBC programme, Dragons' Den. This is the first time The Scout Association has actively promoted business skills. However, values such as persistence, innovation and hard work are intrinsic to both enterprise and Scouting, as Programme and Development Adviser, Steve Moysey explains: ‘Scouting has always existed to promote leadership, creativity and effort and we want to apply these values to today. ‘There has never been a more important time to encourage entrepreneurship in this country. We hope this scheme and awards will foster the business leaders of tomorrow that our country needs.’ Richard Harpin, Homeserve Chief Executive, believes the new award will drive future industry: ‘Homeserve is delighted to support the new Scouting Entrepreneur Award. I look forward to helping Scouts across the UK develop the skills that they will need to drive the businesses of tomorrow.’ The scheme has already been trialled in various districts across London. Emily from North London, one of the five Scouts who presented Chris Evans with the award, is enthusiastic about the scheme: ‘I am really enjoying working towards this new award. Although it is hard work, it is well worth it. It’s given me great experience for the future. Richard Branson had better watch out!’ A number of activities have been developed in conjunction with the Entrepreneur Award which leaders can access at http://www.scouts.org.uk/entrepreneur
As in previous years, 1st Upton Scouts and Wolf Explorers took part. The Scouts didn’t win any trophies this year, this is despite trying very hard to win and in the sprint race they were very unlucky, in two of the races they were in the lead and the chain came off. Each race the winning times are about 50 sec for a two lap race, so when you have a mechanical problem you don’t get a chance to recover. The Grand Prix is a 20 min race and this year it was a very fast track and the Scouts’ car rolled on one of the corners and the driver was injured, but despite the injuries Katie got back in the car to return to the pits. She was unable to take part in the rest of the race (she’s OK now, just cuts and bruises – well done, Katie) but despite this they just missed a trophy. The Explorers won the Championship sprint race and were second in the team event and second in the Grand Prix, so a great day for them. Congratulations all round!
TAKING THE LEAD Taking the Lead is Cheshire's first PLs' Forum event and is aimed at Assistant Patrol Leaders (APLs) and Patrol Leaders (PLs). This event will develop leadership skills with young people in the Scout Troop. It will help to promote their active participation in the day to day running of the Troop and help increase their participation in the decision-making processes of The Scout Association. And, most importantly, it will help them become better leaders, both within Scouting and in preparation for their adult roles in society. Where? The Heath Conference Centre, Runcorn Runcorn When? Saturday 20 November, 9.30am - 4.30pm We would like you to identify APLs and PLs within your Troop who would benefit from this FREE* event and encourage them to book their place on-line using the link below. Places are limited to 120 on a first come, first served basis, book early to avoid disappointment. To book on-line now follow this link: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEJU cEY2d2U4YXRvS1ZubXUzUXZNQ0E6MA
NATIONAL SCOUT CAR RACES
*The cost per person of providing this training day is £10 per-head, however the day will be FREE to those who book before 26/09/2010 providing you attend the event, non-attendance or cancellation less than 5 days before the event will incur the charge.
The Scouts Car Races are great fun and Manchester did a great job in hosting the event in July, with a full turnout of about 500 entries.
Dave Hopley Assistant County Commissioner (Scouts), Cheshire Email dave.hopley@cheshirescouts.org.uk
A special young person’s resource will be available within the next few weeks.
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DISTRICT DIARY 2010 – CENTENARY OF SCOUTING IN CHESTER 2 September – District Leaders’ Meeting (Sectional and GSLs) 15 September – Platinum and Diamond Chief Scout’s Awards and Queen’s Scout Awards presentations, Runcorn 23 September – Recruitment Workshop for GSLs, Weston Grove 25 September – Practical Skills Day for Leaders, Tatton Park 26 September – Pioneering Skills Day for Scout and Explorer Scout Leaders, Tatton Park 2 October – Support for Restricted Growth Association Convention, Crowne Plaza Hotel 7 October – District Leaders’ Meeting (General) 15/17 October – Jamboree on the Air/Jamboree on the Internet 23 October – Alton Towers trip for Scouts and Explorer Scouts 29/31 October – Scout Network/Explorer Scout Halloween Camp, Forest Camp 3 November – District Cub Scout Swimming Gala 4 November – District Leaders’ Meeting (Sectional and GSLs) 6 November – District Beaver Challenge, Hoole 12/14 November – Leaders’ Weekend, Great Tower 14 November – Remembrance Day 20 November – Taking the Lead - County Patrol Leaders’ Forum, Runcorn 21 November – Gold Chief Scout’s Award presentations 27 November – County Swimming Gala for Cubs and Scouts 2 December –District Leaders’ Meeting (General) and Safeguarding training 2, 3, 4 December - Christmas at Tatton for Beavers and Cubs 9 December - Centenary Carol Service, Chester Cathedral 16 December – Validation sessions for GSLs/District Team, Weston Grove December – District Cheshire Hike Practices
2011 6 January – District Leaders’ Meeting (Sectional and GSLs) 15/16 January – Beaver Scout IT Activity Badge Stage 1, Weston Grove January/February - District Cheshire Hike Practices 3 February – District Leaders’ Meeting (General) 20 February – Media Development Workshop, Weston Grove 22 – 26 February – Gang Show, Catholic High School
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3 March – District Leaders’ Meeting (Sectional and GSLs) 5 March – Beaver trip to Science Museum, Manchester 13 March – District Award Presentations 24 March – Validation sessions for GSLs/District Team, Weston Grove 7 April – District Leaders’ Meeting (General) 9/10 April – Cheshire Hike 16 April – St George’s Day celebration (provisional) 5 May – District Leaders’ Meeting (Sectional and GSLs) 7 May - Beaver Barbie Bash, Huntington 14 May – Jamboree on the Trail 19 May – Scouts District Bowling Competition 2 June – District Leaders’ Meeting (General) 9 June – District AGM 14 June – County AGM, Chester 16 June - Validation sessions for GSLs/District Team, Weston Grove 25 June - Beeston Hike for Beavers 7 July – District Leaders’ Meeting (Sectional and GSLs) 1 September – District Leaders’ Meeting (General) 22 September - Validation sessions for GSLs/District Team, Weston Grove 6 October – District Leaders’ Meeting (Sectional and GSLs) 14/16 October – Jamboree on the Air/Jamboree on the Internet 3 November – District Leaders’ Meeting (General) 13 November – Remembrance Day 1 December – District Leaders’ Meeting (Sectional and GSLs)
District Leaders’ Meetings: first Thursday in each month (except August) 8 pm (Section meetings alternate with general meetings) District Core Team (DC, District Chair, ADCs, DESC Manager;; also attended by the and Active Support Manager Local Training Manager): second Thursday in each month (except August) District Executive Committee: third Thursday in each month (except August) District Appointments Approval Meeting: last Thursday in each month (except August and December) Chester Scout Fellowship Active Support Unit: first Tuesday of each month (for further details email activesupport@chesterscouts.org.uk) Adult Training Modules: check the separate listing and registration form
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