Cumbria Chat - January 2013 by Eddie Ward

January 2013 www.scouts.org.uk - www.cumbriascouts.org.uk County Team Contacts:

County Diary:

County Commissioner – Graham White

22/01/2013 – CC, DCs & Chairs meeting, Ambleside

grahamdwhite@gmail.com Deputy County Commissioner – Julie Samson

24/01/2013 – Finance & GP Meeting

juliasamson@hotmail.com Deputy County Commissioner – Richard Hirst skiphirst@hotmail.com County Chairman – Tim Leader

26/01/2013 – (Scouts) Frostbite Camp, Great Tower. Contact John Sharpe, john.sharpe21@btinternet.com 18/02/2013 – CC & ACCs, Ambleside

timleader25@gmail.com County Administrator – Marion Dixon

21/02/2013 – County Exec, Ambleside

cumbriascouts@stricklandgate-house.org.uk ACC (Network) – John Seed jseedgt@ignetics.co.uk ACC (Explorers) – Steve Dawson s.j.dawson@hotmail.co.uk ACC (Scouts) – John Sharpe john.sharpe21@btinternet.com ACC (Cubs) – David Hodkiss david.hodgkiss@btinternet.com ACC (Beavers) – Vacant

22/02/2013 – Re-Energise (Explorers) Ennerdale Contact Steve Dawson s.j.dawson@hotmail.co.uk 01/03/2013 – Winter Walking Weekend, Scotland. Contact Phil Hopley phil.hopley@tesco.net 16/03/2013 – Getting Started, Barrow Contact Cath Johnston cath.johnston2@btinternet.com 25/04/2013 – Chief Scout’s Gold to Queen’s Scout Awards Evening Contact John Sharpe, john.sharpe21@btinternet.com 11/05/2013 – County Funday Kendal Showground Contact Richard Hirst skiphirst@hotmail.com

County Training Manager – Linda kitchen lkitchin7@googlemail.com ACC (Activities) – Phil Hopley phil.hopley@tesco.net ACC (International) – Richard Hirst skiphirst@hotmail.com

Cumbria Scouts Diary Online http://www.cumbriascouts.org.uk/diary/home

In this Issue: 1. Cumbria Chat Input 2. Greetings 3. County Fun Day 4. Contact Amendments 5. Frostbite Camp 6. Scout Leaders Winter Walking weekend 7. County Awards Presentation Evening 8. Cumbria Scouts – Facebook 9. Leadership Training 10. Scout Community Week 11. Cumbria Scouts Youth Forum 12. Apex Challenge 2013-01-09 13. National News • Upcoming Events 14. Local News • 13th Workington (St. Mary’s) Cub Scouts – Buddhist Trip: • Scouting volunteers scoop award from the Queen

Cumbria Chat Input: Let the rest of the County find out what you’re doing and what you’ve done, write down your plans for the coming months and brief reports of your recent adventures. It’s great fun reading the exploits of others, but twice as much fun if the article is about you or for you. Email your inputs for inclusion in the next edition of Cumbria Chat to john.sharpe21@btinternet.com.

A Happy New Year to all our Members Welcome to another fun filled & exiting New Year of scouting in 2013 County Fun Day 11th May 2013: (Get it in your diaries NOW!) Cumbria County Scouts have not run a major event in over 10 years that brings together all sections of our Scouting Family. Our aim is to provide an event that is open to all age groups, is affordable to all and where the majority of events are run by outside agencies, thus allowing leaders to also enjoy the day. We will also provide the opportunity for those that wish to, the choice of camping the full weekend. We hope that all Groups, Sections and Units throughout Cumbria will support this venture. On the Saturday Cumbria County will provide two sessions of major activities that are open to all ages: Session one will be a commercial “It’s a knockout” that delivers professional games and challenges. Session two will be open activities again from professional providers; (Bouncy slides, Bungee run, Gladiator duels, Bouncy castles plus more). And the price? . . . . . .£10 per person for the day and £15 for the weekend (bring your own food & tents). You have 6 months notice of this event, so put it in your diaries, re-arrange your schedules, this is an event that we don’t want the young people to miss out on. (It’ll be talked about for the next 10 years and more!)

Watch out for the leaflets and emails coming your way soon!!!

Change of Contact Details: Please note that Tim Leader, our county chairman has a new Email address, and you can contact him on: timleader25@gmail.com Also Marian Dixon the County Secretary and the County Office have new contact details: Cumbria County Scouts Stricklandgate House 92 Stricklandgate Kendal LA9 4PU Tel. 01539 742606 Email: cumbriascouts@stricklandgate-house.org.uk

Cumbria Scouts – Frostbite Camp 25th to 27th January 2013 This is your final reminder to join other Scouts from around the County for your first camp of the year, hopefully the weather will be freezing! Campers will arrive on Friday evening and be ready for the activities at 9:30 am Saturday. The weekend will be filled with Challenging and Adventurous activities. Currently planned are: Archery, Shooting, Climbing Wall, Low Ropes Challenge, Jacob’s Ladder, Mountain Bikes and Chariot races. Saturday Evening will include either; a Wide Game or Night hike. Contact John Sharpe for more information. john.sharpe21@btinternet.com

Scout Leaders Winter Walking Weekend, Cairngorms, Scotland The County Activities Team is planning a Winter Walking Training Weekend for adults in Scouting. We hope to be based in Cairngorms, Scotland and we are looking at late February, early March. The weekend will be aimed at Scout Leaders who want to: • Learn Winter Walking skills, or • Improve their Winter Walking skills, or • Want the chance to get away for an adventurous weekend with like minded people No experience of walking in winter conditions is required but you should be experienced in hill walking. Training will include the use of crampons, use of ice axe, winter navigation, snow types and avalanche danger. 4

Crampons and ice axe hire will be available. It will most likely be a self catering weekend and the cost will be for accommodation and transport. We are in the early stages of planning the weekend and I’m seeking to see how much interest there is in such a weekend. Therefore if you think you might be interested please contact Phil Hopley to register your interest.

County Awards Presentation Evening: The Awards presentation evening will to be an annual event and to help with diary planning it will be held every year on the nearest Thursday to Saint George’s Day. In 2013 the date will be 25th April. The venue is still to be decided, but we hope to move around the county for future presentations. As your Scouts, Explorers or Young Leaders achieve these great awards, please let the County know via John Sharpe, email: john.sharpe21@btinternet.com and they, their families and leaders will receive personal invites to the next Awards Evening.

Cumbria Scouts – Social Media

Cumbria Scouts now have a further communications platform via their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/CumbriaScouts. You should note that we acknowledge that not everyone is on Facebook, but that this is part of an integrated communications strategy to improve dialogue and information sharing across the County. 5

Leadership Training: Congratulations to the following Leaders who have recently completed their training. Getting Started Karen Shepherd 1st Hutton in the Forest Tony Burns 1st Appleby Wood Badge Lucy Jenkin Fiona Woodward Jan Cooper Tim Davis John Danks Andrew Burton David Farnsworth

5th Barrow 11th Workington Solway/Derwent Loki ESU 1st Petteril Vale 1st Windermere 1st Grange and Cartmel

Scout Community Week: Support your community and fellow Scouts Taking place from 3-9 June 2013, Scout Community Week not only gives us the opportunity to bond with the local community and raise essential funds, it’s also a chance to champion all the inspiring things we do during the other 51 weeks of the year. Sign up for your FREE Scout Community Week pack and receive your planning brochure and resources including balloons, bunting, fundraising kit, stickers and more. Our partners, B&Q, are on hand to offer support such as DIY classes, in-store fundraising, and useful materials. Check out our advice on how to build a relationship with your local store. Supporting Scouts with disabilities All Groups taking part are asked to donate 25% of the money raised to help fund grants for Scouts with disabilities and additional needs. This offers a vital lifeline to Groups and members who need financial support in order to take part in Scouting. The remaining 75% can be kept by the Group to help deliver what Scouting does best – adventurous activities locally, every week. Getting parents involved Whether your project lasts for one evening or the whole week, it’s a great opportunity to invite parents along and show them how rewarding it is to be a volunteer. This is a chance to bring friends, family and neighbours together to experience Scouting while giving something back to the community. Sign up for you free pack today! A message from Bear Grylls

Cumbria Scouts Youth Forum Report What Happened? On Saturday 5th January 2013, 17 young people from across Cumbria came together at Rheged for the launch of Cumbria’s first County Youth Forum. The County was represented by five of our seven Districts: Eden, Kentdale, Reivers, Solway-Derwent, SW Lakes. Unfortunately, representation could not be found from W Lakes and Workington. Overall, the day was a roaring success and everyone left feeling motivated and empowered. The change we saw in some of the young people was truly inspiring, and for us as the organisers, we found it gratifying to see the whole County come together. While some of the younger participants arrived looking nervous and shy it’s safe to say that they left feeling confident and inspired. This is without a doubt due to the work done by Sam Mowbray, who delivered some outstanding public speaking workshops and exercises. Aim The main aim of the day was to pass on the skills and knowledge to our participants that will be required to go back to their own Districts and set up District Explorer Scout Forums. It’s important to stress that this was our launch meeting and thus our primary objective was to equip participants with these skills. Any tangible outcomes regarding change in the County will be felt in the future but not without support from the County Team and Exec. Outcomes It was agreed that: Young Leader training is very successful across the County, illustrating an appetite for youth involvement in sections, groups, district and County level that cannot be ignored • The County Youth Forum should be renamed in order to make it seem more appealing and inspiring to the young people in the County. • The County Fun Day should be renamed to something more appealing for teenagers • Suggestions were made that live music and a party/dance tent would be ideal for evening entertainment at the County Fun Day • Enthusiasm was shown for a campfire circle to be at the County Fun Day • Members attending Re-Energise in February wanted to meet and canvas the opinions of campers over the weekend • County events harbour the potential for success as participants voiced enthusiasm about meeting new people, networking and coming together with a common identity as Cumbria Scouts. 7

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One of the largest barriers to participation raised was that communication is not consistent across Districts. Take this event for example, invitations were open to all groups, yet not everyone was made aware of this by their District despite our best efforts. The best way to get information to young people is directly, ie through section meetings.

Moving Forward It is clear that everyone there was incredibly enthusiastic about Scouting in Cumbria and it is vital that we do not lose momentum in the coming months. I’m sure that Graham and Julia would agree that we must harness all the amazing ideas that participants were already coming out with by the end of a single day. Therefore we propose that we hold 2 meetings per annum, one residential around Easter and one day meeting in early September. Planning is already underway for the Easter residential, which will be held on either the 23/24 March or 13/14 April, hopefully at Great Tower. We plan to charge the participants a small amount for the residential to cover accommodation although we will not charge them over £10. We would ask that the County cover the cost of catering and any other necessary provisions. We will have lots to discuss at the next meeting. Following on from the launch, we can flesh out the presentations they gave on improving and promoting Scouting in Cumbria. There will also be opportunities to discuss the County Fun Day, and any issues raised in District Youth Forums. We also feel that the next meeting will be a good time to review our mission statement on how we operate as our representatives will have had time to consider their roles and how they feel the County Youth Forum should run. Where to Improve  Clearly we need to try and involve all Districts in future meetings and it was a shame that we could not find support from Western Lakes and Workington. Perhaps this is something the ACC (Explorers) could follow up on before our next meeting.  The identification of participants from Districts was a difficult task, although we largely overcame that. In the future, we would value greater input from DESCs.  It was unfortunate that not all of our guest speakers were able to attend the afternoon session. It is possible that the busy holiday period was a contributing factor and we would aim to maintain a better line of communication prior to the event.

A Note of Thanks As mentioned, the day was a triumph for youth involvement in Cumbria. However it would not have been possible without backing and support from the County Team and Exec. The contribution of Sam Mowbray, Head of Public Affairs and Campaigns at the Scout Association, must not go untold. We must also thank our County Scout Ambassador, John Stevenson MP, for being a formidable ‘Dragon’ in the ‘Dragons’ Den’ exercise in the afternoon. But above all, the day owes itself to the participants that gave up their Saturday to come to an event based in a conference room, aptly named a Youth Forum. Their drive and enthusiasm inspired everyone involved, not least ourselves, which made it all worthwhile. We are now confident that Cumbria Scouts is heading in the right direction. Ben Hodgkiss & James Ferguson

Apex Challenge 2013 This year the Apex Challenge returns with two more major adventure events for Explorers and Scout Network members. The competition, which celebrated its tenth birthday with a huge event near Sheffield in October, will start its 11th year with a landmark event at Sherwood Pines Forest Park in Nottinghamshire on 13th 14th April. This is a challenging overnight competition where teams will compete through the darkness, completing activities such as climbing, mountain biking, high ropes courses, and shooting while gathering Apex points. But beware of the Apex chasers who are out to track you down. Entry is in teams of four with around 400 competitors expected to take park from across the UK, and in the past, many of them have been from Cumbria. Entries open online in February. For full details and entry forms - head to www.apexchallenge.co.uk or facebook.com/apexchallenge.

NATIONAL NEWS: Scouting launches consultation on considering welcoming atheists as full members UK Scouting has launched a survey to ask its members whether an alternative version of the Scout Promise should be developed for atheists and those unable to make the existing commitment. Everyday Scouting is guided by a set of Fundamentals, and these are expressed through the wording of our Promise and Law, plus our activity programme, policies and procedures. Today we launch a survey asking for views on what impact these revised Fundamentals would have. The online survey will remain open until 31 January 2013 to give people sufficient time to reflect. A free tool to help you analyse Twitter Twtrland is a free online tool that gives you all sorts of information, such as which of your tweets get the most retweets and who your most influential followers are. It’s easy to use and can help you improve and target your Twitter communications. Visit the Twtrland website. Tell us about your Explorer Scout forums Are you involved in running or facilitating Explorer Scout forums in your Unit or District? We want to hear from you, to help us share examples of effective methods. Email the programme team and tell us how you encourage Explorers to own their programme. Hire the Mobile Display Unit The adventure truck is an eye-catching Mobile Display Unit that functions as a promotional resource centre on wheels. Why not hire it for your local adult recruitment events? You'll need two fully trained people to attend the event. The next MDU training session is at Gilwell Park on Saturday 2 March. Find out more. Scouting’s newest ambassador Inspirational adversity champion, Phil Packer MBE, has become Scouting's newest ambassador. Find out more. Scout Community Week is back UK Chief Scout Bear Grylls has encouraged Groups to register for another week of community projects across the UK 3–9 June 2013. Banners and web content to support your projects are now available for use on County or Group websites. Get yours by emailing community.week@scouts.org.uk and register for Scout Community Week now. UPCOMING EVENTS Wintercamp 2013 Have you got your ticket for this amazing event for Scouts and Explorers? Choose between Gilwell Park in London and a new location, Hawkhirst in Northumberland, over the same weekend of 11-13 January. Look forward to entertainment, exhilarating activities and extreme weather. Visit the website or book now. Scout Community Week 2013 The date for 2013 has been confirmed as 3–9 June. More information. 10

The ShelterBox Experience 2012 Take part in an exciting weekend for Scout Network members and adult volunteers, organised by international disaster relief charity ShelterBox. Develop your team, navigation and survival skills while taking part in a challenge that offers a rare chance to experience ShelterBox’s global disaster relief work. More information and a booking form available online. Download the Go Global programme resource for all sections. 1-10 August 2013 - Campdowne You can book now to attend one of the UK’s largest international Scout and Guide camps for a full ten days of amazing adventure. A wide range of adventurous activities, evening entertainment and food is all included in the ticket price, making it great value camp for you and your Scouts. Book now.

LOCAL NEWS: 13th Workington (St. Mary’s) Cub Scouts – Buddhist Trip:

13th St Marys Westfield Cubs, Beavers and a few parishioners recently went on a trip to the Kadampa Buddhist Temple and historic house Conishead Priory at Ulverston Cumbria. The children are covering different sections of badge work, including Community, Promise, and Global Challenge badges. Areas to cover were meet a religious leader and a place of worship, find out about the place of worship including traditions, culture, food and religion. The Manjushri kadampa meditation centre is home to the first temple for world peace, it houses the 11

largest bronze statue of Buddha cast in the west. As we entered the temple we removed our shoes, we learned that this is a sign of respect and Buddhists remove their shoes when they enter the temple. The temple is a really peaceful and tranquil place; the children discovered aspects of the temple symbolized the spiritual path to enlightenment. Dharma means the teaching of Buddha and the realization of inner peace we gain from putting them into practice. While in the temple we were lucky enough to invest one of our new Cubs into the Cub Pack, we were informed that this was a first for the temple. Also at the investiture were the Groups former Vicar of St Marys Alex Armstrong and his wife Val who are now at Barrow. Phill Dryden Workington District Cub Scouts A Buddhist prayer Always be happy Be a friend to everyone Protect animals and the earth Love your parents Respect your teachers Scouting volunteers scoop award from the Queen Cumbrian Scout Network member James Ferguson, aged 20, travelled to London on Wednesday to collect a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award on behalf of The Scout Association in recognition of its fantastic volunteers. The award, which honours the work of 60 national voluntary organisations, was presented at HM Treasury in London. James received the honour of collecting the award as co-author of the application as to why he thought Scouting deserved recognition for their volunteers. 100,000 adult volunteers regularly give up their time so that young people can experience amazing adventures through Scouting.

Making a difference James explained how volunteers make a difference: 'Scouting provides a wealth of opportunities for young people from hiking in the mountains of Scotland to meeting their local MP at party conferences. Yet it is only through the generosity and determination of volunteers that Scouts have been able to do this. 'Scout leaders run activity programmes, weekly meetings, AGMs and international expeditions all in their own time. And it is young Scouts, like myself, that have benefited most from this. The skills I’ve learnt span from leadership and organisation, to more practical things like navigation and first aid. Scouting has prepared me for the future; it has expanded my horizons and driven my sense of determination, which is why I have every intention of volunteering with the Movement in the future.' Martyn Lewis CBE, Chairman, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award 2012 Committee, who presented the awards, said: The sixty organisations honoured today with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award for Volunteering 2012 have built their success on the dedication and generosity of thousands of extraordinary people, each of whom has devoted their time and energy to the simple aim of making their communities – and their country – a better place. "Day-in, day out volunteers are making a contribution to every aspect of our society – working with the elderly, supporting young people and reaching out to those in need. Volunteering is as fundamental to British life as rain at Wimbledon or the local pub – and what better way to recognise it than with an Award from Her Majesty in her Diamond Jubilee year." Everyday adventures Derek Twine, Chief Executive of The Scout Association, said: 'We’re humbled and delighted to receive The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award in recognition of the amazing contribution that our volunteers make to The Scout Association. Put simply, without their efforts over 425,000 Scouts couldn’t enjoy the everyday adventures they experience week in and week out. 2012 was another brilliant year of growth for Scouting and we’d love for more young people and volunteers to join the adventure in 2013.'