explorers by The Scout Association

GO CAOVPERE! DIS ’S ENGLANDEST NORTH W

ine The magaazders e L r Scout for ExploreApril/May 2009

New talent

Tips for recruiting leaders

Getting personal

Permits for young people

IN THE ING SEAT DyoRurIEVxplorers’ leadership skills? How are

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Your Explorer Scout Section Working Group Andrew Wellbeloved, UK Commissioner for Programme Gemma Veitch, Programme and Development Adviser Contact them at: programme@scout.org.uk Explorer Scout Working Group, The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818 ADVERTISING Senior Sales Executive: Tom Fountain tom@thinkpublishing.co.uk Tel: 020 8962 1258

TOP FIVE PROGRAMMES ONLINE FOR EXPLORER SCOUTS Place Ref 1 28815 2 25095 3 27535 4 36594 5

Activity Get the prisoner Spoons Band symbols Do your ears hang low? The story of Saint George

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WELCOME

Moving on With news of changes to the national support of the Explorer section, and some important changes to transition rules, Gemma Veitch introduces this issue of Explorer Some changes are happening to the way in which the Explorer Scout section is supported nationally. Chris Brammer is stepping down as UK Adviser for Explorer Scouts to concentrate on running his Explorer Scout Unit. We’d like to take this opportunity to say thanks to Chris, who has given up an enormous amount of time to support the Explorer Scout Section over the last seven years, latterly as UK Adviser. A new UK Adviser for Explorer Scouts will be appointed later in the year, so watch this space. In the meantime, support can be obtained from the UK Programme Advisory Team in the normal way: email programme@scout.org.uk or get in touch through the Scout Information Centre. Hopefully, most readers will have seen the recent communications regarding revisions to the rules concerning transitions between the Scout and Explorer Scout Sections – if you haven’t, go to www.scouts.org.uk/agetransition for full details.

Wanted: your stories As always we would love to get some more of your contributions in the Explorer Supplement. Have you got an interesting programme you would like to share? We want to share it too. Enjoy the programme, take lots of photos, and send us the pictures and some information on how to run the activity, and some feedback from the Explorer Scouts and the leadership team on how it went. Your Unit could be starring in the Explorer Scout Supplement and sharing some practical tips with the rest of us. All contributions should be sent to scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk with ‘Explorer Scout Supplement’ in the subject line.

Contents 4 Recruitment Getting and keeping more adult help

6 Leading Lights Resources to help hone your Explorers’ leadership skills

9 Lightening the load How Section Leaders can utilise Young Leaders in the Scout Group

12 Regional Review: North West Campsites, pleasure beaches, high wires and more

14 Executive privilege Getting support from the District Executive Committee

16 This time it’s personal The introduction of personal activity permits for under 18s

18 How big? Get involved with The Big Adventure

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t n e m t i u r c Re In the Explorer Scout section our leaders seem to have a combination of youth and enthusiasm, as well as experience and skills, but do you have a plan to keep this going by continuing to attract new adults? Here are some tips for regular recruitment 1) Know what you are looking for. Look at your District Explorer Scout Development Plan to see what roles are required to fulfil it, eg a new administrator, a set of new Explorer Scout Leaders for a new Unit or somebody to run more adventurous activities. Or maybe you just don’t have enough leaders for the Units you have.

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2) Define the role. Once you have an idea what you are looking for, write a brief job description (to be negotiated later) and a person specification – what type of person are you looking for? 3) Now think about where you will find that type of person. New leaders often come into the section spontaneously, perhaps having seen your latest activity in the newspaper, or moving from another section because they think they’ll be better suited to Explorers. They may also have come through the Want to Join website at www.scouts.org.uk/join which directs requests to your District Commissioner. If the person you are looking for hasn’t magically appeared out of thin air, then you need to think about where to locate them.

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RECRUITMENT

If you are looking for an administrator, consider asking a leader who is planning to retire from their regular role, or an advertisement at a Doctor’s surgery or in the local paper. If you want somebody to put together a newsletter and to let the media know about your antics, then think about Media Studies students at the local university. They may only be there for two or three years, but they will know what they are doing and this role would be an excellent thing to include in their CV. Don’t forget your Scout Network, and Explorer Scouts coming to the end of their time with you. They

understand the section; you’ve already given them a good grounding in adventurous activities, different games, behaviour management and programme planning. Many of them would be very keen to take on a leadership role with you if they knew they would be welcome. more info You can get Recruitment prompt cards and role descriptions from the Scout Information Centre, or see page 18 for how to get involved with The Big Adventure

The Appointment Process All Explorer Scout Units must have transferred to the new Appointment Process by October 2009. It is designed to be a welcoming, supportive way of helping adults find the right role in Scouting for them. While there are several similarities with the previous process, a key feature is the emphasis placed on induction. Induction is key to ensuring an adult settles in and is more likely to stay in their role. It should be ongoing throughout the process and may continue after full appointment. Application • Adult meets with their line manager. In the Explorer Scout section this will usually be the District Explorer Scout Commissioner. The Adult Application Form is completed. • Appointments Secretary enters the applicant’s details online and sends off the paperwork. The adult receives a welcome postcard from Gilwell Park. Approval • Adult meets with the Appointments Advisory Committee. This is an informal meeting where the committee members satisfy themselves that the adult is suitable for the role they are taking on. • Once they have been approved for the role (and after the Criminal Records Check has been received) the adult receives a provisional appointment, with a welcome pack sent from Gilwell Park. Appointment • The adult begins to carry out their role, and also does the Getting Started training, to give them the tools and knowledge to carry out their role. • Once the modules have been completed and their record has been updated, the adult receives an appointment card from Gilwell Park, and their full appointment certificate can be presented locally. More info www.scouts.org.uk/appointment

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Leading Lights It has been claimed that as Explorer Scouts is a leader-led section, there is no point developing leadership skills in our Members: that’s what the Young Leaders’ Scheme is for. Mel Brammer has different ideas, and explains why your Explorers should take the lead 6

Here are a few points to get you thinking: • In the four years that young people are members of the Explorer Scout section, we ask them to make the transition from being children to becoming adults. • In order to be successful as a Movement, we have to actively involve young people in decision-making. • To retain our members they need to have some ownership of their section, whether that is designing the Unit T-shirt, being involved in planning the programme, or voting on where to go for Summer Camp. • Our Members may be asked to represent the views of their Unit or District on District, County or Regional Explorer Scout Forums, not to mention the possibility of their being involved with an Explorer Scout Sub-Committee to the District Executive or other working

groups in the District, County/Area or Region. • Leadership and teamwork skills are essential skills for the workplace and for life. Where better to learn them? • During their time in Explorer Scouts we will be asking them to organise and undertake expeditions in small teams – they need the skills. • By the time they leave Explorers these young people might be joining Scout Network, where they will be organising their own programme and managing their own section, or they might be adult leaders in one of the younger sections, in which case they will be responsible for leading a large number of boisterous children and organising their programme! While it’s true that Explorer Scouts is a leader-led section, you can see how important it is to involve the Members

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LEadership Skills

in decision-making throughout, and to teach them the skills to be able to work together as a team, plan events and expeditions, represent the views of other people and begin to take a leadership role.

Explorer Scouts … Taking the Lead The Taking the Lead resource for Explorer Scouts, which has been available for about four years, is being updated and re-released in May. It contains a wealth of programme ideas, which will fit into a normal weekly programme, with fun activities to develop the skills of leadership in Explorer Scouts. The resource is divided into four sections: • Being in a Team – Sessions include Team building, Programme planning, Expedition planning, Representing other people’s views and Meeting roles. • Self-Development – Sessions

include Listening skills, Presenting, Budgeting, Setting goals and targets and Unit values. • Leading a Team – Sessions include Effective leadership, Delegation, Running an activity and Managing difficult People. • The Wider Picture – Includes sessions on Getting Scouting onto your CV, Preparing for interview, The impact of Scouting on your community and Positive Scouting in the media. As you can see this is a one-stop resource from which you can pick and choose sessions depending on the needs of your Unit.

Case Study Membership of the Phoenix Unit is good, but they don’t have any Explorer Scouts over the age of 16. Historically it seems that they seem to lose members at around this age. Many members of the Unit are also Young Leaders. This is a good thing

except that they seem to have more loyalty to the Groups where they help out than to their Explorer Scout Unit. The Explorers haven’t been able to camp very often as a Unit as so many of the members are away camping regularly with the Scout Troops. More worryingly, several of Phoenix Unit turned up to the Remembrance Day Parade and chose to parade with the Scouts rather than the Explorer Scouts – some invested Explorer Scouts were even seen in Scout uniforms! The Unit leaders, having recently taken on the Unit, decided that some action was needed: 1. They planned to involve older Explorer Scouts more in the leadership of the Unit and formed a Unit Council. This had responsibility for planning the programme and teaching Scouting skills to newer Members, making some of the Unit decisions and supporting the Explorer Scout scouts.org.uk/pol

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Leading Lights Leaders in running games etc. These Explorers also started to represent the Unit on the District Explorer Scout Forum. To support this group, they ran some of the activities from the Leading a Team and The Wider Picture sections of Explorer Scouts … Taking the Lead, such as Effective delegation and Positive Scouting in the media. They decided against Effective leadership, as most of the older Explorer Scouts had done the Taking the Lead module of the Young Leaders’ Scheme. 2. For the rest of the Unit the leaders wanted to develop a team mentality and a stronger sense of identity as an Explorer Unit. The first task they set the new Unit

Council was to rename the Unit, so that all the members had ownership over this. They ran activities from the Being in a Team and Self Development areas of Explorer Scouts ... Taking the Lead. Team building and Team decisions went well, and they are now planning to try Having your say and Setting goals and targets. Andrew, an Explorer Scout, says of being in the Unit Council, ‘It gives us a bit more responsibility, which is important as we get a bit older. As long as they remember that we won’t be able to do as much when we have our exams on.’ The leaders are waiting to see whether their action will make much

difference, but things are already looking brighter. In a promotional DVD about Explorers for the Scouts, one of the Unit, asked about the differences between Scouts and Explorers, replies, ‘You have a lot more freedom, and get to make decisions about what you are going to do.’

more info Find the latest version of Explorer Scouts ... Taking the Lead at www.scouts.org.uk/ takingthelead and get support and advice on running meetings and forums from factsheet FS452037

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Young Leaders

Lightening the load

ers ad Le n io ct Se lp he s er ad Le g un Yo How in the Scout Group An Explorer Scout doing most of their Scouting as a Young Leader has two main points of contact: the Explorer Scout Leader (Young Leader) and the Section Leader in the section where they help. The question is, how much do leaders of the younger sections in your District know about Explorer Scouting and the Young Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Scheme?

t is the role of the District Explorer Scout Commissioner (DESC) and the Explorer Scout Leader (Young Leader) (ESL (YL)) to support Section Leaders that have Young Leaders in their Colonies, Packs and Troops ... So what do they need to know?

1. All 14-18 year-olds helping in the Beaver Scout, Cub Scout and Scout sections are Young Leaders and part of the Explorer Scout section. 2. If the major part of their Scouting experience is as a Young Leader, then the ESL (YL) and the Section

Leader have a responsibility to ensure that the YL has a quality experience that is both valuable and valued. It may also be appropriate for them to work with the Explorer Scout on the Building My Success part of their Explorer Scout Record Book. scouts.org.uk/pol

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Lightening the load 3. Young Leaders must be registered as Explorer Scouts in the District and should complete Module A of the Young Leaders’ Scheme within three months. 4. Good practice would suggest that Explorer Scouts who are doing most of their Scouting as a Young Leader feel part of the Explorer Scout section and their District provision if they achieve the Moving-on Award and are invested as an Explorer Scout. They should also get the Explorer Scout Membership Pack and could wear the District Explorer Scout scarf Making good use of Young Leaders meant Sid had more time for the occasional cuppa

and Young Leaders’ Unit nametape. 5. It is good practice to encourage Scouts moving into Explorer Scouts to have a six-month break before considering being a Young Leader in the Troop they have come from. A suggested maximum of three Young Leaders in any Troop, Pack or Colony also helps to ensure a quality experience for all. 6. Young people from outside the Movement acting as a Young Leader as part of their DofE programme should register with the ESL (YL) and complete Module

A. They do not have to become a member of the Explorer Scout section as long as they only act as a Young Leader for the duration required for their DofE programme. 7. It is a good idea for the Section Leaders to have an understanding of the requirements of the DofE Volunteering section, and to understand what, if anything, they should be signing. 8. It is important that the Section Leader has a good understanding of the Young Leaders’ Scheme. There are factsheets available to support them (see boxed text) and

Resources to support the Beaver, Cub or Scout Leader • Young Leaders’ Essentials is the resource for this part of the Explorer Scout section. It contains all the information that a leader could wish to know. • FS 155059 Young Leaders – Information for Beaver Scout Leaders A broad overview of the Young Leader’s Scheme • FS 155060 Working with Young Leaders in your Colony Guidance for leaders on making the best use of Young Leaders wishing to help with the Colony • FS 170059 Young Leaders – Information for Cub Scout Leaders A broad overview of the Young Leaders’ Scheme • FS 170060 Working with Young Leaders in your Pack Guidance for leaders on making the best use of Young Leaders wishing to help with the Pack • FS 315092 Young Leaders – Information for Scout Leaders A broad overview of the Young Leaders’ Scheme • FS 315093 Working with Young Leaders in your Troop Guidance for leaders on making the best use of Young Leaders wishing to help with the Troop All these resources are available from the Scout Information Centre at 0845 300 1818 or www.scouts.org.uk/infocentre

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Young Leaders

they should have access to Young Leaders’ Essentials. 9. In order to best support the Young Leaders working with them, the Section Leader should know what training they have undertaken and what Missions they are working towards. It would be helpful for the ESL (YL) to send out an email to Section Leaders after they have run a Module, letting them know who was on it and what it covered.

Other things to consider Some Counties have held successful workshops about the Explorer Scout

Young Leaders’ Scheme for leaders of the Group-based sections. These go down well as the leaders genuinely want to know more about these mysterious teenagers that turn up week after week. You can run a session in an evening or you can go into more detail over the course of a day. Consider making use of the Section Leaders to help run some of the Modules – who knows better about challenging behaviour in the Cub Scout section than the Cub Scout Leader? You could also ask them to run a skills evening for the Young

Leaders, where they learn a number of new craft or skill ideas that they can then use with the members of the section where they help. Explorer Scouts become Young Leaders because they choose to give up their time to help with younger Scouts. Making sure that they are valued is of enormous importance – these are potential Leaders of the future, but it is important to remember that they are Explorer Scouts now and what they choose to do in Scouting should make them feel worthwhile and valuable.

In at the deep end – a case study

‘I was despairing. I had signed up to be a Beaver Leader, to help with six and seven year olds, and suddenly these three teenagers started turning up, telling me they were Young Leaders. Nobody told me what I was supposed to do with them, so we just muddled through. I think they were getting very bored. Eventually the Explorer Scout Commissioner came to one of the Beaver Leader meetings. He gave out some factsheets and offered to answer any questions we had about the Young Leaders’ Scheme. We had a lot! After that I sat down with the Young Leaders and explained how clueless I had been. Now they are a really important part of the team and are going from strength to strength!’ Ruth, Beaver Scout Leader

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If you’re looking for somewhere new to go camping with your Explorer Scouts then north west England may be just what you’re looking for. Try these campsites and activities for size.

Regional Review –

t s e W h t r o N North West Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire form the North West Scout Region in England. From prosperous Cheshire in the south, past the densely populated cities of Manchester and Liverpool, to the rural counties of Lancashire and Cumbria, home of the beautiful Lake District, the Region is as diverse in its geography as it is in its demography. If coastline is your thing then there’s plenty for you here with the maritime history of Liverpool, the seaside resorts of Blackpool and Morecambe, and the peace and tranquillity of the Solway Firth. For more information look at www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com

Getting there: Air: Manchester Airport or Liverpool John Lennon Airport Train: The West Coast Main Line Road: The M6 goes North/South, the M62 comes across the top of Manchester and the M56 comes in from North Wales. 12

Campsites:

The north west plays host to a variety of campsites to suit the varied activities of Explorer Scouts: Ennerdale Scout Centre. Ennerdale Bridge, Cleator Moor, Cumbria. Campsite in the Lake District with indoor and outdoor accommodation available. Some activities available on site. www.cumbriascouts.org.uk/ennerdale Great Tower Scout Camp, and Moor Crag Water Activity Centre. Newby Bridge, Cumbria. Massive campsite not far from Lake Windermere, offering a range of indoor and outdoor accommodation and a wide range of activities. www.greattower.org.uk Bispham Hall Scout Estate. Wigan, Lancashire. Indoor and outdoor accommodation available, with some on site activities. www.bisphamhall.org.uk Bowley Camp Site. Great Harwood, Blackburn, Lancashire. A wide range of indoor accommodation and camping available in a beautiful spot. Some on site activities on offer and access to huge tracts of the Pennines and Yorkshire Dales for outdoor activities. www.bowley.org.uk Tawd Vale Scout Campsite. Near Ormskirk, Merseyside. Merseyside County Site. Indoor and camping

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REGIONAL FOCUS

more info If you would like to recommend any campsites or activities for Explorer Scouts in your region then please email scouting.magazine@scout.org.uk with ‘Explorer Scout Supplement’ in the subject line.

accommodation www.merseysidescouts.com Waterside Lodge. Southport, Merseyside. Indoor accommodation on offer as well as myriad water activities. www.watersidelodge.co.uk Linnet Clough. Near Stockport, Cheshire. A variety of indoor accommodation and large camping area. Plenty of on site activities and within easy reach of the Peak District for rock climbing, caving and hill walking. www.linnetclough.co.uk Tatton Park Scout Campsite and Forest Camp. Near Northwich and Knutsford, Cheshire. These two campsites, despite their dire website, have great camping facilities and are great bases for exploring Cheshire. Brave the website by clicking on County Campsites at www.cheshire-scouts.org.uk

Activities: Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Tickets are usually about £20 for an all day wristband (unlimited rides) but you can get them cheaper if you book earlier online at www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com Climbing. Awesome Walls in Stockport and Liverpool. Largest indoor climbing centres in England. www.awesomewalls.co.uk; North West Face in Warrington. www.northwestface.com and Kendal

Climbing Centre. www.kendalwall.co.uk Lake District. Where do we start? A huge, beautiful area full of lakes (for water sports) and hills (for climbing and hill walking). Visit for expeditions or days out, as a base for camp or just to experience it. Beeston Castle. Tarporley, Cheshire. A fabulous castle to explore with a picnic. You get views over eight counties from the top. Prices start at around £4. Information can be found at www.english-heritage.org.uk Sellafield Visitor Centre. Sellafield, Cumbria. A fascinating place full of interactive displays and hands-on science, as well as finding out a bit more about where nuclear fits into the energy debate. www.visitcumbria.com/wc/svc.htm Go Ape High Wires. Delamere Forest in Cheshire, Rivington in Lancashire and Grizedale and Whinlater in Cumbria. www.goape.co.uk. Monday-Friday 10% discount available for Scouts. Liverpool War Museum. Western Approaches, Liverpool. Incredible museum including a vast reinforced underground bunker, which housed the Command Centre of the Armed Forces during WWII. Open 10.30am - 3.30pm from March to October, admission £3 each for groups of ten or more. www.liverpoolwarmuseum.co.uk scouts.org.uk/pol

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Executive privilege

Scout ultimately lies at the hand of the ng uti Sco r lore Exp for y ilit sib pon Res w about r District Executive Committee kno District, but just how much does you t tric for bright ideas on getting your Dis on d Rea ? tion sec ut Sco r lore Exp the ut Express Executive on board the Explorer Sco Question: I know that the District Executive is supposed to be responsible for the Explorer section. Mine seem to think we’re invisible. How do I get them to take more interest and give us the support that we need?

The responsibilities of the District Executive The Explorer Scout section is a District section and the District Executive Committee fulfils the role of the Group Executive Committee so far as this section is concerned. The Executive Committee is responsible for: • The maintenance of any property belonging to the District Explorer Scouts • The raising of funds and the administration of the section’s finance • The insurance of persons, property and equipment • Assisting with the recruitment of Leaders and other adult support The Role of the District Executive in Supporting the Explorer Scout Section (FS452012)

Ideas that you could try 1. Get your District Commissioner’s support. They are responsible for all aspects of Scouting in the District, and if a section isn’t being adequately supported then they will want to do something about it. 2. Ask for your Assistant County Commissioner (Explorer Scouts) or equivalent to be invited to the next District Executive meeting, where they could explain more about how to support the Explorer Scout section. 3. Ensure that the Explorer Scout section is on the agenda of every Executive meeting. 4. Make a list of actions that you would like the Executive to undertake, whether it is recruiting a District Explorer Scout Administrator, reviewing the finance of Explorer Scouting, or raising money for some new tents. 5. Suggest the formation of a sub-Committee responsible for the Explorer Scout section and invite parents to help develop the section. 6. The District Explorer Scout Commissioner should submit an annual budget for the Explorer Scout section. How this works will depend on whether the Units or section have their own accounts or whether all the Explorer Scout finances go through the main District account.

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DISTRICT EXECUTIVE

Make sure that it includes District Explorer Scout Commissioner and Administrator costs such as postage, telephone, printing and stationery, travel, leader training and publications. Claim for these items. 7. Encourage the Executive to invite Explorer Scouts to report back to them on how funds have been spent or on recent fundraising activities where appropriate. It may also be a good idea, when Explorer Scouting is a substantial item on the agenda, to invite Explorer Scouts to be part of the discussion. Small working groups may be more appropriate than a round-thetable discussion for this. 8. The Explorer Scout section could be asked to ‘take on’ the District AGM. All Explorer Scouts and their parents are members of the District Scout Council, so this would be a good way to get them all there. Around the main business part of the AGM the Explorer Scouts could provide the catering, some entertainment – perhaps a DVD of their activities over the year. If the members of the Committee see young people in action, they may begin to enjoy their responsibilities. 9. Ask the Chairperson from a neighbouring, supportive District to come and share some of the ways in which

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they look after the Explorer Scouts. They may be able to give the Executive some good ideas. Looking on the bright side, many District Executive Committees have embraced the new responsibility they have for a youth section and actively fulfil their role. Five years ago it was a substantial change for them, but by now every District Executive should have found their feet and be providing the same kind of support to Explorer Scout Units as the Group Executive provides to the Troops, Packs and Colonies.

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Personal permits can remove the need for adult supervision of an activity

This time itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal The Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Programme and Development Adviser for Activities, Barney Poulton, explains the introduction of personal permits for adventurous activities, which potentially have a big impact on Explorer Scouts 16

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PERSONAL PERMITS

e all recognise that adventurous activities are a key part of Scouting, especially within Explorers, and one of the things that keep Explorer Scouts turning up for more. Equally, we need to make sure potentially hazardous activities are managed and run to minimise risk, ensuring they are as safe as possible for participants. This is why we have the Adventurous Activity Permit Scheme, allowing those with relevant skills and experience to gain a permit to lead (or supervise) these activities for others. However, to make it easier for competently skilled Explorers to take part in these activities, it is now possible for the first time to get personal activity permits.

needing a leader with a supervisory permit to remotely supervise them throughout.

What are personal activity permits?

Can personal permits be restricted?

Personal permits allow the holder to take part in a specified activity without needing somebody with a leadership or supervisory permit to be there. If, for example, a group of Explorers all held a personal kayaking permit they could all go kayaking together (subject to the normal guidelines that would be followed when going kayaking).

Just like any leadership or supervisory permit, any personal activity permit can be personalised to the skills and abilities of the applicant through the use of restrictions. This could be through restricting them to certain areas, specific stretches of water, certain weather conditions, specific routes or any number of other personalisation based on their skills and requirements.

What is the difference between personal and leadership permits?

Can adults get personal activity permits?

The main difference between personal and leadership permits is that with a personal permit you cannot lead the activity for anyone else. Somebody with a leadership permit can take a group of novices or more experienced young people without permits and introduce them to an activity. A personal permit holder can only take part in the activity with others holding a personal permit. Personal permits are not here to replace leadership permits for under 18s (there is still no minimum age for leadership permits), merely to allow those with the technical skills but not yet the leadership skills to participate in the activity for themselves.

How do you get a personal activity permit? The process for gaining a personal permit is exactly the same as for gaining a leadership or supervisory permit. Any applicant will need to be seen by a County Assessor who will check their technical competence against an assessment checklist of skills required, but without any leadership elements. Each applicant will also need to be checked for their knowledge of the Scout Association rules for their activity and their personal suitability.

There is no benefit to an adult gaining a personal permit. This is because it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow them to lead an activity for anyone else without a permit, and due to the rules for adult groups in adventurous activities there is no requirement for them to hold a permit or be led by a permit holder when taking part in adventurous activities themselves.

What are the benefits of personal activity permits? Personal permits are designed to allow competent young people easier access to activities within Scouting. This could particularly be the case where you have Explorers with skills in a specific activity, but for whatever reason there is no one within their leadership team with the knowledge and skills to be able to offer the activity to them. It is expected to be particularly useful for expeditions, whether by foot, boat or other means, so for example a group of Explorers on an expedition for their Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Scout Award could all gain personal permits (if they have the skills required) rather than

Further information and support Full details about the Adventurous Activity Permit Scheme, including personal activity permits and all the resources to support them can be found at www.scouts.org.uk/activitypermits

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How big?

rily aimed While The Big Adventure is prima s Natalie at the Beaver, Cub and Scout section which your Tomlinson explains some ways in Unit can get involved…

uring this summer’s camping season, we are encouraging leaders to ask parents to join the camp leadership team. Parents are the best and most likely source of help available to Groups and by experiencing the fun of Scouting, parents are likely to offer to help out once the new term starts. Of course, Explorer Scouts are less likely to want their parents at camp with them! This is the main reason The Big Adventure has been aimed at Group level, but the basic premise of encouraging adults to volunteer by giving them a role in the leadership team for a residential event can be easily adapted. Instead of inviting parents to join your leadership team, why not ask others connected to your Unit, such as members of your local community or people who have run a specialist session for you in the past (possibly parents of past Explorers, or former Explorer Scouts themselves). You may share a building with a martial arts club or church community, and they may have a basic knowledge of what Scouting is but will have a much better idea if they were asked to an event. It could be just the challenge they are looking for. Another way to join in is to get your Explorers involved in Group or District camps. This is a good way for them to work alongside adults, take on responsibility for a particular area and learn delegation and listening skills. They may feel encouraged to become a Young Leader – a great addition to their CV. Young Leaders in your Unit may already be helping out at events and could invite their non-Scouting friends along, who may themselves decide to become Explorer Scouts. We are sure the initiative is going to be a huge success this summer in increasing the number of adults in the Movement. We hope you decide to be a part of it!

more info The Big Adventure online For more information go to www.scouts.org.uk/thebigadventure

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