The Viewpoint Newsletter provides information to all the Adults involved in Scouting in the Arundel and Littlehampton District.

September 2004

St.George’s Day Parade 2005

Due to another booking at the Cathedral the St.George’s Day Parade and Service will be held on Sunday 17^th April 2005. Please, if you have arranged other activities for this date please try and rearrange them.

St.George’s Day Award Presentations 2005

In 2005 during the early afternoon of our St.George’s Day celebrations, we are going to hold a special reception for all those Cubs and Beavers who have gained their Bronze or Silver Chief Scouts Awards since the last St.George’s Day, even if they have moved sections. A special certificate will be presented and their achievement will be promoted.

We have been allowed to use the wonderful venue of the Arundel Town Hall for this event, thanks to our friend the Mayor of Arundel who was a Scout himself in his younger days in the US.

Your ADC’s will be asking section leaders to provide them with names and addresses of the young people so that we can invite them to the presentation, with their parents. Depending on numbers, we will be inviting section leaders or their representatives to attend. Please note that a buffet lunch will be provided. More details to follow.

From September on could you please fill in the new Bronze and Silver Award form that will be sent out when you purchase any of these badges from the Badge Secretary.

Chief Scouts Gold Award Reception

Not to be left out there is a special reception for the Scout Section for those who have achieved the Gold Chief Scouts Award on November 21^st, please contact the ACC Scouts Keith Prior for more details keithprior@bigfoot.com 

Thank You Ball

West Sussex Scout Network Presents a Thank you Ball!
           

You are cordially invited to attend the 1st West Sussex Scouts Thank you Ball. 30^th October 2004, 7pm – 12-30pm

The event will be held at the Worthing Dome, Marine Parade, Worthing, West Sussex

All Leaders, Helpers, Network, Fellowship and Executive committee members are welcome. Along with their partners or guests.  We will be enjoying the live music from a 5-piece Jazz band along with a disco to finish. A Buffet will be available while we listen and dance. Tickets are £25 per person.

Please return the slip and your payment ASAP to Avoid Disappointment.   Please reply to: Rick Cooper (Thank you)

40 Groomsland Drive, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9HB

Over 65s

Up until the 1st August 2004 all warranted leaders/commissioners had to resign their appointments at the age of 65.

From this date there will be no upper age limit on such appointments. Appointments will therefore be approved on ability to undertake the role not on age. Except the lower end where 'Adult Appointments' start at the age of 18.

If anyone is effected by this ruling or you know someone who may like to take up an appointment who is over 65 please feel free to contact the DC or their GSL/Group contact with any queries.

Nights Away Camping Permits

From September 1^st 2004 the Permission to Camp Forms (PC) are no longer valid.

ALL overnight experiences provided to young people must be provided by suitably experienced leaders who hold the new Camping Permit. Some Groups have risen to the challenge and had their experienced Leaders fill in the new application forms. These Leaders will therefore be able to take their young people on these overnight activities.

If you have not got your permit please contact ASAP Graham ‘Chewy’ Lincoln (District Nights Away Adviser) to sort out your Permit. There are still Groups who do not have a Nights Away Coordinator to sort out the paperwork required. Please try and sort this ASAP.

Remember Scouts and Explorer Leaders need this permit too, not just Cubs and Beaver Leaders.

NO OVERNIGHT ACTIVITES IN ANY SECTION WILL BE PERMITTED WITHOUT THIS NEW CAMPING PERMITS BEING HELD.

 Nights Away Notification (NAN)

Also from September 1^st 2004 all Nights Away Activities including night hikes etc must be notified to the District Commissioner. This can be done in several ways including: -

·         Filling in the New Nights Away Notification Form (NAN) and posting it.

·         or by faxing the NAN to 0709 213 7053

·         or by emailing the same information to the DC on dc@al-scouts.org.uk

·         or by phoning the DC

If your event is out of the District please be aware that the local DC should also be informed of your event. Details on who the DC is can be obtained from the Information Centre 0845 300 1818

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

As you are aware our District D of E adviser Mark Bridger (from 1^st East Preston) has been working away registering Scouts and Explorers onto the Scheme. We now have a good proportion of this age Group registered on the scheme.

If you have still got young people who you wish to sign up please contact Mark and he will arrange the registration. The membership books are now available from the Badge Shop so delays should be minimised. However they will be only sent out to Troops and Units if the young person has been first registered with Mark.

Scout Mate Badge, Leader Link  & Bring a Friend Fortnight 4^th to 17^th October

Just to remind you, in order to help promote young people and Adults to join Scouting, there is the Scout Mate and Leader Link Badges. These are presented to young people or adults who mange to recruit and retain a new member. Details from the DC or leaflet from GSL’s Group Contacts: -

Why not promote these badges in a special couple of weeks in the new term that the county have called ‘Bring a Friend’ fortnight (4^th to 17^th October)  where we encourage particularly our young people to bring along one of their friends.

2005/2007

We would like to have several District events to celebrate the centenary of Scouting but in order to do so we need your support. Please could you see if someone in your Group could represent it on the working party that will be hopefully held in September/October this year? Wendy Squires is organising this meeting so she will be sending further details shortly.

Scout and Guide Joint Activity Badge

The Joint Activity Badge is for a minimum of 4 from the Scout and Guide Movements to carry out an active activity by members between the ages of 6-25 years. The ratio for large groups is not rigid but there should be at least two members from either Movement present.  The activity must be approved by the District Commissioner dc@al-scouts.org.uk before commencement, so that he can encourage our District Team and PR Officer to get involved.

The activity duration range is: Beaver age one hour. All other Sections 1.1/2 hours

Suggestions for a joint activity:  Mixed weekly Meeting. Walkabout with Rainbows. Outings together (Cub Scouts and Brownies) Camping as a mixed patrol

When the activity is completed a Leader is to submit names of participants in a letter to the County Office and advising the Office that the activity was authorised by the DC. Badges will be sent to Leaders and the DC notified. A young person can attend more than one mixed activity.

The Joint Activity Badge can now be worn by Leaders when their Section is awarded the badge.  Please record all occasions and the Sections of individuals that have participated in the Joint Activity Badge as two new badges are to be awarded:

1.   If a young member in their time in Scouting achieves 5 joint events, a new Silver edged Joint Activity Badge will be awarded to that individual. 2.  If a young member in their time in Scouting achieves 10 joint events, a Gold edged Joint Activity Badge will be awarded

County Day 3rd October 2004

Following the success of the County Day a couple of years ago in Steyning. The county are holding another, this time at the Worthing Assembly Hall, Stoke Abbot Road.

The event will provide Leaders from all sections ideas and resources to make their programmes even more exciting for their young people. Displays will be provided not only by members of the County Team but by external organisations that can provide young people with interesting programme materials.

Please put this date in your Diary as it is most definitely worth attending. There will be a small entrance fee probably only £1. More details to follow.

Growth and Development

The District Team have attended a couple of community events over the last few months recruiting Young people and leaders, these have been reasonably successful. If you have any fetes or other such events in your area that you think would lend to having a scout recruitment stall at could you please let the DC know.

We have a county target of 10% growth this year; this is not unachievable with your help. A special 10% Growth badge will be available to wear on the uniform.

Scout Network

Just a reminder if there are any members that are coming up to 18 they can join the Scout Network to continue their Scouting. Our local co-ordinator is Simon Stuart via e-mail simon.stuart1272@tiscali.co.uk. They have a number of events coming up including the Network Ball advertised on this newsletter.

Appointments Process

As most of you will probably aware, we are now operating the new appointments process that now issues provisional appointments for new Leaders and Assistants.

In order to make this process transparent we will be issuing a guidance sheet to explain what happens and to show what you need to do.

This is also available from 1^st September on www.al-scouts.org.uk/appointments/.

Adult Cancellations/Changes

For all adult appointments except Casual Helpers could you please notify the Appointments Secretary Dave Davison when a person leaves the Group or changes role to keep the records up to date. If they leave the proper Cancellation form should be completed by the GSL and passed to Dave to process.

Duty Group 2004/2005

Just to let you know that the Duty Group for this year is 1^st Arundel, they will be working hard to organise the various events that they have responsibility for in the coming year. Thanks go to 1^st Angmering for their help as last year’s duty Group.

Adult Service Awards

We have still had very little response to our plea to get award nominations for those leaders and others who have made an outstanding contribution to Scouting. All we need is a few bullet points on the achievements of the individual. In particular we need to know of the non leader service as at this current time we do not have any records of this.

Please send any nominations to Peter Ingram – Chairman of the Awards committee or the DC.

New Chief Scout

Actor and TV action man Peter Duncan is set to take on a new challenge as Chief Scout for the UK's largest co-educational youth charity.

Famous for his round-the-world expeditions, as well as his stint on Blue Peter and Duncan Dares in the 1980's, Peter is delighted to be breaking new ground with the Scout Movement in the United Kingdom.

Data Protection Act – Are you compliant?

Can we please remind ALL Groups? In order to comply with the data protection Act 2000, personal information kept by Leaders for Scouting purposes must only be kept with the express written permission of the parent/guardian of the young person in the Group? Guidance has gone out to GSL’s and Group contacts. Failure to comply with this legislation means we are potentially breaking the law.  Please contact your GSL/Group Contact or the DC for more details.

Diary Dates

Could you please supply any diary dates your Group might have to the District Commissioner by the end of October to include in the next edition of the Newsletter.

Here are the dates of the next few District Meetings/Events.

Could Group Executive Committees please consider dates for their AGM by Christmas if possible, noting that the District AGM will be on June 23rd 2005. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET IT IN BEFORE THE DISTRICT AGM.

NEXT COPY DATE: 20th October 2004 ALL COPY to Simon Burgess District Commissioner. This next issue of the newsletter should be distributed no later than 15^th November 2004.