1st MERTON PARK SCOUT GROUP

Transcription

1 1st MERTON PARK SCOUT GROUP Registered Charity No Scout Association No ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2013 Wednesday 6 March 2013 at 7.45 p.m. at Stanley Lodge (the Scout Hut), Church Lane Merton Park London SW19 3HN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 6 MARCH 2013

2 CHAIR S FOREWORD Welcome to the 1st Merton Park Scout Group Annual General Meeting for The AGM is a requirement of each Scout Group to ensure we have the correct governance in place to enable us to run the Scout Group correctly. The AGM is also a forum in which all members of the Scout Group are invited to attend and any questions can be raised with the Group Executive Committee members. It has been an exceptional year for our Scout Group with so many extra activities themed along the Olympics and the Queens Diamond Jubilee, and I hope that our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts will be able to look back fondly on these memories. We were also very lucky to have a District camp organised in recognition of the Jubilee, and although the weather was horrendous and ankle deep mud was endured, the activities carried on regardless and everyone had such a great time. All credit to the organising team and all those who helped make this such a fantastic event. I would also like to thank all of our leaders and helpers that week in and week out ensure that a varied programme of activities is provided. In some cases, some leaders have had to put in a lot of extra effort as we are short of leaders. If you think you could spare some time, maybe an hour a term, please get in touch with your child s section leader. We are always very interested to hear from parents about any of their hobbies and interests which could be shared, or any useful contacts for activity ideas. I would also urge all parents to join in with the Jumble sales in May and October not only does this allow us to keep subs as one of the lowest in the district, it is also a social and fun occasion; why else would our helpers continue helping for 30 or more years after their children have left the group!! Andrew Grimme Group Chair 1. Welcome MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD IN STANLEY LODGE ON WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH The Chair, Andrew Grimme, welcomed those present. The Chair introduced the top table himself as Chair and representing Vicky Tullett the Group Scout Leader, Chris Rowlands (Acting Secretary) and John Garrett (Treasurer). 2. Apologies Apologies were received from Ray Donovan-Hill, John Mills (Independent Examiner), Joe Rogerson (District Commissioner), Clive Tullett, Vicky Tullett. 3. Minutes of the AGM. held on 30 March

3 The minutes of last year s Annual General Meeting were approved and signed by the Chair. 5. Annual reports and accounts Group Scout Leader s Report Andrew on behalf of Vicky Tullett the Group Scout Leader said 100 years of scouting in Merton Park had been celebrated in the summer of 2011 with about 400 people attending the event in the Glebe field. It had been very good to see many former members of the group as well as current ones. The second major event was the Explorers expedition to Kenya. There has been growth in numbers, especially in the Scout section, and retention of members had improved. Treasurer s Report John Garrett presented the financial accounts of the Group. He said that the financial position of the Group continued to be healthy. He had made some changes to the accounts, for example counting Gift Aid receipts as part of subscriptions. 1, had been spent on the centenary celebrations, but nevertheless spending in the year had been slightly less than receipts Sarah McGrath asked whether there were any plans to increase subscriptions, and about bursaries for less affluent members. Andrew and John said that there were no plans to increase subscriptions and that there had always been a policy of waiving or reducing charges in cases where full payment in full would be a problem. General Martin Whiting (Deputy County Commissioner) congratulated the Group on the increase in numbers but was concerned about how few girls there were. He recognised that Guides was available for girls, but it was the policy of the Scout Association that Scout Groups were fully open to girls as well as boys and asked that we review what is being offered by the Group to see whether it was suitable for girls. Andrew said that the Group was definitely open to and welcoming of girls and the matter would be discussed in the development committee meeting which would take place after this meeting. Andrew stated that as there were no more questions from the floor, the Group s report and accounts could now be approved, which they were, and then signed by the Chair. 5. Group Scout Leader s Nomination of Group Chair Andrew Grimme Tullett and approved. Nominated by Chris Rowlands on behalf of Vicky 2

4 6. Nomination by Chair of Group Executive Members Lyn Grimme and Helen Saitch - approved. 7. Election of Members to Group Executive Kathy Di Franco and Sarah McGrath: Proposed by Lyn Grimme and seconded by Chris Rowlands and elected. 8. Election of Group Treasurer and Group Secretary. Treasurer: John Garrett: Proposed by Kathy, seconded by Julia Whiting and elected. Secretary: Chris Rowlands: proposed by Sarah McGrath, seconded by Ray Stanley and elected. 9. Election of Independent Examiner John Mills: proposed by Kathy Di Franco, seconded by Ray Stanley and elected. 10. Any Other Business Martin Whiting asked about the Group s General Development plan. Andrew said that this was in existence, and this year we would be focussing on getting more adult help, as this was needed if we are going to achieve what we want. More female adult leaders would help us to increase our female Scout numbers. Ray Stanley asked about the whereabouts of the Group Scout Leader. Andrew said that she had gone to Kenya with Clive to sort out a problem that had arisen with the project. Martin talked about the Kenya projects and the broader impact that these things had in encouraging local community activities for example in rebuilding part of a nearby Anglican Church. A little money could go a long way in the area where the Kenya project was taking place. He also said that the Greater London South West County had appointed a Media Development Manager, one Jenny Handley, to publicise Scout activities and deal with any adverse publicity. We should contact her when we had matters that we wanted to publicise. Andrew thanked everyone for coming. The meeting closed at 8.00 p.m. 3

5 GROUP SCOUT LEADER S REPORT for 2012 In 2012 the Scout Group had another very active year; following on from our Centenary celebrations in the summer of 2011 we were looking forward to the Queen s Diamond Jubilee celebrations which included the picnic in the Glebe field in June and the District camp at Blackland Farm East Grinstead in May. Please read the section reports to get more information about what each section has been up to this year. The Group is doing well with the number of young people joining us growing each year. At the moment we have over 80 young people across all four sections. There is a huge demand for joining the Beaver Section and Ray Donovan-Hill is running a full Colony. This has had a positive impact on the sections that follow with both the Cubs and Scouts sitting at youngsters. Looking at this year s census figures we are going to be increasing both these sections over the next two years as the age bands show a clear progression through the group. Ray has also been able to get more girls joining Beavers and so over the next few years we will hopefully see more in Cubs and Scouts. The Group this year did not do a separate Group Camp as the District Camp at East Grinstead took place. I would like to say a big thank you to all the helpers on that weekend, helping in the kitchen, putting up and taking down tents and then helping to get the young people around the site to visit all the activities. It was very wet and muddy but this did not seem to stop everyone having a great time. One of the big events of the weekend was a Street Party on Sunday at lunch time so the Beavers who had come for the day could join us. It was so wet though that we had to move into the big circus tent we had on site for the weekend, which was a sight to see, over 1,000 young people all sitting down to share a meal. As always the Group supporters have been very active, helping out at group activities like the District Camp and also organising the two jumble sales we put on each year. Our October Jumble sale was great and I think we can safely say it was the highest takings any of us could remember. These jumble sales take a lot of hard work over a short period of time and we really do need some more help. We are looking for help collecting on a Wednesday evening, setting up and taking down on Saturday and manning stalls on Saturday afternoon. Please can I ask you all to look to see when you could help; it only needs to be a couple of hours when it suits you but the more people that get involved the easier it becomes. You will all get a call from a member of the executive sometime in April; please say yes to do something. These jumble sales are vital to allow us to put on all the wonderful activities for your young people without having to charge too much or anything at all. Lastly I would like to welcome a few new faces to the Section leadership team. In Beavers this year we have been joined by Daisy and Alex, in Cubs Steph has taken out a warrant and in Scouts we have been joined by Dan. It is always great to see new faces joining us as everyone brings something new to the team. If you are interested in coming and helping out in a section please speak to one of the leaders or contact us on We always have fun and I think sometimes enjoy it more than the young people. 4

6 Once again a big thank you to all the help and support you have given the group over the past year and looking into 2013 it is never too late to join in the fun. Vicky Tullett BEAVER LEADER S REPORT FOR 2012 We continue to have a very strong Colony with 24 Beavers on roll and a healthy waiting list. In July 2012, we said goodbye to two of our regular helpers, Angie and Megan, and I would like to thank them for all the wonderful support they gave. While thanking people, I would also like to thank my wife Anne for her continuing support at camp and at special events, and on the occasional Monday, sometimes at a moment s notice! Since September we have been joined by Alex and Daisy. Alex is a warranted Assistant Beaver Leader, and Daisy is a regular helper. They have both thrown themselves into their role, and we work really well together as a team. In September, 11 new Beavers joined the colony. I have been trying to attract girls as well as boys, and although I only have two girls at present, I have five girls on my waiting list and aim to develop a better gender balance. As we seem to be retaining children as they move upwards through the Group, the increase in girls should eventually be reflected throughout the whole group. Our aim in Beavers is to offer an active and balanced programme with scouting activities, craft work and games. In the last twelve months we have awarded numerous badges, including health and fitness, faith, experiment, creative, global, animal friend, IT and hiking. Six Beavers have completed all six Challenge awards and recently received their Chief Scout s Bronze award. These are the highlights of our year: At the end of February the Beavers wrote to the Queen to congratulate her on her Diamond Jubilee: we received a thank you card from the Palace. The Beavers chose what to say and leaders decided that there shouldn t be any editing! In March we took part in the District Beavers Ride in Morden Hall Park. Around 16 Beavers attended, and it was a fine sunny day. In April the Beavers paraded through Wimbledon and attended a service at Sacred Heart Church as part of the St George s Day celebrations. In May, as part of the Olympic theme, we held our own Teddy Bear Sports Day, with prizes. Eleven Beavers also attended the District Camp at Blackland Farm. Despite the dreadfully cold and wet weather the Beavers reported that they had a good time. I think the coach trip and muddy conditions made their day. In June and July we used the Glebe field for some of our outside activities, and put our new parachute to good use. We also went on a hike around Merton Park which enabled the Beavers to acquire map reading and observation skills. 5

7 In October and November we looked at the value of friendship and team work, what it s like to be disabled, and the meaning of the Beavers promise to be kind and helpful and to love God. We followed this up in December with a visit to St Mary s Church and Rev John Hayward gave an absorbing talk about the story of Christmas. In January, as part of their Fitness Challenge, the Beavers went bowling at David Lloyds, and Alex also taught them some hip hop and street dance movements, as well as a bit of yoga. In February we held a Mardi Gras party and the Beavers cooked pancakes, made masks, and played Mardi Gras games. We continue to think of new and imaginative things for the Beavers, and look forward to an exciting year ahead. Ray Donovan-Hill CUB LEADER S REPORT FOR 2012 This year has seen the Pack as busy as ever, with new Beavers joining us throughout the year. The Pack has maintained the number of Cubs at between 20 and 24 over the year, being made up of Beavers coming up but also young people joining Scouting for the first time. It has been great to see them all get involved and enjoy the varied programme on offer. We have also seen over 10 of our Cubs move up to Scouts and all seem to be enjoying themselves, I m sure you will be able to read what they have been up to later in this report. Over 2012 the Pack has completed many activities, as a large group or individually. This included Pack evenings, Group activities and District events and completing several parades this year both locally at St Mary s, including Mothering Sunday and Remembrance Sunday and then with the District for St Georges Day. We paraded through Wimbledon Village, holding up all the traffic; this was a sight to see with over a 1,000 Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and adult helpers all in Scout uniform looking smart and proud to be seen by the public. We had a visit by the local Safer Neighbourhoods Officer, PC Dan Hayward, giving the Cubs a chance to have a look what is actually in that belt and to ask some wonderful questions. We are hoping to follow this up with visits to the Fire Station and Police Station this year. The District Camp at Blackland Farm East Grinstead was a great success last May; it was wet, muddy and not very warm but the Cubs were great and all had a brilliant time, enjoying all the activities that were laid on, finishing off with a street party held on the Sunday with the rest of the District. Because of the weather this was in the Circus tent; the noise of 1,500 young people was very loud indeed. Then in the autumn term the pack entered the District Swimming Gala for the first time in a few years. We did very well coming fourth, only two points behind the 6

8 joint second placed packs. We are looking to improve this position in Everyone had a great time and agreed that this needs to become a feature of our Pack calendar. We finished off the year with the Group Christmas Party. I think you would all agree that it has been another busy year and it already looks like it will be just as busy if not more in I would just like to end this report by saying thank you to all the adult helpers who have come down over the year to help and support the pack, enabling the programme to be delivered. My thanks go to Steph, Ian, Clive, Bob, Kirk, Ben, Tom and Holly. Jane Clark SCOUT LEADERS REPORT FOR 2012 It has been another active and fruitful year for the Scout section. We now have 24 Scouts regularly attending meetings, with an average weekly attendance of 22. We expanded the troop to four patrols and have seen new Assistant Patrol Leaders grow in their confidence and leadership skills. We were very pleased to welcome a new Assistant Scout Leader, Dan Hawksworth, into the leadership team in September In the last 12 months the troop has participated in a number of District and County Activities. We competed in the District Swimming Gala and County Orienteering events in October, and also took part in the District Inter-Troop Quiz. ASLs Bob Voller and Ian Tanner helped to run the District Incident Hike in December We hope to enter more events in the future. The Troop attended the District Camp in the summer, and good fun was had by all. The programme over the last 12 months has included map reading and navigation skills, cookery and food preparation and hygiene, knots and pioneering work, first aid, staying safe on the internet and working to prepare new members for investiture. We have been able to award a number of badges to the Scouts over the last 12 months, including the Chefs, Adventure and Fitness awards, Martial Arts, Paddle Sports, IT, Emergency Aid, Communicator and Music. We hope that the next 12 months will prove to be as enjoyable and rewarding as the last year has been. Ian Tanner ASL 7

9 EXPLORER UNIT S REPORT FOR 2012 The unit has been very active in 2012, finishing off the last of the presentations to two church groups who had donated funds for our Kenya 2011 projects in January. It is very important to keep the Explorers focused and occupied after the project in the summer of 2011 as this is always one of the major highlights of the year and is often very difficult to follow. With this in mind a survival camp was organised for February, with the January evening meetings used to prepare for it. This covered fire lighting, only using one match, kit preparation and also having a go at building bivouacs in the Glebe field. They were very lucky with the weather, having planned the camp for the three days in half term when it was not snowing. They had a great time, building their shelter and then using their scouting skills to make camp, cook on an open fire and complete a hike whilst there. The Explorers as a unit undertook their Youth Sports Leader certificate, meeting at Tooting and Mitcham Football ground for two evenings to be taken through their paces, coming away each with a certificate. They have been using these skills when helping in the other sections during joint activities like the District camp at East Grinstead. The Unit has completed several supporting roles this year. The first was at the District Camp as mentioned above. They were group leaders and helped to escort up to 20 Beavers, Cubs and Scouts around to the many activities, taking part as they went. The second was at the Queen s Jubilee picnic in June when they helped put up all the tents, manned some of the gates and also helped run the Sports Day Races. At both occasions they were praised for how well they did. To finish off the summer term they took part in a national camp called Gilwell24. This is an activity camp put on for Explorer Scouts at Gilwell over a 24 hour period, and they all enjoyed it so much that it has already been put into the 2013 programme. Over the summer they completed a four day hike and survival camp in Surrey, going towards their Diamond Award. This time instead of the cold they were infested with tics. It has been decided that the cold is preferable to the tics so the next survival camp will be planned for early spring 2013 not the summer. Overall the Unit has had a busy year with the older Explorers achieving their Diamond award and the new Explorers starting to work towards their Platinum Awards. Plans are starting to be put in place for some of the older Explorers and Networkers to start working towards their Queen s Scout Award next year, with completion of 4/5 day expeditions in wild country with the District and County teams is starting to look as busy with survival camps planned, Red Flare incident night hike, Gilwell24, and many other activities planned. Thanks to everyone for their continued support. Explorer Scout Leadership Team. 8