------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tubby the Tuba Come Out and Play! The orchestra is looking for yet more musicians! Certain sections are a little under represented and we want your rhelpto help. If you know someone between 13 and 25 who would enjoy playing with the orchestra, ask the Activities Office, Gilwell Park for details. In To The Spotlight 1999 Switch On Early planning has started is being done for a national talent show in 1999 creative event at a prestigious venue. Once again there will be a number of ways that talented members of the Scout and Guide Associations can audition will get the opportunity to audition for the show in all parts of the UK including Northern Ireland. Gang shows and bands may wish to invite the producer to a production or you may want to prepare a video - but don't send it in yet! Auditions will be held in early 1999. Further details in the next few months. Travel Insurance A Word from your Guardian Angels The Insurance Department is always keen to improve its our service to the Movement. However, to be more efficient it sometimes needs your help! Every year it arranges Overseas Travel Insurance for hundreds of Groups. Every year it experiences a number of problems. One of the main difficulties is the use of obsolete literature. It is not unknown for the department to receive forms that are 2-3 years out of date! Each year new forms are printed and the date is clearly marked on them. Forms are available from the Insurance and International Departments. If you are currently arranging a trip please ensure that you use the latest application forms which quote the current and premiums. Groups arrange trips throughout the whole year, but the most popular time is July and August. At this time the Insurance Department is inundated with application forms often for Groups leaving the following day. Please don't leave to the last moment arranging this important element of your trip. Insurance Sales Buyers Beware Like any retailer, the Insurance Industry occasionally finds that there are too many companies chasing too few customers. This usually leads to reductions in premiums as Insurers compete for every scrap of business. This should be good news for customers, but buyers beware! Some insurers, with no experience of niche markets, will be tempted to offer unsuitable policies at bargain basement prices. This is particularly true in the Charity sector, where a number of companies are offering rates as much as 50 per cent below the minimum required to finance scheme losses. Now, more than ever, Groups need to be critically aware of what cover any particular policy will give. As with anything that you buy, the quality will be reflected in the cost. By all means shop around, but don't lose sight of what cover you need. If in doubt, ask Scout Insurance Services at Lancing for advice. Better still, send in a copy of the policy for a free 'health check'. Making People Welcome Brilliant New Resources Two workshops are being run for those who help with the induction of adults into Scouting. The programme provides an opportunity to learn about this key activity and how it supports and helps to retain volunteers. The remaining dates are: 17 January 1998 (Bristol) and 18 January 1998, (London). Further details from the Adult Support Office at Gilwell Park. 'Supporting Adults - Induction' is the title of a new 22 page publication available from the Resource Centre. A second publication called 'Welcome Pack - A Toolkit for Scout Groups' makes it very easy for Groups, Districts or Counties to produce a Welcome Pack. The material is specially designed to be photocopied and includes introductions to the work of the Sections, various administrator roles and the Scout Fellowship. There is also information for parents. You can buy both publications from the Resource Centre. The cost, including post and packing is less than 10. Founder's Day Thinking Day Service 1998 The annual Service will be held on 21 February, 1998, at Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret's Church and Westminster Central Hall. Admission is by TICKET ONLY which will be available through a County/Area allocation system. The Service is open to any Member of the Association over the age of eight including and Administrators. Requests should be made through County Commissioners (Chief Commissioner's office in Scotland and Northern Ireland) by 5 January, 1998. The National Lottery Charities Board The next themes for the National Lottery Charities Board Main Grants Programme are "Community Involvement" and "Voluntary Sector Development". (N.B. Only Counties and Districts can apply under Voluntary Sector Development). More information will be available via the Scout Lottery Line from mid December 1997. A fact sheet will be available at the end of December by sending a S.A.E. to: Finance & Marketing Department, Baden-Powell House. Application packs can be obtained from 19 January by calling the NLCB direct on 0345 919191. For more details or advice on the Lottery please contact The Scout Association the Scout Lottery Line at Baden-Powell House on 0171 590 5123. Charities Board Small Grants Programme The Small Grants Programme offers grants of 500 to 5,000 and currently covers Wales, Scotland, the North East and the South West of England, but will be available in all regions in 1998. No exact date has yet been given but April is the earliest expected date for the programme to be extended. For more information phone the Scout Lottery Line at Baden-Powell House on 0171 590 5123. COMMITTEE NEWS The Committee of the Council met at Gilwell Park on 25/26 October. The Chairman welcomed Miss K. Geddes who has become an invited member of the Committee through the Voice for Young People Policy. Shooting Policy. Following consultation with the Movement, new rules and guidelines were agreed covering shooting and guns. Shooting remains an optional Scout activity but written permission is now required from parents or guardians of Scouts under the age of 18. All Members of the Association are now forbidden to take part as Scouts in "paintball" type activities which are based on pointing and shooting a loaded weapon at a person. Shooting at targets showing humanoid or animal shapes is also not permitted. Full details were circulated to Area/County Commissioner immediately after the meeting and posted on the ScoutBase website (http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/). A briefing paper and the new rules for POR have been sent to District Commissioners in the November Headquarters circulation. Headquarters Strategic Development Plan. A strategic development plan covering the years 1998-2002 has been accepted as the basis for the work of all parts of Headquarters. In support of this, an audit of the core work of Headquarters is to be undertaken and reported to the Committee in February. The core work is also to be examined in the light of the Local Support Services consultation currently underway. The LSS consultation results will also have implications for the implementation business plan that is to be created to achieve the objectives of the Headquarters Strategic Development Plan. Membership Subscription. The Membership subscription for the year 1998/9 will be 9.00 with a 35p rebate for prompt payment (1997/98 8.60 gross, 8.25 net). Communications and Image Strategy. A Communications and Image Strategy Working Group has been established to develop an integrated communications plan. It will review internal distribution of information, the terms of reference of the Publications Board, the corporate image(s) projected by the Association and the external distribution of information through press releases, media responses, publicity events etc. It will report to the Committee by June 1998 with a recommended strategy to achieve development in these areas including resourcing for implementation. Appointments Procedures. Revised recommendations on the procedures to be followed whenever it is required to search for and appoint Chairmen and Board members of the Association's Companies and Boards were accepted. It was also agreed that a Remuneration Committee be established covering the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team and that the existing staff Salary Review Group's terms of reference be formalised. Mr J.C. Bailey , an elected member of the Committee of the Council, was appointed elected to serve on the Remuneration Committee subject to annual re-election. First Response. Committee agreed a recommendation from the Programme & Training sub-Committee that District Commissioners should be strongly encouraged to ensure that all Leaders have the opportunity to attend a First Aid or First Response course during their first year of appointment. Integrated Sections. POR is to be amended to permit, subject to permission from District Commissioners, creation of an integrated Section where Beaver Scouts and/or Cub Scouts and/or Scouts; or Scouts and Venture Scouts might work together as one Section. This is intended to meet the needs of Scouting in special circumstances with small numbers of young people exist especially in rural and some urban areas. Membership of the Council. The Prime Minister the Rt Hon Tony Blair MP, the Rt Hon William Hague, Leader of the Opposition and Rt Hon Paddy Ashdown, Liberal Democrat Leader are now all Elected Members of the Council of The Scout Association. Subsequent to the Annual General Meeting of the Association, the Chief Rabbi accepted an invitation to become an Elected Member of the Council. This is the first time that the elected membership had included the leaders of the three main political parties. Scrutiny of Accounts. The Finance sub-Committee has agreed that the accounts for 500 Scout Groups, 40 Districts, 20 local Scout shops, 20 campsites and 20 Gang Shows be called in for examination. The nine Groups and seven Districts accounts still outstanding from 1995 would also be examined. Loans to Scout Groups. Subject to the usual conditions, loans have been -!- N2N 3.685 ! Origin: The BBS -=- Internet Gateway (90:102/0.99) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ / James Haslam Internet: JHaslam@fortress.org.uk \ ------------------------------------------------------------------ \ FidoNet: 2:254/105.2 NeST: 90:102/0.2 BBSNet: 405:100/78.2 / *James' Point at the * Winter camping = cubsicles!! --- JetMail 0.99beta22 * Origin: James' Point at the < Fortress > (FidoNet 2:254/105.2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 237 SCOUTING #2 Ref: EGC00005 Date: 12/07/97 From: JAMES HASLAM Time: 02:02pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Scoutbase UK: Talking Points 51, p.3/3 * CROSS-POSTED FROM EMAIL BY JAMES HASLAM * Here's the latest issue of Talking Points, the official newsletter from the UK Scout Association : Page 3 of 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ approved to 1st Croydon (4,000), 36th Purley (6,000) 1st Totton, South West Notts. (800) in connection with development work. Sub-Committee Chairmen. The following members of the Committee of the Council have been appointed; Community Development, Mr George Mitchell; Programme & Training, Mr Derek Capper, General Purposes, Mr J. Christopher Bailey, Finance, Mr William McDonald. Appointments. National Commissioner for Adult Support: Mrs Sue Camper, wef 18/10/97. County/Area Commissioners: Clwyd, Mrs Helen Stringer, wef 8/10/97. Cumbria, Mr Richard Allsopp, wef 25/9/97. Edinburgh, Mr. John Bruce, wef 1/4/98. (end) 1/12/97 Public Relations Department, The Scout Association, Baden-Powell House, London SW7 5JS Email: ukbphscout@aol.com -!- N2N 3.685 ! Origin: The BBS -=- Internet Gateway (90:102/0.99) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ / James Haslam Internet: JHaslam@fortress.org.uk \ ------------------------------------------------------------------ \ FidoNet: 2:254/105.2 NeST: 90:102/0.2 BBSNet: 405:100/78.2 / *James' Point at the * Tents, pegs, food, matches. Matches?? MATCHES!!! OOPS!! --- JetMail 0.99beta22 * Origin: James' Point at the < Fortress > (FidoNet 2:254/105.2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 237 SCOUTING #2 Ref: EGC00006 Date: 12/07/97 From: JAMES HASLAM Time: 02:05pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Scoutbase UK: Argentina Jamboree * CROSS-POSTED FROM EMAIL BY JAMES HASLAM * Here's the latest from ScoutBase UK, http:/www.scoutbase.org.uk : ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FROM: chris@scout.demon.co.uk (Chris Wilkinson) Reply Index No: 88563 This is from the International Department at BP House, London. If you are interested in the offer would you please contact Samanatha White direct on 0171 584 7030. Regards CHRIS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ We have been invited to send 10 young people of older Venture age 18+ to a Jamboree in Argentina at the end of Jan 1998. Location: Necochea, 600kms south of Buenos Aires, beach surroundings They are hoping to bring together in the region of 3,000 young people. You have to provide your own flight and travel, but they will provide all the equipment and fuel/water for your stay - food not included. We just need an idea if anyone is actually interested at this short notice - we've just received the letter!!!! It is very vague information from their end - no dates, no fee, etc. etc. Samantha White -- Chris Wilkinson - Group Secretary - ScoutBase UK The Scout Association's Web Site http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/ -!- N2N 3.685 ! Origin: The BBS -=- Internet Gateway (90:102/0.99) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ / James Haslam Internet: JHaslam@fortress.org.uk \