1st Keynsham Scouts

HOW TO JOIN

If your child is considering joining the Scouts you might have some questions such as:   What is Scouting?  What do Scouts do?   What does Scouting cost?  Who is responsible?  What is expected of me as a Parent?

Well lets try an address some of those questions, but as we go thro them probably more questions will arise, so it would be a good idea to come down and talk with the various Beaver, Cub, Scout and explorer Scout Leaders,  as they will have the specific information relevant to that section.

What is Scouting

Scouting is a world wide movement with the aim of developing young people into responsible citizens through a lot of fun, challenge and adventurous activities.

A Scout Group can consist of up to 4 sections covering the age range from 6 to 25 year old.

The four sections are:

Beavers Scouts  (6-8 year old)

Cub Scouts        (8-10.5 year old)

Scouts              ( 10.5- 14.5 year old)

Membership to the above sections then  please apply to Helen Bridges  Tele. No. 9871838

Explorer Scouts  (14.5 - 18 year old)

For membership to Explorer Scouts please apply to Ian Carter

Network scouts   (  18 - 25 year old)   this section will be run by County

The underlying values of Scouting are laid down in the Scout Promise and the Scout Law and all young people that join the Scout movement will work to develop these values.

The Scout Promise

On my honour, I promise that I will do my best to do my duty to God and the Queen, to help other people and to keep the Scout law.

(Amendments may be made to suit the Scout Promise to suit each creed, religion and National status)

The Scout Law

1    A Scout is to be trusted

2    A Scout is loyal

3    A Scout is friendly and considerate

4    A Scout belongs to the world-wide family of Scouts.

5    A Scout has courage in all difficulties.

6    A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possession and property.

7    A Scout has self respect and respect for others.

The Scout Association has a programme and an award scheme that runs thro all the sections to ensure continuity and progression for Young People.

What do Scouts do?

Scouts normally meet once a week in the HQ at Mayfields in Keynsham.  The Leaders with the help of the Patrol leaders will design and structure a program to help them achieve there awards and for Troop or Pack evenings. The activities vary from section to section.

 Many sections have one day activities which could involve such things as canoeing, hiking, building bivouacs or just day outings.  Most sections also camp regularly at weekends and for a week during the summer holidays.  These can be in a hut or building, in tents or even shelters built by the Scouts them selves.  Going camping is by far the most popular activity in Scouting and it is during camp that the Leaders, Sixers, Patrol leaders and Scouts get to know each other, trust each other, work together and become friends.

What does Scouting cost

The cost varies depending on the activities of the section involved and its facilities.  Normally, a membership subscription is paid, either once a year or half yearly.

Most Groups arrange fund raising events to help pay for equipment, materials and daily running costs of the group.  Parents are often involved in this and work together with the Executive Committee.  Fund raising activities can be things like quiz nights, jumble sales or fun auctions and lots of other activities run to keep the price of Scouting down.

One thing that does cost a bit of money when a youngster first joins is the uniform.  Each section has its own uniform.  It would be best to discuss this with the relevant section leader.

Who is responsible.

The Section leader is responsible for all activities which take place under his or her supervision.  Specialists might be responsible during activities where authorisation is needed, such as caving, mountaineering, rock climbing, canoeing, sailing and air rifle shooting.

What is expected of me as a Parent

All sections have certain activities each year in which they invite parents to participate.

As mentioned earlier, Groups arrange fund raising events and all Scout and their Parents are often invited to participate, as this is a way of keeping the Groups membership subscription as low as possible.

Once a year the Group holds an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to which parents are invited.  At the AGM parents will hear what is happening with in the sections and the Group.  It is at this meeting that the Group Executive Committee is elected.  A number of Parents serve on the Executive Committee and if you want to do more to support your child Scout Group you can get elected on to this.  There are also plenty of other ways in which to help.

During the year there are always odd jobs, such as painting, sorting out, maintaining and repairing equipment and so on.  Parents participation is very welcomed by all section Leaders

Our group also holds a Family camp every 2 years where Parents are invited to go camping with their children to experience what happens on Scout camps.  This can be tremendous fun and is an excellent opportunity to gain an understanding of the Scout Leaders job and about Scouting itself.

Any Questions

As with every section, if you have any further questions then it is worth speaking with the relevant section leader as he or she will be able to give you more in depth answers to your particular question.