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Cleveland Courier July 2020

State of readiness to return to face 2 face Scouting is currently RED

This means: Digital programme delivery No face-to-face activity or meetings No residential activities

Hello everyone,

Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself, so the saying goes - even in lockdown and being your Acting County Commissioner I would add! By the time you read this in early July the interviews for our new County Commissioner will have taken place and we will all be awaiting an announcement from HQ as to who will be leading our County for the next few years. When I accepted the Regional Commissioner’s invitation, and HQ gave their approval, to be your Acting County Commissioner I had no idea that we would be battling a world-wide pandemic that would see the suspension of face to face Scouting for the first time in its history. The original plan that Geoff and I had, was to guide the County smoothly through all the planned activities and training we had in the diary, improve communications with Leaders by setting up two Face2Face meetings in January and February and generally keep things ticking over until the new County Commissioner was appointed. Then on Monday 16th March face to face Scouting was suspended and everything changed literally overnight. So what did we do? We ripped up Scouting as we knew it and started a new digital, virtual Scouting world. What’s come out of it so far? The Blanket Tent Jamboree which was the warm-up for… Stuart Featherstone’s online live Campfire, originally for 7th Redcar, then for the County and

finally the world - all from his garden! Synthonia’s outdoor skills workshop which used pre-recorded and live pieces. Face2FaceLIVE! Using Facebook Live on a Wednesday morning, usually at 11am, I try and

keep Leaders up to date with what’s happening in Scouting locally, nationally and sometimes internationally.

Setting up the Team Cleveland What’s App group to keep volunteers in touch with each other

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The first County-wide virtual St George’s event and renewal of our Promise, which involved a jolly red dragon, the Railton’s garden, challenges, the Deputy UK Chief Commissioner from his home in Glasgow plus pre-recorded and live pieces again.

Climbing Roseberry Topping where the summit became very crowded by the end of April, all without leaving your home!

Cleveland’s Indoor Challenge which is still ongoing until the end of August and we are now planning for the Advanced Indoor Challenge.

Appointing Elliott Bradburn as our ACC Digital Development to support all of us getting to grips with the capabilities of technology, especially Zoom!

Three digital clinics organised by Elliott In addition, we have had a magnificent response from the Districts and the Groups to keep Scouting going during lockdown in this new technological way of doing things. Our Districts have put on virtual camps, AGMs, Executive meetings that I know about whilst nearly all of our 38 Group’s sections are putting on online meetings or sending out badge work and running AGMs, Executive meetings and events. It has been amazing to see that some of our Groups and sections have even been joining in with other Counties activities across the Region, particular Northumberland’s Camp@Home. Sadly, Geoff missed out on seeing many of these great achievements but I know he would have been immensely proud of what the County has done together. To everyone who has played a part in our transformation, THANK YOU! You have been amazing! You have truly lived up to our strap-line:

Cleveland Scouts preparing more young people with skills for life led by amazing volunteers delivering inspiring programmes

We know that not all our young people are engaging with us though at present and this is one of our challenges which we will face together as we begin our return to face to face Scouting. So to the future. When our new County Commissioner begins their term of office, they will have their own ideas and plans on how Scouting can be improved in Cleveland to give more young people and volunteers the skills for life we aim to deliver. Whoever David’s successor is, I wish them all the very best and I hope that they enjoy leading our County as much as I have over the past seven months!

Ian

Acting County Commissioner T: 07854 207126 E: ian.railton@ntlworld.com

Cleveland Courier

Please send your items and photographs to clevelandcourier14@gmail.com

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HQ Guidance on returning to face to face Scouting.

As I hope you all know, and many of you will have read, HQ’s issued guidance on Thursday 25th June and can be found on the national website www.scouts.org.uk. The guidance is comprehensive and I would advise you to keep referring to it as we move through the various readiness levels back to full face to face Scouting. Below is the table summarising the readiness levels we are moving through. Currently we are at RED as indicated by the band on the front cover of this Courier.

Preparing to return to face to face Scouting - What the readiness levels mean.

A North East Summer of Scouting 2020

At the County Commissioner’s Regional meeting in June the idea was mooted for a North East Summer of Scouting. The thinking is that each County in the NE Region puts on an activity at some point during the Summer holidays which may be an evening, day, overnighter or a weekend event. At present, Durham, Cleveland and West Yorkshire have all signed up. We have a small team of Leaders already putting our event together. We are hoping that all 8 counties in the Region will take part. Keep looking out for more details as we get nearer the holidays.

This is the permitted activity at each phase:

Readiness level

National Youth Agency level

Scout level

Red

Rate of infection is remaining consistent or growing

Online and digital

youth services Detached youth

services and 1-2-1 sessions with vulnerable young people outdoors

Digital programme delivery No face-to-face activity or meetings No residential activities

Amber

Rate of infection is reducing consistently in all parts of the country

Online and digital

youth services Small group sessions

can take place

Digital programme delivery Small group sessions can take place outdoors No residential activities

Yellow

Number of cases low and decreasing, full Track and Trace system in place

Online and digital

youth services Indoor group sessions

can take place Outdoor learning, trips

and visits

Digital programme delivery Small group sessions can take place indoors and

outdoors No residential activities

Green

No new cases or a vaccine is readily available

All services open as

per normal yearly operations

Overnight trips and visits allowed

International travel allowed within FCO advice

All activities can resume in line with government

guidance

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The Great Indoor Weekender 11-12 July 2020

From graduations to trips with friends, young people have missed out on all kinds of things this year. We think they deserve something really special – something for Scouts and non-Scouts, all around the globe – so we’re holding (cue big, boomy voice) The Great Indoors Weekender!

Join the UK’s biggest digital summer camp from your living room (or garden, anywhere at home – it’s up to you) on 11–12 July. With surprise celebrity guests, cooking, crafts, music and more, 6–18 year olds will get the chance to have fun while learning skills like giving stuff a go, thinking for themselves, and playing their part.

Get involved. Build a base camp (whether it’s a tent under the stars or a duvet dragged under the stairs), connect with us on a mobile, tablet, or computer, and you’re all set. There’ll be activities you can complete in your own time as well as live events, including a UK-wide campfire.

Worried about missing your favourite TV show or a Zoom quiz with friends? Don’t. Dip in and out of the weekend as much as you like.

If you’re a volunteer and would like to run an online session for your local group as part of The Great Indoors Weekender, you can also dip in and out of the programme, adding your own stuff.

This badge is currently available on a pre-order basis only. Place your order now and they will start to dispatch the badges once stock is received around the middle of July. Please allow them until the end of July to dispatch this item. They will endeavour to improve on this lead time if they possibly can. Any other items you order at the same time will be dispatched as normal, unless stated on the individual product.

Congratulations

Congratulations go to two Scouts from Synthonia Scout Group who were presented with their Chief Scouts Gold Award during a Zoom meeting by Ian Railton Certificates were posted out to parents but due to late postage one did not arrive in time. A very special parent went to great length to create a replica for the night. For her daughter.

Ian has also presented Nathan from the 43rd Middlesbrough with his Chief Scout Silver Award.

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Cleveland Scouts Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Much like the Scout Association the DofE have adapted so that young people can continue their award and 2020 need not be a wasted year. Here is a summary of the changes:

Participants can now volunteer for family members, for example by mentoring or coaching younger siblings.

You will still need a training period and of course to keep a record of what you are doing. Assessor rules have not changed. Participant will be able to change their activity more than once. Expeditions When Expeditions resume Silver and Gold assessors may be known to the expedition group. Expedition Terrain is being relaxed. Bronze participants who are progressing onto silver can use their silver practice as their bronze

qualifying expedition. Indoor accommodation is acceptable at all levels.

More details can be found at :- https://www.dofe.org/dofewithadifference/achievement-for-all Or Contact your Leader of myself for help & explanation.

Dave Yardley

Middlesbrough Scout Active Support Unit

Middlesbrough Scout Active Support consists of a group of adults who met once a month for a variety of activities. Due to the Coronavirus lockdown we have been unable to meet together for several months. In an attempt to overcome this situation we ran our first ‘Zoom’ in June. After a slight hiccup we had a useful meeting of most of our members and agreed to follow this up with further ‘Zoom’ until we can once again all meet up together.

Most of our members are from the Middlesbrough District but we do have a significant number of other adults from other areas of Cleveland. As most Districts do not have an active Scout Active Support Unit and adults within Cleveland are welcome to join the Middlesbrough Group. We generally meet on the third Wednesday of each month but do also have other activities on other days. Our next ‘get together’ is planned as another ‘Zoom’ meeting on Wednesday 15th July and if there are any other members who would like to join us please send your details to Susan Corbin at susancorbin1@ntlworld .com or contact me on (01642) 591081. A full programme will once again be reinstated and available to all as soon as the lockdown restrictions allow. You are all welcome to join us.

SASU What's App challenge “Make something out of biscuit's”

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HQ Webinars

HQ are holding a serious of Webinars to help us through this difficult time. You will find them on the Scout website scouts.org. Below is a list of some of the topics.

Keeping everyone safe webinar series

Preparing for the safe return to face to face Scouts

Knowing where to turn if you have a concern – changes to policies

Having the knowledge you need to keep everyone safe – Changes to training

How we do things safely – changes to our processes

You can find these on and more topics at scouts.org

Don’t forget Ian is Face to Face every Wednesday at 11.00 on Cleveland Leaders Facebook page.

Compulsory Training

As most of you will realise all members of the Scout Association, including Executive Members, must now comply with certain compulsory training. This includes the Getting Started, Module 1; Safe Guarding; Safety training and GDPR. Many members are currently up to date with these training modules but Headquarters are changing the period of validation for some of these modules within the next two to three months. The period of validity for the Safe Guarding and Safety Training are to be cut from five years to three years. This will mean that several members, within Cleveland, will be due to re-register for these modules as of the date that the new rules are brought into force as your Compass record will be reduced by two years. Both modules can be completed online and you are recommended to update your registration as soon as possible.

18th Hartlepool

The 18th Hartlepool have being making windmills towards their World Challenge badge