focus

SWING INTO ACTION

scouts.org.uk

The magazine for volunteer

managers in Scouting

February/March 2011

When a plan comes togetherHow one District mapped its future

Sharingthe loadFlexible volunteering on the South coast

Focus

SWING INTO ACTIONSupporting Scouting’s hidden volunteers

Focus Final.indd 1 11/01/2011 10:57

IBC_FocusSupp_FebMar2011.indd 4 10/01/2011 16:55

Welcome

3scouts.org.uk

Executive Committee Members can often be the invisible volunteers in Scouting says James Newton.

This issue we look at those who work behind the scenes helping to make everyday adventure a reality

Trustees are responsible for the management and governance of Scouting. They

work on Executive Committees at every level (in Groups, Districts, Counties and

nationally) to make Scouting happen. It might not be the most glamorous or visible

role – but that doesn’t make it any less essential.

Supporting our trustees We begin with an interview with County Chairman, Brian Lloyd, who talks about

his experiences as a trustee. Keren Mallinson, Director of Corporate Services at The

Scout Association then gives some background to rule changes to Group Executive

Committee membership. We also hear from Karen Heenan, Chief Executive for

Charity Trustees Network, who explains how it can support our trustees.

Looking aheadWith the Vision Towards 2018 being rolled out across the UK, Regional

Development Officers Peter Thorp and John McAtominey share how one District

got together to plan its future. Meanwhile Hilary Farrow explains how her Cub Pack

has been offering flexible volunteering opportunities without realising it. We also

cover the training requirements for Scout Active Support members and the recent

changes to Beaver Scout residential rules. Plenty to be getting on with then! As ever,

if you have feedback, send it to [email protected]

Welcome to the

adventure

4 Trusted to do their bestBrian Lloyd on life as a trustee and why he’s looking forward not back

6 Executive decisions How new rule changes will impact on Group Executive membership

8 Who’s supporting you?Support for trustees is at hand

10 Prepared for the futureWhy putting together a local development plan needn’t all be hard work

12 Under instruction Training requirements for Scout Active Support members

13 Overnight success New rules on residential experi-ences mean more opportunities for Beaver Scouts

14 Flexible friends How willing parents and an imaginative approach are safeguarding the future of one Cub Pack

15 Our hidden volunteers Chief Commissioner for England, Tim Kidd refl ects on those ‘hard to fi ll’ roles in Scouting

Download all section supplements at www.scouts.org.uk/magazine

CREATE ...... your own your own Scout photo book

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In Focus

Your Adult Support TeamMark Flexman, UK Adviser for Adults in Scouting, James Newton, Programme and Development Adviser for Adults in ScoutingContact them at:[email protected] [email protected]

Adult Support TeamThe Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford;London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818 email [email protected]

ADVERTISINGRichard Ellacott [email protected] Tel: 020 8962 1258

County: Although in some parts of the British Isles Scout Counties are known as Areas or Islands - and in one case Bailiwick - for ease of reading this publication simply refers to County/Counties. In Scotland there is no direct equivalent to County or Area. In Scotland, Scouting is organised into Districts and Regions, each with distinct responsibilities. Some ‘County’ functions are the responsibility of Scottish Regions, whilst others lie with Scottish Districts. The focus of responsibility is outlined in Scottish variations from POR.


4 Focus February/March 2011

Trusted to do their best

Melissa: How did you first find out about the role

of County Chairman?

Brian: I first met a County Chairman in 1969.

In 2000 I joined the County Executive Committee and

the opportunity arose for me to take on the role. I have

been in Scouting for 50 years now, and I still feel that I’m

putting something back into the Movement for the

experience that I had as a Scout and the benefit that

I got from it.

Melissa: What do you most enjoy about the role?

Brian: Leading and motivating a team of active and

enthusiastic County trustees. I like to refer to members

of our County Executive Committee as County trustees

because that’s really what they are.

Melissa: What would you say are the most challenging

aspects of the County Chairman role?

Brian: Managing safety, but I don’t have to do this alone.

Fortunately, we have recruited an excellent County Safety

Co-ordinator, Rob Butler, who is a Health & Safety

Trustees are among Scouting’s most

valuable volunteers. But what is it really

like being a trustee? Melissa Green spoke

to Brian Lloyd, County Chairman of

Staffordshire for the last three years,

to find out more…

professional and also has experience of Scouting as a

leader. Rob’s advice and recommendations help keep me

on the right track.

Melissa: What support do you get in your role?

Brian: The County Commissioner, Jeremy Cotton, and

I work together in partnership. I very much value Jeremy’s

support and talk things over with him whenever

necessary. We usually have a chat at least once a week.

Staffordshire Scout County would not be so effective if

this didn’t happen. I am also supported by our County

Secretary, Helen Wilcox, who is a part-time employee who

runs our County Office. In addition, if I have a particular

problem, I can usually find the answer from the Scout

website or by telephoning the Information Centre at

Gilwell. Sometimes I do have to speak directly to the

Records Team at Gilwell if I have a particularly awkward

problem to handle.

Melissa: Do you have links with trustees from other

District and Group Executives across your County?


5scouts.org.uk

The big interview

Brian: I have a very good working relationship with all our

District Chairmen and my door is always open. I manage

to get to most of the District Annual General Meetings

and to any special District events during the year. I am

sometimes invited to Group occasions, which I always

enjoy as it brings me into contact with those who really

matter: our young people.

Melissa: What would you say has been your biggest

achievement in the role to date?

Brian: In my three years as County Chairman, I have tried

to keep our meetings reasonably short and I have used a

light touch. This formula makes for enjoyable meetings.

If a meeting finishes early enough, then our County

trustees will often linger longer and socialise, which helps

to bind us all together as an effective team.

Melissa: We know that people often find it hard to recruit

volunteers to support Executives. How would you

promote the role to others?

Brian: This needs to be approached with great care. From

my experience a general appeal rarely succeeds. Recruiting

a new County trustee takes time and effort. Once a

prospective trustee has been identified, I need to have

a face-to-face chat with the person to explain the role and

To view a special message from The Scout Association’s Chair of Trustees, Sir Alan Craft, visit www.scouts.org.uk/trusteeweek

more info

‘Being a charity trustee gives me the opportunity of interacting with like-minded individuals for the benefit of Scouting. It’s very satisfying.’

everything that’s involved with it, including those

obligations that come with being a charity trustee. Only

when we both feel comfortable with the proposed role

do I talk about the paperwork!

Melissa: So, would you recommend trusteeship to any

of your friends or family?

Brian: Certainly. Being a charity trustee is one way of

helping other people. It also gives me the opportunity

of interacting with like-minded individuals for the benefit

of Scouting. It’s very satisfying.

Melissa: Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to

other trustees across the organisation what would it be?

Brian: Make sure that you get fully involved in your role

and use all your previous experience and common sense

when making decisions.

Trustees are an integral part of the success of Scouting at all

levels. The experience they contribute to supporting Scouting

is invaluable. Countryfriend

Our treasurer has been with the Group over 20 years

and is a real treasure. Barbara Beck

Thanks to all the trustees who keep

us ticking over in Luton!

Cherry From www.scouts.org.uk



Executive decisionsSome rule changes to trusteeship at Group level will affect Group Executive

Committee membership. Keren Mallinson, Director of Corporate Services,

provides the details to help keep your Group(s) running effectively

Where would we be without our Group

trustees? Responsible for supporting the

Group Scout Leader and ensuring

effective administration, they are an

essential part of local Scouting.

What you told usA recent consultation with the Movement looked at

options for reducing the number of people with trustee

responsibilities at Group level. It showed us that members

supported the idea that Section Leaders should no longer

automatically be members of Group Executive Committees.

The General Purposes sub-Committee (GPC) - one of

the bodies tasked to carry out the work of the Board of

The Scout Association - was then asked to consider the

options available. Specifically, it addressed concerns that

this might lead to sections not ‘having a voice’ on their

Executive Committee. The sub-Committee was also aware

that it needed to make sure that whatever approach was

developed provided flexibility for adults who take on

volunteer roles in Scouting.

A balance of views The sub-Committee also looked into developing an

approach which allowed the link between sections and

the management of the Group to be maintained. This also

had to provide a balance between the views and

requirements of the Group Executive Committee and the

individual Section Leader(s). Any change in the

membership requirement of the Group Executive

Committee would also require a change to POR Rule 3.23,

the Constitution of the Scout Group. The sub-Committee

sought the advice of the Charity Commission to make sure

that any constitutional changes made were appropriate.

Why Section Leaders now need to opt-in Therefore, in the 2011 version of POR, Rule 3.23 now

shows that Section Leaders (ie the Beaver Scout Leader,

Cub Scout Leader, Scout Leader and, where relevant, the

Explorer Scout Leader) only become members of the

Group Executive Committee if they expressly indicate to

the Group Annual General Meeting (in writing or by

speaking at the meeting) that they are willing to be on the

Executive Committee. Existing Section Leaders will remain

on the Executive Committee until the AGM, when they

must indicate if they wish to continue to be on the

Committee.

If one or all Section Leaders do not choose to be on the

Group Executive Committee, it will be important that ways

are found to make sure that appropriate communication

and representation channels between the section and the

Group Executive Committee are maintained. This could be


Group level trustees

through the Group Scout Leader, Group Executive

Committee or Group Scout Council identifying someone

else to represent that section (either nominating, electing

or co-opting them onto the Executive Committee) or it

could be through less formal systems and structures. What

is important however, is that these issues are taken into

account by the Group Scout Council if a Section Leader

does not indicate that they are willing to be on the

Executive Committee at the Group Annual General

Meeting.

Ex-officio members The other Ex-officio members of the Group Executive

Committee will remain the same and are:

• The Group Chairman

• The Group Secretary

• The Group Treasurer

• The Group Scout Leader

• The Assistant Group Scout Leader

• The Sponsoring Authority or its nominee

The change to POR Rule 3.23 came into effect when the

new version of POR (with the changes to Rule 3.23) was

published in January and will automatically apply to all

Scout Groups which use the Royal Charter, the By-Laws

and/or POR as their governing documents.

For more information, please contact the Scout Information Centre on 0845 300 1818. The 2011 version of POR is available at www.scouts.org.uk/por

more info

If a Section Leader wishes to resign from the Group

Executive Committee ahead of the next Group AGM they

may do so. However this will only be formally confirmed

at the AGM if they then fail to actively indicate their

willingness to remain on the committee.

The best interests of the charity For Groups with separate constitutions, the trustees

should consider whether incorporating such a change into

their constitution is in the best interests of its charity and if

adopting the new rule is a reasonable decision for it to

make. For example, they may need to consider if the

change could help recruitment or whether a smaller

committee may lead to governance problems.

7scouts.org.uk



Who’s supporting you?

As a volunteer manager you are

responsible for providing Scouting to

young people, says Karen Heenan,

Chief Executive of Charity Trustee

Networks. But you also have another

sort of responsibility – as a trustee.

So, what does this mean and where

can you find support?


9scouts.org.uk

Trustee support

T rustees make decisions about how a charity is

run and how its resources are used for public

benefit. In the case of Scouting this is the

development of young people. As a trustee in

Scouting, you already have access to lots of support in

your role through The Scout Association, but there are

other avenues too.

National support Charity Trustee Networks is a national support charity for

trustees and exists to provide information, signposting and

support to trustees across the country. We were set up as

a charity in 1998 by a small group of individuals

committed to the value of sharing experiences between

trustees in order to improve their effectiveness. It is free to

join and you simply need to sign up through our website

at www.trusteenet.org.uk

Member benefits As a member, you can access a number of benefits:

• A free bi-monthly e-newsletter, Trustee Focus• Information about events for trustees around the UK

• The opportunity to post your questions and answer

others’ questions on our online discussion forum

• Resources for trustees and Chairmen

• News and updates

• Opportunities to express your views and to participate

in consultations – with your perspectives being fed in to

government and other policy-makers

• An exclusive area of the website for chairmen.

Attracting trustees A further benefit is our trustee finder service at

www.trusteefinder.org.uk This allows members to post up

their committee vacancies. These can then be searched by

people wanting to become trustees – either by a keyword

search, a postcode search or by type of charity.

We find that people often focus on the responsibilities

of being a trustee and not on the benefits. We know that

people find trusteeship extremely rewarding, both

personally and from a career development point of view.

So, we are here to support you and your trustees. Why

not visit www.trusteenet.org.uk to see what additional

support is available to you?

Charity Trustee Networks, 2nd Floor, The Guildford Institute, Ward Street, Guildford GU1 4LHTel: 01483 230280 Email: [email protected] Web: www.trusteenet.org.uk

more info

WHY I’M A TRUSTEE ‘Being part of a team which is motivated to help

others and having the skills to be able to make

things happen is energising.’

‘It’s been amazing and has really developed me

individually as well as empowering me to develop

the organisation.’

‘Being a trustee is challenging, but rewarding

with a sense of doing something of value for

others through your own choice, energy and

commitment. It’s about exploring new ways of

doing things in a diverse team, yet maintaining

your individual contribution.’



Prepared for the future

What are your plans for the future and how are you forming them? Regional Development Officers Peter Thorp and John McAtominey, explain how one District developed its plan together

‘P reparation is a key part of Scouting’, says

Durham District Commissioner Gareth Clay.

‘From leaders preparing for the weekly

meeting to our young people preparing to

make their Promise, it’s what we do. As managers in

Scouting, we need to plan just as carefully.’

Durham City is a small District with seven Groups based

in and around Durham city centre. Until recently the

District did not have a formal development plan. So, when

Gareth was appointed, it was the ideal time to think about

the future of Scouting in the District. Following his

induction with the Regional Development Service, a

District Development Day was planned, which would

provide an opportunity for people in the District to have

an input into the development plan.

Input from all ‘It was agreed that consulting widely was the best route

forward’, recalls Gareth. ‘We invited all Group Scout

Leaders, Group contacts, Explorer Scout Leaders and the

Assistant District Commissioners.’ The day, held in a

conference facility at Harehope Quarry, was facilitated by

the Regional Development Service. It started with group

tasks and discussions about working together as an

effective team. This was then linked with a questionnaire

that had been circulated beforehand which identified the

individual skills and behaviours which emerge when

people work within a team.

Participants were then guided through a Strengths,

Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis

for the District. They were also asked to imagine fast

forwarding five years to a party being held to celebrate

the success of the District. They were asked to write down

what they were celebrating on blank postcards. These

were translated into objectives for the plan and the cards

were then given an order of importance and urgency.

Clear objectives At the end of the day, the results were clear. The team had

successfully identified the objectives for the District,

prioritised them and every member of the team had

ownership of the plan. The top three objectives were:

• to have a Group Scout Leader in every group

• to have a District training team

• to have frequent, positive media exposure.

These, along with the other priorities that were identified,

Focus Final.indd 10 11/01/2011 10:58

11scouts.org.uk

District development

formed the basis of Durham City Scout District’s Plan.

The day was not just about creating the plan for the

District, but about bringing people together. It

strengthened the team and provided the opportunity for

them to have their say about the future of Scouting in

their District. ‘For me it was an opportunity to gauge the

mood and feeling in the District,’ says Gareth. ‘It was a

chance to talk with leaders about their thoughts and ideas.

Even though I had a sense of where I wanted the District

to go, they gave me plenty of new ideas I hadn’t thought

of before. It was great to get things on track with a long

term plan.’

Top tips for a successful development day1) Encourage everyone to attend with

an open mind and positive approach.2) Hold the event in a suitable venue, with

refreshments and lunch.3) Be clear about the purpose of the event

and explain what will happen to the information collected.

4) Ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to express their views and to contribute.

5) Emphasise the importance of focusing on the future rather than the past.

6) Ensure effective facilitation of group exercises and discussions. Plan how you will capture information in a meaningful way.

The Scout Information Centre (0845 300 1818) will be able to provide your local Regional Development Service contact.

more info

Focus Final.indd 11 11/01/2011 10:58


Under instruction

W ith Scout Active Support now fully up

and running across the UK, are you clear

about the training requirements? Here’s

some clarification that should help.

Scout Active Support ManagersThis role requires members to complete a Wood Badge by

completing the managers’ modules from the Adult

Training Scheme. If the adult in this role already holds a

Wood Badge, then they should complete the modules

detailed in the Change of Role Matrix in the publication:

The Adult’s Personal File.

Scout Active Support Co-ordinators and MembersA specific Wood Badge route is not available for these

appointments but Module 1, Essential Information, should

be validated. If individuals wish to complete a Wood

Badge, they can create a route in agreement with their

County Training Manager. It is important to ensure that

the modules chosen can be completed within an

individual’s role.

‘I’ve been an adult in Scouting for nearly 60 years,’ says

Roger Norman, Scout Active Support Co-ordinator,

Greater London North East, ‘but only recently did I

complete my Wood Badge training as the co-ordinator of

Fairmead Active Support Unit. ’

Paul Fix is Roger’s County Training Manager: ‘I met with

Roger to discuss his training needs,’ he explains. ‘Together

we devised a Scout Active Support Co-ordinator Personal

Learning Plan so that he could achieve his Wood Badge.

We went through all the modules in the Adult Training

Scheme, identifying which ones were essential and

relevant to his role. I then constructed his Personal

Learning Plan based on these.’ Roger then worked with his

Training Adviser to complete the learning and validation

for these modules. In addition to the modules being

relevant for his role, the modules were also validated in

relation to his role. This method of creating a Personal

Learning Plan provided a flexible approach and meant that

Roger had a tailored Wood Badge course relevant to him.

Advice for all rolesThose holding roles within a Scout Active Support Unit

should also complete the modules relevant to the function

of their Unit. This could include Module 3, Tools for the Job, Module 12, Providing a Balanced Programme, Module

17, Activities Outdoors, or any other relevant modules. The

Service Agreement for a Scout Active Support Unit will

outline the support provided by the Unit, and will help to

determine which training will be relevant for its members.

For more details on Adult Training please see the Adult’s Personal File atwww.scouts.org.uk/learnersresources

more info

When Scout Active Support was launched in September 2009, three new appointments with training requirements became part of the Adult Training Scheme. Laura McManus explains

Focus Final.indd 12 11/01/2011 10:58

Nights away

Overnight successAre your leaders planning nights away for Beaver Scouts? The rules for Beaver Scout residential experiences have changed, says Jenny Winn

The existing time limit of 24 hours

for a residential experience has been

replaced with a limit of one night away.

Travelling time is also no longer included in

the time away from home. The other big

change is that Beaver Scouts are now able

to camp as a Colony.

More opportunities Another minimum standard has been

included for Beaver Scouts, which is to

offer the opportunity for each Beaver

Scout to attend a Nights Away event each year.

Beaver Scouts are now permitted to go abroad, with

certain restrictions. As managers in the Association

you will be supporting Beaver Scout Leaders as they

plan, prepare and run residential experiences.

Find out moreContact Jenny Winn at

[email protected]

for more information

Focus Final.indd 13 11/01/2011 10:58


Flexible friendsWhen two leaders from 9th Lymington Cub Pack attended a flexible volunteering workshop at Gilwell Reunion, they hoped to discover how to encourage more people to join the adventure. Hilary Farrow tells Focus what she learnt

The workshop began with some questions. Do

we use a parent rota? Do we welcome and

encourage parents to get involved? Do we ask

parents what they could offer the Pack? We

kept nodding our heads and were amazed to discover that

we already do flexible volunteering. Who would have

thought it?

Talking with parents Our parent rota is up and running. We send out a

questionnaire to find out parents’ skills, hobbies and

professional background. We invite parents to come to

camps and trips. We also have regular parent helpers who

attend section meetings when they can. As a result of this

we have successfully recruited a number of new

volunteers.

A dad has agreed to be an Assistant Cub Scout Leader

after coming to summer camp with us and having a ball,

turning up on as many weeks as he can. We have also

re-engaged a mum, a Cub Scout Leader before she had

her family, who wants to come back into Scouting, plus all

our regular parent rota helpers.

Sharing the leadership One idea we think could work well is to get a group of

Assistant Leaders to run the Pack between them. We are

looking at how we can divide the tasks. This should make

it much easier for us to continue approaching parents and

asking them to volunteer.

So what else can we do? We now plan to break down

the roles within the Pack into smaller defined tasks. We

are going to advertise vacant roles to parents across the

whole Group, not just our own section.

Good training We also have to make sure that training is available and

that the process runs as smoothly as possible for those

coming into the Pack. In particular we need to ensure that

the team always has someone with a Nights Away Permit,

so that we can continue to offer sleepovers and camps.

We both have one, but it’s useful if others do too.

What we’ve learned My advice is to ask volunteers what they would like to get

out of Scouting. We need to look at what we are able to

offer parents and to be realistic in what we tell them. Are

we feeling optimistic? Some weeks yes, others no. But we

will keep persevering.

Find out more flexible volunteering tips at www.scouts.org.uk/parents

more info

Focus Final.indd 14 11/01/2011 10:58

15scouts.org.uk

Opinion

Our hidden volunteersWe often only think about adult volunteering as working directly with young people, says Tim Kidd. We often forget about all the other opportunities that we have for adults in Scouting

The great thing about Scouting is that there are

so many ways that people can enjoy it. The

lifeblood of Scouting is clearly young people

– but it is vital that we harness the time and

skills of adults too. While volunteering in a section is the

aspect that is most visible to the public, we all know that

there is a huge amount to do behind the scenes.

An effective Executive Particularly vital, as discussed in this edition of Focus, is the

work of trustees on Group, District and County Executive

Committees. It can sometimes be very hard to fill these

roles and, let’s face it, it is not always our top priority

when there are more pressing issues to consider. But if we

want Scouting to be well supported and able to grow, we

need to have effective Executive Committees. It needs to

provide the facilities required by leaders to work effectively

with young people.

The power of diversity Ensuring that we have great Executive Committees is an

investment in the future of Scouting. It is that important.

We have to work hard to encourage the right people to

join us as trustees and that is where the power of diversity

and inclusion kicks in. If we truly search widely for trustees

we will find all sorts of skills and knowledge useful to

Scouting. Good Scouting thrives on different ideas and

exchanges of views (and even, sometimes,

disagreements!).

I hope that the ideas in this issue of Focus will be useful

in thinking about how to build up and support your

Executive.

Contact Tim Tim Kidd is the Chief Commissioner for England. Email him

your thoughts at [email protected]

Focus Final.indd 15 11/01/2011 10:58

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