HILLSIDE SCOUT GROUP ANNUAL REPORT
April 2022 – March 2023
Hillside Scout Group Annual General Meeting 2022-2023
Thursday 15[th ] June 2023
6.30pm
Venue: Hillside Scout HQ, Oak Tree Bank, Knayton.
AGENDA
Welcome and apologies
Approval of Minutes of the 2022 AGM.
Approval of Group’s Annual Report, including Financial and Sectional Reports
Appointment of Chairman of Executive Committee.
- Election of Group Officers and Executive Committee.
Secretary Leader Representatives. Parent Members
- Presentation of Awards, followed by Entertainment from the Scouts and light
refreshments.
HILLSIDE SCOUT GROUP Annual General Meeting 2022 Wednesday 13[th] July, 7pm
A = Point of agreement
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1 Welcome and Apologies
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1.1 Nick Lane (Chairman) and Iris de Wet (Group Scout Leader) welcomed everyone to the Hillside Scout Group AGM.
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1.2 Those present included Paul Callin, Jackie Cowton, Simon Cross, Jon Aubrey de Lavenu, Iris de Wet, Kaye Harker and Family, Nick Lane and Family, Sam Mason, Simon Savory and family, Clare Scott, Graham Short, and Leah Wilson.
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1.3 Apologies had been received from David Johnson, Treasurer, Katie Anderson, SL, Emma Fryer, Secretary, John Lockwood DC, E. Fell, A. Price, P. Nicholson, S. Hogg and B. Scott.
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2 Approval of Minutes of the 2021 AGM 2.1 Nick proposed and Graham seconded that the minutes of the 2021 AGM should be A approved as a correct record of the proceedings. The minutes of the 2021 AGM, held on 8th June, were approved unanimously.
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3 Approval of Group Annual Report, including Financial and Sectional Reports 3.1 Sectonal Reports A Sectional reports for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts were included in the booklet that had been circulated to all families and a number of former members as well as HRAP, Knayton Parish Council and other supporters. Graham proposed that they and the Group Report showed a true record of the last year and Leah seconded. The reports were approved unanimously.
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3.2 Treasurer’s Report: A David had reported that the financial situation was very strong and the Group had benefited from a Covid related grant during this period. The cladding on the building had been completed so he could report that the building was now complete as per the original planning application.
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3.3 Leah proposed that the financial statements be approved and Clare seconded. The financial statements were approved unanimously.
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3.4 Nick thanked David and Graham for their excellent stewardship of the accounts.
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4 Appointment of Chairman of Executive Committee. A 4.1 Iris was delighted to report that Nick Lane had kindly agreed to stay in post as Chairman. Iris proposed that he be re-elected and Leah seconded. This was agreed unanimously.
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5 Election of Group Officers and Executive Committee Members appointed the following group officers
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5.1 Secretary: Emma Fryer agreed to continue as Secretary. Nick proposed and Graham A seconded her reappointment, which was agreed.
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5.2 Treasurer: David Johnson agreed to continue as Treasurer. Iris proposed and A Graham seconded his reappointment, which was agreed.
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5.3 Leader Representatves Graham Short agreed to continue as Leader Representative. Iris proposed and Leah seconded his reappointment, which was agreed.
A
- 5.4 Other Exec Committee Members:
Parent members: Steve Pett was thanked for his service to the Group which had now ended. Clare had kindly agreed to remain on the Committee and Andrew Price had agreed to join the Executive Committee. Nick proposed that Clare Scott be reappointed to the Executive Committee and Andrew Price be appointed. Leah seconded. Their appointments were agreed.
A
- 6 Presentation of Awards. Cub Scouts Jacob, Elliott and Jemima were presented with various badges. Mason was presented with his Chief Scout Silver Award and Jacob was awarded a trophy for being the Best Sixer .
Jemima performed an outstanding gymnastics routine and Jacob and Elliott made everyone laugh with their armpit rendition of a popular song
7 AOB
Nick gave a special thankyou to Iris and thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting.
Beavers 2023
Another exciting and fun filled year with Hillside Beavers. We have managed to cram in a huge amount of activities both at the HQ and off site. All the hard work by the Beavers has resulted in awarding 175 Activity Badges, 96 Staged Activity Badges, 61 Challenge Awards and best of all, 11 Chief Scouts Bronze Awards
To complete this amazing haul of badges the Beavers have visited a farm, walked up hills and built things out of every imaginable material. They have also demonstrated their creativity and team work in building an amazing space station as part of the Space Camp Sleepover. Thanks to the help of one of our amazing parents, they have learned all about sustainability, recycling and their impact on the world.
Some of our Beavers represented Hillside at a District Water Activity Day and demonstrated their amazing skills at making sure everything, including themselves, was thoroughly soaked. We suspect they learned this from the Fire Service when we visited the Fire Station in Northallerton! Alongside the Cubs & Scouts, they have also represented Hillside at both Remembrance Sunday and St George’s Day, proudly bearing the Hillside Beaver’s standard. Each week we have had help from a wonderful group of parents who assist the leaders in all the activities regardless of what gets thrown at them. Hillside Beavers couldn’t run without their help and we thank them for all their efforts.
Simon, Sam and Jon
Cub Scout Report 22/23
Congratulations to six Cubs who completed their Chief Scout Award, Alexander, Dylan, Katie, Abbie, Tilly and Hannah.
Cubs ended the year with 37 members.
Summer 2022
During the summer term the Cubs tried orienteering with some of them attending the District Orienteering Event at Cundall School. We worked on the Teamwork Challenge badge looking at hobbies and sports. We completed the Air Activities staged badge and made a start on the Communicator Activity badge. We had an evening hike around Cod Beck Reservoir. The Cubs shared their talents with us at our Cubs Got Talent evening. Sixteen Cubs attended the Junior Warrior event at Bramhall Park which they really enjoyed, as did a few of the parents who helped them around the course (or was it the other way around?). We went bellboating at Boroughbridge and mountain biking on the moors.
Autumn 2022
We had our usual pack forum at the start of term so that the Cubs could plan what they wanted to do this term. We worked on the Naturalist, DIY, Artist and Home Safety activity badges. We completed the Digital Maker staged badge. We had a visit from the RNLI and the local karate instructors taught the Cubs some karate moves. We went on a night hike to Black Hambleton. This year we attended the Remembrance service at Leake Church and helped with readings and placing of the crosses. We had an autumn camp on our field with the Cubs cooking breakfast and completing the Nnavigator stage 3 badge. 12 cubs joined the County Adventure Day, trying sailing, canoeing, climbing and orienteering among other things. We finished the term with a visit to Jump360.
Spring 2023
This term we completed the Personal Safety and Entertainer activity badges. We tried indoor caving, made pancakes on tin cans and helped plant 650 trees on our field. We visited the New Life Baptist Church in Northallerton for the World Challenge badge. The Cubs created a glow in the dark constellation piece of art. We attended the District Cub Activity Day at Brimham Rocks and the District Cub Hike from our headquarters. We completed some of the Skills challenge badge and Teamwork challenge badge and looked at what we could do for the Community Impact staged badge.
I would like to thank the Cubs for their contribution with the planning of the programme each term, keeping it interesting and fun. Thanks also to our leadership team of Leah and Gayle and young leaders Kiera and Jacob. I would also like to thank Iris for her continued support.
Three new leaders joined us this summer, Vicki, Anthony and Melissa who I would like to welcome to the team. We look forward to working with them in the future.
Graham Short Cub Scout Leader
Scouts – 2022 - March 2023
Scouts
We have had an exciting and varied year in Scouts. We have put a lot of focus on the Challenge Awards to ensure that the older Scouts have a chance to gain their Chief Scout’s Gold Award and, after a lot of hard work from the Scouts, we hope to have at least 3 Scouts complete it by the end of the year. To date, we have awarded 36 Activity badges, 46 Staged Activity badges and 26 Challenge Awards. It’s been a busy year!
During the year, we have attended both the District Scout Camp at Pybus and the North Yorkshire County Ignite camp in Dalby Forest. During these camps, the Scouts have taken part in everything from crafting and fire lighting to throwing axes and preparing game for cooking.
The number of Scouts has slowly increased over the year with several members coming up from Cubs and some members who are new to Scouting. During the year we have also promoted one of the Scouts to Senior Patrol Leader who is doing a great job in assisting the Leaders with the weekly meetings.
The activities over the year have seen two teams frormm Hillside come first and second in the Annual District Cooking Competition, build robots to fight in a robot war, program microbit computers, update their First Aid training, learn about fire safety with the Fire Brigade, orienteering, pioneering and brush up on their fire lighting skills. They have also demonstrated their navigation skills during a walk to build up to the expedition we have planned in July.
We have also welcomed Donna, from Topcliffe Scouts, who has been an amazing help in running everything that we do.
Both Katie and Jon have gained activity permits this year and are looking forward to using them for future trips and activities. Katie and Jon
2022-3 Treasurer’s Report
The Group has achieved an excess of income over expenditure of £5644 as a result of the large amount of income from hall rentals. We have now sufficient funds to cover us for urgent repairs and £17000 approx has been transferred to a deposit account for this purpose. The Executive have agreed, in the light of the difficult economic climate to reduce the amount that the Sections pay to the Group to the amount that the Group pays to the Scout Association annually. This will enable the Sections to receive a substantial amount of extra running costs whilst not raising subscriptions. We anticipate that this largely wipe out future net income and parents should recognise that we may not be able to maintain this position in future years, especially if the Scout Association continues its practice of increasing their charges above inflation.
David Johnson Group Treasurer
Scrutineer’s report to the Trustees of the Hillside Scout Group
I report on the accounts for the Group for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and Scrutineer
As the Group’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that neither the audit nor the independent examination requirements of the Charities Act 2011 apply. It is my responsibility without carrying out an audit or independent examination to scrutinise the accounts and to report to you.
Basis of Scrutineer’s Statement
In accordance with the directions given in the Group’s constitution I have scrutinised the records and the accounts.
Scrutineer’s Statement
In my opinion the accounts are in accordance with the records presented to me and comply with the constitution.
Paul Nicholson 4 St Johns Garth, Felixkirk, Thirsk, YO7 2EG 3 June 2023
HILLSIDE SCOUT GROUP REPORT APRIL 2022 - MARCH 2023
Having weathered the traumas of the pandemic the wonderful Hillside Scout Group Leaders and Members have risen to the task of enabling the Group to return to pre-Covid membership levels and high quality programmes. Well done all of you.
In the early 2023 Census there were 26 Beaver Scouts, 36 Cub Scouts and 17 Scouts. Sporting activities such as athletics, swimming, ice skating and cricket have unfortunately taken a few members from the Scout Section but we wish them well in their chosen activities.
Beavers gained 11 Bronze Chief Scout Awards and a total of 421 Badges over the year. 11 Cubs were awarded their Silver Chief Scout Award and 519 badges were awarded in total. 3 Scouts are close to gaining their Chief Scout Gold Awards and will hopefully gain them with their expedition this summer. 163 badges were awarded to the Troop.
Junior Warrior at Bramham Park, a wet and muddy event was a huge success in 2022 and most of our Cubs and Scouts will be going again in 2023.
Scouts took part in IGNITE, a County event in Dalby Forest and also a District Camp at Pybus near Kirkby in Cleveland. This year they are preparing for an expedition to Hag Dyke in the Dales near Kettlewell. Initially this was planned pre Covid and we have had a change of Leadership since then!
Both Cubs and Scouts continue to take an active role in deciding what they wish to do during their sessions, their favourites appearing to be camping, water activities, mountain biking and climbing as well as cooking and eating their own food. Congratulations to the Scout Teams who excelled at the District Cooking Competition.
Special thanks to Graham for keeping the Section finances in such good order. So much so that he presented them to David the Treasurer on April 1[st] and saved everyone hours and hours of work. Your input with Online Scout Manager cannot be faulted along with your organisational skills. We are lucky to have you onboard. You will be rewarded Graham! Maybe not financially as we’re all on the same pay scale – a big round zero, but that’s not why we give so much of our life to Scouting is it.
Jon is a relative newcomer to the Group and has totally immersed himself in all things Scouting with Beavers and Scouts in the Group and also with the District. His support to Leaders who struggle to fit Scouting in with their paid employment has been so gratefully received.
Nick our Chairman has achieved, along with HRAP and the Scout Association, what we were beginning to think was an impossibility after years and years of trying to get the boundaries of Hillside land and HRAP land legally recognised.
Nick rose to the occasion when a legal matter suddenly reared it’s head and was so helpful to the Executive Committee (now to be known as the Board of Trustees.)
Special thanks to David for keeping our finances in order and importantly recognising when the Sections needed financial assistance and to Emma who effortlessly takes our meeting minutes. Special thanks to Andrew who joined us after the last AGM and has already left his mark with the new woodland which he organised and to Clare who always has words of wisdom to share.
Leader succession is always at the back of our minds and whilst we have been fortunate in recruiting a few new leaders who have been willing to work towards getting a warrant and quite a few Occasional Helpers to help out at Camps and some evening meetings we are acutely aware that there is a need to increase the number of adult leaders to share and ease the workload of our long-standing stalwarts. To that end we plan a recruitment drive at Borrowby Show when we are hiring a climbing wall and will plan to show people our HQ as well as helping the Show Committee sell programmes.
Well done and thank you to each and every member of Team Hillside and finally we send our best wishes to former Leaders Richard Chilton and Brian Mullins who both need our positive thoughts at the moment.
Iris and Nick
| 2022-3 | |
|---|---|
| Income Expenditure |
|
| Subs | £ 12,800.00 £ 9,055.00 |
| Donations+Gift Aid | £ 2,246.00 £ 1,170.00 |
| Activities | £ 2,771.00 £ 4,288.47 |
| Fund Raising | £ - £ - |
| Nights Away | £ 1,963.00 £ 1,866.25 |
| Uniforms Badges | £ 188.50 £ 1,252.28 |
| Sundries | £ - £ 656.69 |
| Interest Received | £ 24.92 £ - |
| Training | £ - £ 135.00 |
| Electricity | £ 1,662.57 £ 3,778.07 |
| Insurance | £ - £ 1,714.46 |
| Rates | £ - £ 202.24 |
| Equipment | £ - £ 473.88 |
| Hall Hire | £ 11,031.25 £ 30.00 |
| Depreciation | £ - £ - |
| Building Maintenance | £ - £ 2,420.97 |
| Music Licence | £ - £ - |
| Building Enhancements | £ - £ - |
| Total | £ 33,197.24 £ 27,553.31 |
| £ - £ 5,643.93 | |
| Summary of Accounts | |
| Current Accounts | £ 19,147.97 £ 7,983.34 |
| Nat West Business Reserve Account | £ 1.47 £ 17,026.39 |
| STIS Investment Account | £ 42.17 £ 42.17 |
| Totals | £ 19,191.61 £ 25,051.90 |
| unpresented cheques | £ - -£ 191.76 |
| Petty Cash | £ 26.90 £ 2.30 |
| Totals adjusted for unpresented cheques | £ 19,218.51 £ 24,862.44 |
| Net Income | £ - £ 5,643.93 |
2021-2
| 2021-2 | |
|---|---|
| Income | Expenditure |
| £ 13,423.00 £ 10,261.20 | |
| £ 8,395.00 £ 100.00 | |
| £ | 950.50 £ 1,292.92 |
| £ | - £ - |
| £ | 742.50 £ 384.06 |
| £ | 382.95 £ 578.65 |
| £ | 36.75 £ 294.04 |
| £ | - £ - |
| £ | - £ - |
| £ 1,805.12 £ 3,224.17 | |
| £ | - £ 1,514.16 |
| £ | - £ 51.24 |
| £ | 31.50 £ 949.95 |
| £ 4,896.26 £ - | |
| £ | - £ - |
| £ | - £ 398.02 |
| £ | - £ - |
| £ | - £ 5,959.55 |
| £ 30,663.58 £ 25,007.96 | |
| £ 5,655.62 | |
| £ | - £ - |
| £ 13,509.25 £ 19,147.97 | |
| £ | 1.47 £ 1.47 |
| £ | 42.17 £ 42.17 |
| £ 13,552.89 £ 19,191.61 | |
| £ | 10.00 £ - |
| £ | - £ 26.90 |
| £ 13,562.89 £ 19,218.51 | |
| £ | - £ 5,655.62 |