1 st Lee-on-the Solent Scout Group
Annual General Meeting 18[th] July 2024 - 19:30 @ Scout Hut
Meetng Agenda
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Welcome
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Apologies
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Acceptance of Minutes AGM 2023
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Chairperson’s Report
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Group Scout Leader’s Report
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Treasurer’s Report
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Section Reports:
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a. Squirrels
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b. Beavers
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c. Cubs
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d. Scouts
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Election of Board of Trustees:
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i. Chairperson – proposed by GSL
ii. GSL – proposed by Chairperson
iii. Board of Trustees – proposed by Chairperson
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Awards
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Comments from District Representative
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Any Other Business
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Closing Remarks
4. Chairperson’s report
Welcome Everyone, to this year’s celebration of 1[st] Lee Scout Group and AGM.
What another fantastic year! The Group continues to go from strength to strength thanks to the incredible amount of hard work and time that the Leader team devote to the Group. The GSL and Leaders reports provide the detail of the exciting program of skills sessions, camps and visits that our Young People enjoy so much- as evidenced by the near doubling in our badge expenses!!
1[st] Lee is thriving, all sections have waiting lists, which is an indication of the value that you as parents and carers believe Scouting provides to our Young People. The partnership and communication between parents, carers and Leaders is vital so please keep it up.
The additional Beaver section is a great achievement and I would also like to welcome all the new leadersthanks for stepping up. Setting up an additional section is no small undertaking- in fact we may reach a point where we become victims of our own success and need to double up all sections to avoid some Young People being forced back onto waiting lists. So if anyone feels that they may be able to help out and join the Leader team- please speak to the GSL.
Our improvements to the HQ have also continued and the increase in letting income will enable us to start enacting some of the bigger projects- subject to approval by Gosport Borough Council. We have been fortunate to receive a number of grants to buy things like tables and tents so again, we are constantly refreshing our equipment to ensure that the Young People have a safe and pleasant environment that provides all they need.
We have finally completed on the new lease which means that the responsibility for the toilet block now rests with the council! The lease has also adjusted the boundary line meaning we can pursue trying to take ownership of the grassed area out front- which will be another step to unlocking infrastructure improvements.
Finances are healthy and our new budgeting process means that we are now able to ring fence funds for these bigger projects- but we are only a leaking roof away from being forced use these funds elsewhere; exploring external funding sources is essential for us to keep moving forward. The Board of Trustees is always looking for new members, particularly to help with searching and applying for grants, so please- if anyone can spare a couple of hours a month you would be most welcome.
As always, I would like to thank the other members of the Board of Trustees, the unseen group of people who give up their time to run the accounts, maintain the HQ, manage lettings, provide advice, support and generally do the things in the background to help the Leaders make Scouting happen here at 1[St] Lee.
I want to close by saying a massive thank you to all of the Leadership Team, including helpers and Young Leaders, who work tirelessly and give so much of their time every week for the enrichment of our Young People.
Thanks Yours in Scouting Keith Dickerson (1st Lee Group Chair)
Calling All Parents, Guardians, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles in fact ALL family members!
This is a plea from the Group Board of Trustees for additional help in order to support the Leaders in keeping the Scout Group running. We are sure you are already aware that all the Leaders, Helpers and Group Board of Trustees are volunteers giving up their spare time to help run the Group. We are always in need of new members to ensure that everything is in place to enable the Leaders to get on with their roles and deliver interesting and diverse programs which we hope your child enjoys.
It is vital that we have a healthy number of volunteers to aid the running of Group activities.
There are many ways in which you can help the Group:
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[Board of Trustees] - we meet monthly
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[Please see ] both links below which gives more detail about the Board of Trustees role:
htp://members.scouts.org.uk/factsheets/ASEXEC.pdf htp://members.scouts.org.uk/factsheets/FS330101.pdf
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[Lettings (Managing the current weekly lettings as well as answering queries about new lettings). Any ] emergencies with the lettings usually occur during the daytime - if you are local and contactable that would be ideal.
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[Trades people e.g. - electrician; plumber ] etc - We usually rely on local contacts however we are sure there must be trades people who could assist with hut maintenance and repairs.
For an informal chat about any of the roles or if there is any other way you may be able to help, then please contact:
Keith Dickerson (Group Chairperson) on chairman-1stlots@gosportscouts.org.uk
5. Group Scout Leaders Report
Well, what can I say, “WOW”, the past 12 months have continued to illustrate just what an amazing group we are, with our dedicated volunteers and young people.
1[st] Lee on the Solent have continued to offer an enjoyable and fulfilling programme to all our young people where the key objectives were Skills for Life, Adventure, Outdoors and trying new experiences. Our young people have taken every new challenge in their stride and pushed to be an even better version of themselves.
We have again continued to grow in size this year, with the addition of a new Beaver section, run by Anne, Vikki and Kathryn, the new section is growing from strength to strength and have begun to increase their numbers from initial 8 members, while they were finding their feet.
But as always, we have some gaps in our team of volunteers, we need more helpers and Board of Trustee members. We are also on the lookout for a team of volunteers to help us open an additional Cub section in the coming months, our Cubs are at full capacity and our waiting list is growing every month.
All that leaves me to say, is a massive thank you and BRAVO to all our volunteers both in the forefront of the action with the young people and behind the scenes for the dedication of the hours that they put in to give our young people an experience to remember.
Pete Giffin Group Scout Leader (GSL)
6. Treasurer’s Report
----- Start of picture text -----
st March 2024 1° Lee on the Solent Scout Council
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Year Ending 31
1st Lee on the Solent Scout Group Receipts for the Year ended 31st March 2024
| This Year | Last Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Subscriptions | ||
| 2022/23 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2023/24 | 17,234.16 | 10,491.00 |
| Gift Aid | 3,527.12 | 1,332.38 |
| New Starter Fees | 1,560.00 | 350.00 |
| 22,321.28 | 12,173.38 | |
| 2023/2024 Capitation Fees Paid | (8,053.00) | (7,020.00) |
| 14,268.28 | 5,153.38 | |
| Investment Income Received | ||
| Bank Interest | 28.57 | 19.51 |
| Donations and Grants | ||
| Grants | 2,000.00 | 1,000.00 |
| Donations | 410.32 | 0.00 |
| 2,410.32 | 1,000.00 | |
| Fund Raising (Gross) | ||
| Sales and Events | 953.05 | 33.95 |
| 953.05 | 33.95 | |
| Sundry Receipts | ||
| Hire of Hall and Equipment | 6,375.00 | 4,415.00 |
| Uniform Sales | 533.28 | 286.58 |
| Camp Fees Account | 16,067.00 | 12,523.18 |
| 22,975.28 | 17,224.76 | |
| Total Receipts for the Year | 40,635.50 | 23,431.60 |
| This Year | Last Year | |
| Premises | ||
| Lease | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Light and Heat | 1,752.00 | 647.00 |
| Water Rates | 68.85 | 125.19 |
| Internet | 597.48 | 1,595.58 |
| Insurance | 752.63 | 1,020.62 |
| Repairs and Renewals | 1,339.63 | 3,076.31 |
| Demolition Expenses | 1,740.00 | 0.00 |
| Professional Fees | ||
| 6,251.59 | 6,465.70 | |
| Activities | ||
| Camps, Trips and Activity events | 16,111.19 | 15,617.19 |
| Camp Deposits Repaid | 0.00 | |
| 16,111.19 | 15,617.19 | |
| Fund Raising expenses | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 0.00 | 0.00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Admin./Establishment Expenses | ||
| Stationery, Postage and Internet Security | 167.34 | 203.85 |
| Software | 0.00 | |
| Card Charges | 1,352.47 | 783.00 |
| HQ Cleaning | 1,671.66 | 1,315.59 |
| 3,191.47 | 2,302.44 | |
| Other expenses | ||
| Contributions to Leaders uniforms | 0.00 | |
| Uniform | 3,329.00 | 1,352.00 |
| Equipment Repairs | 70.00 | 407.52 |
| Gifts and Donations | 162.14 | 600.00 |
| Fetes/ Fundraising | 202.63 | |
| 3,763.77 | 2,359.52 | |
| Capital Equipment | ||
| 3,123.01 | 1,596.07 | |
| 3,123.01 | 1,596.07 | |
| Purchase of Badges | ||
| Badges and Scout books | 866.12 | 81.39 |
| Sundry Payments | 155.88 | 0.00 |
| Total Payments for the Year | 33,463.03 | 28,422.31 |
| This Year | Last Year | |
| Monetary assets | ||
| Bank Community Account | 4,053.85 | 2,501.94 |
| Bank Premium Account | 5,007.93 | 1,209.69 |
| Active Saver Building Fund | 1.96 | 1,050.36 |
| Cash on Hand - Treasurer | 109.37 | 54.37 |
| Expense Cards | 417.35 | 1,308.75 |
| Lettings Debtors | 605.00 | 425.00 |
| Gift aid Debtor | 3,527.12 | 0.00 |
| 13,722.58 | 6,550.11 |
1st Lee on the Solent Scout Group Receipts and Payments Account Summary for the Year ended 31st March 2024
| This Year | Last Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Receipts for the year | 40,635.50 | 23,431.60 |
| Total Payments for the year | 33,463.03 | 28,422.31 |
| Net Payments (Receipts) | 7,172.47 | (4,990.71) |
| Cash, bank and similar funds b/fwd | 6,550.11 | 11,540.82 |
| Cash, Bank and similar funds c/fwd | 13,722.58 | 6,550.11 |
The above Account and accompanying statement of Assets and Liabilities were approved by the Trustees at a meeting of the Executive Committee held on March 2024
| ........................................................................ | and signed on their behalf by |
|---|---|
| K Dickerson | Chairman |
| E Davis | Treasurer |
6. Treasurer’s Report
Year Ending 31st March 2024
The group ended this financial year with funds of £13,722 which is an increase on the previous year of £7,172.
The lettings income of £4,415 has increased by £1,903 compared to the previous year. The fees from hiring out the hall are an important part of the groups fundraising. There has been an increased focus on advertising the hall for hire and there was a slight increase in hire costs to our regular hirers from 1st January 2024.
In the year we have been fortunate to receive a grant from The Morrisons Foundation of £2,000 which has been used to purchase new tents for the group.
We have received a gift aid payment of £3,527 for the period 1.7.2022-31.12.2023.
The Trustees have made the decision to keep monthly subscription costs the same for the year 2024/2025 with a possible price increase from 1st April 2025. Overall, the group is in a much better position than in previous years.
There are plans to apply for more grants and funding to enable the group to upgrade the toilet and kitchen facilities which the group will contribute towards.
Emma Davis Group Treasurer
7. Secton reports
7a Squirrels
Squirrel Section Report March 2023– April 2024
This year our Squirrel section has grown from strength to strength, we now have around 26 Squirrels that regularly attend meetings and we only have a slightly bigger waiting list. This is absolutely incredible, and we are one of the biggest Squirrel sections in Gosport.
We have had an extremely busy year with a highly active programme, some of the activities we have taken part in this year Smore making, Gardening, Baking, Hiking, Archery, Tomahawks and so much more. We have also had the amazing opportunity to take the Squirrels out of the hut on a number of occasions, we have managed to explore the local area including the Beach and Alver Valley, we have visited Ferny crofts Activity Day, Lyons Copse, Moors valley Country Park, GAFIRS, Rock Up and Gosport Fire Station. We were also visited by Joy from Acts of Kindness who told us all about the work she and the team of volunteers do for the community.
The Squirrels have achieved so much this year, but we are most impressed at how well they have managed all the events they have attended this year, the biggest two being District Camp and Winter Camp; they took part in some amazing activities and for almost all of them this was their first ever experience of camps.
The Squirrels also had an opportunity to watch the Gosport Gang Show at Thorngate hall this year, they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were amazed at how good the Cubs and Scouts were.
We had a brilliant turn out for the St Georges Day Parade and Remembrance Parade, it is great to see so many turn up to represent the Group for these events.
We have had the absolute pleasure to award six Acorn Awards, which is the highest award you can achieve in Squirrels and presented over 200 activity badges. This is incredible! Keep up the good work Squirrels!!
This year the Squirrels were given the opportunity to stay one night at the groups winter camp, the Squirrels were superstars and did fantastically well, especially as for most it was their first ever night away.
We are incredibly proud of how well the Squirrels have done over the past year and we can only see them gaining more confidence as we look into the next year. We have more events, more activities and more trips planned for them, it’s looking to be a fantastic year.
Lastly, I would like to say a massive thank you to Zoe, Ellen, Skye, Zoe, Kathryn, Kieran and all the parent volunteers for all your help with Squirrels over the past year we couldn’t have achieved what we have without you.
Yours in Scouting
Jodie Warner Squirrel Leader
7b Beavers
Beaver Section Report March 2023 – April 2024
The Beavers have had a fantastic year taking part in so many activities, events, day trips and competitions.
The Beavers have enjoyed taking part in an action-packed programme this year with activities with Fire Safety including a visit to Gosport Fire Station, cooking on fire, Planting seeds, Independence Skills, Teamwork, parties, First Aid and so much more. We had a visit from our friends at Acts of Kindness where they told us all about the fantastic work they do for the community, and we even helped by donating some food to the food bank.
We have also had some brilliant trips out of the hut to Rock Up, Paulton’s Park, Den Building in the forest, Christingle and both St Georges Day and Remembrance Day Parades.
We had a great attendance for our Group Winter Camp and the District Camp in June 2023, almost every Beaver attended the camps at some point over the weekend, they had an incredible time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
This year I have had the pleasure of awarding over 490 Activity and Challenge Badges and 16 Bronze Awards which is the highest award you can earn in Beavers, this award takes a lot of hard work so massive well done!
This year we have seen our numbers hold pretty steady at around 36 members; this is mostly due to the fact we have had the amazing opportunity to start a second Beaver section, report below from Narnia Beaver Leader. This is exceptional and we are so pleased to be able to offer the opportunity to so many. But unfortunately, like always we are in desperate need of some more Beaver leaders to allow even move children the opportunity to participate. If you could help in any way, please let us know.
Overall, we as a leader team are super proud of how well the Beavers have done this year and we look forward to what next year brings.
Lastly, I would like to say a massive Thank you to Zoe, Sarah, Ellen, Kathryn, Anne, Kieran, Zoe, Des, Emily and Phoebe and all other parent helpers without you we would simply not be able to offer the variety of activities we do to the Beavers. So, THANK YOU.
Yours in Scouting
Jodie Warner Beaver Leader
Narnia Beaver Report
Narnia beavers opened on 1[st] October 2023 starting with six Beaver Scouts and has grown to 11. What an exciting 9 months we have had. We have attended our first winter and district camps, visited Marwell zoo and GAFIRS. We have awarded 31 badges including one bronze award and have 36 more badges to award this term. We are looking forward to our first Paultons park trip in October and our first summer camp in August 2025. We are also looking forward to our colony’s second year and growing our numbers in September.
7c Cubs
Cubs Section Report March 2023 – April 2024
It has been another busy year for the Cubs Section with some great achievements throughout the year. We currently have 33 members on the books and are expecting a few more up from Beavers over the coming year. We have also gained a few new leaders so would like to formally welcome Dan, Craig, Kieran and Sam.
We have had steady attendance from all members and leaders with active participation from all.
We have had a large focus on badge work over the last year and I am pleased to say all the Cubs have earnt a large number of activity and badges both during evenings and at home.
Coming up we have a large amount of the pack participating in district camp.
We as a leader team would like to say a massive thank you to all the Parents, Guardians, Children, Leaders, and Young Leaders for your support.
We would also like to extend thanks to all the leaders and Trustee committee members who have been supportive of the pack during all our activities; without the support group around 1[st] Lee on the Solent we would not be able to run. We have a large number of children currently on the waiting list and are hoping in the next year to open a second Cub pack. However, we are desperately in need of leaders to support the running of the second pack. If this is something that would interest you, or someone you know, please do not hesitate to speak to one of the leaders and we can discuss what this will entail.
Here’s looking forward to another great year within Gosport scouting and to many adventures. as always, we will be prepared and do our best.
The Leader Team
Matt (Akela) Ellen (Raksha) Sandra (Baloo) Alice (Chill) Francis (Rama) Dan (Shere khan) Craig Kieran new Sam
7d Scouts
Scout Section Report March 2023– April 2024
Scouts have had a very active calendar of the last 12 months with numbers currently at 31. We have cleared our waiting list, but have one Scout moving up to Explorers after the summer break.
The Scouts have been working towards their Gold Award throughout the year. Congratulations to Frazer, Emily and Pheobe for completing their award. With most recent badge being the cooking badge. It’s worth reminding the Scouts that a majority of badges can be completed outside of meetings, with certain badges being infeasible for us to run in meetings. I would like to further highlight Georgie and Charlotte for completing multiple badges outside of meetings.
As is scouting tradition we have run and attended numerous camps over the last year, including a Summer camp with the Cubs and Scouts, with a long weekend staying at Ferny Crofts where the Scouts took part in a multitude of activities offered by Ferny Crofts Activity site, including Caving, Ziplining, Abseiling and a hike to the Local Swimming Complex. As well as attending a Winter Camp at Lyons Copse, and of course the District Activity camp which is always a busy camp with a plethora of activities for all involved, including the recently introduced Segways which got good reviews from the Scouts.
A selection of Scouts have represented the group in the Lightweight Hike competition, this sees the Scouts following a roughly three hour hike, then setting up their own camp, cooking their own meals and completing some challenge bases throughout the weekend before fully striking their camp. Well done to Shaun, William, Edward, Georgie, Charlotte, Rebecca and Ryan for taking part in our two teams.
We only ask for full attendance to three events throughout the year. The Carol Service, Remembrance Parade and St Georges Day. A big Thank you to all Scouts that have attended these important events.
Our Leadership team has not changed much in the last year, Luke and Zoe have formally joined the team as full Leaders. With Peter taking a step back both to concentrate on his role as GSL and to welcome the birth of baby Freya.
We also have welcomed Matthew as a temporary leader on loan from Leeds while he works an internship locally.
We look forward to the coming year, with great potential opportunities opening up to the Scouts and an exciting Summer camp due over the summer break.
Yours in Scouting
McClay Manktelow Scout Leader
Board of Trustees contact details:
Chairman-1stlots@gosportscouts.org.uk
- Secretary 1stlots@gosportscouts.org.uk
Treasurer-1stots@gosportscouts.org.uk
GSL-1stlots@gosportscouts.org.uk
1stlotsscouts@googlemail.com
Cubs-1stlots@gosportscouts.org.uk
Beavers-1stlots@gosportscouts.org.uk
General enquiries - 1stlotscommitee@gmail.com