**Annual General Meetng of Mytholmroyd Scout Group** ## **Wednesday 9th July 2025 at 7pm in the Scout Room** ## **MINUTES** - 1) Welcome. Apologies: Alix Bullock, Andy Rainforth, Geraint Harris, Sam Harris, David Greensmith, Andy Warren, Tina Knight, Lead Volunteer (formerly District Commissioner). - Present: David McMurdo, Scott Trickett, Eleanor Dale, Keith Rawnsley, Sophie Foster, Julie Harris, Simon Hall, Kath Ball, Amy Trickett, Chris Warren, Hannah Leach, Daniel Mateer, Connall Mateer, - ST thanked the Leaders and parents who give up so much time to volunteer for the Scout Group. We are actively seeking new Leaders and volunteers. The relationship between the Community Association and the Scout Group remains good. One minor problem is the slow progress on repairs and creation of a new bin area near the Scout room entrance. This cannot proceed in the short term due to lack of funds. Fundraising has been successful, including the Christmas tree collection, the Fell Race, Duck Race and Clean-up. ST also thanked the organisations and individuals who have made donations to the Group, most recently a grant from Hebden Royd Town Council for new patrol tents. - A full programme of activities has been achieved including 70 people participating in Scouts and Dads and this summer’s planned trip to Slovenia. - 2) Minutes: The minutes of the 2024 AGM were made available via email and would be taken as read and approved unless any objection was raised. Approved with no objections, proposed by Scott Trickett seconded by Julie Harris - 3) Group Report (Keith Rawnsley) Scout Digital: The transfer across to the new Scout database system has caused a great deal of work and is not the easiest system to use. All Sections have regained their numbers, it’s a combination of building back up and the need for more Leaders, especially in the younger sections. I’m not specifically going to mention each section, but just to say well done to all the leaders, keep going and keep that smile. - Leader Training: There has been safety, safeguarding, GDPR and First Aid training this year. We need to encourage everyone to either start or complete their leader training. In addition, we have achieved 4 Mountain Biking permits, and numerous hillwalking permits. We probably have more permits for hillwalking than most districts! Our Lead Volunteer (formerly District Commissioner), Tina Knight has assisted with permits for the Slovenia trip. We will be incurring costs for driver training soon; older Leaders have “granddad” rights, our younger leaders do not and need to be trained to drive the minibuses. - Improvements: New equipment has been bought with money from Hebden Royd Town Council and other donations. The Christmas Tree collections has become the major fund-raising event and a good way of getting parental support. Fund raising for Slovenia has gone very well and helped pull the group together, with a lot of hard work. We are looking forward to our Slovenia International Trip, summer 2025 for Scouts and Explorers. We need more Leaders for our younger sections and the Explorers, although Scouts are OK. With work commitments it does get tight on occasions. We couldn’t function as a group without the help and support I receive from the Leaders and the group committee. I’d struggle to function without Kath Ball doing the work she does behind the scenes, with Compass and DBS’s but what we need is more from parents, by giving a little, be it fund raising, being on the Group Committee (Board of Trustees), helping a section, you can make a difference. ## 4) Section Reports: Beavers (Sophie Foster) This year we have had a lot of movement in Beavers. We started the year with 22 Beavers, over the year 8 have moved onto Cubs and 2 have left the group. We currently have 18 Beavers with us, 6 girls and 12 boys. We will have a large new intake in September as 6 of the Beavers are due to move up to Cubs. Due to challenges in the current group, I aim to keep the number at 18. During this year we have worked on many badges. Gardening, Experiment, Space, Cooking, Health and Fitness, Safety, Creative, Emergency Aid Stage 1, Air Activities Stage 1, Sports, Camp Craft, Communicator, Disability Awareness, Global Issues and International. They have also been making good progress on their challenge badges with the majority having completed their Personal challenge and Teamwork challenge badge. We were yet again able to do our Halloween event which was good for the Beavers to be able to see where they get to go and camp in Cubs and have an enjoyable night. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the other Volunteers at Beavers, Eleanor, Alix, Mark, Ravi and Tom, for their support in helping to plan and run the sessions especially seen as they all have so many other commitments. Thankyou I appreciate it. ## Cubs (Julie Harris) We’ve had another busy year in Cubs; we’ve been running with between 16 and 21 cubs (21 at the moment with 8 girls and 13 boys but with 3 moving on to Scouts at the start of next term). Phil and Oscar continue to share the Cub leading with me and Phil has now completed his training and we share the planning. Gabriel and Jacob continued helping out as part of their DofE until they went off to university last year. Finlay then started helping us as his D of E volunteering and has recently been joined by Isaac. They are brilliant at running games with the cubs while we set up activities and generally helping with all activities we do. Our team helpers – Alan, Scott, Sandrine, and Eleanor continue to be brilliant, each helping out once every 4 weeks and on camp! Having them there means that I can spend time with new cubs, we can give extra help to any cubs who need it and having that extra pair of eyes and hands means that we can see and sort any inappropriate behaviour more easily. General behaviour improved drastically at the start of this year which has made life a lot easier and cubs more enjoyable for everyone! Over the last year, we have worked towards various activity badges and all the challenge badges and we’ve awarded 3 Chief Scout Silver awards. Our program is planned to help the older cubs work towards getting the silver award but they do need to show a level of commitment. If a few pack nights are missed or a camp not attended it is difficult to achieve all that is needed! We took part in a County Sleepover at the Deep in Hull in May. It was a really good event enjoyed by all who went. After the coach journey from Brighouse, we were shown round the Deep, after this there was badge making, supper, tote badge decorating then bed in front of the shark tanks. After breakfast and a trip to the shop it was back on the coach for the journey home! We could only take 12 cubs due to limited places but hopefully there will be more County run events that those who missed out on this time will be able to go on. We were due to have a camp at Blake Dean last month but due to family commitments arising for both me and Phil we had to postpone this to September. We’ll try and get back to 2 camps a year from then but sometimes we just can’t find 2 weekends where we can get enough helpers together! Over the next year I’ll continue to share more of the admin ‘stuff’ with Phil and look at using more of OSM’s features to make life easier for us! We are all still getting to grips with the new digital platform and will, I’m sure, eventually find it a useful tool! Our main job, as it has always been, is to give the Cubs a good scouting experience so they are ready and eager to move on to Scouts. Julie Harris Cub leader (Team Leader) ## Scouts (Keith Rawnsley) We have 23 Scouts at present, the Troop is very fortunate to be able to call on lots of leaders with a diverse skill set, but with work commitments we need this number to run the programmes and activities we do. We have achieved 4 Chief Scout Gold Awards We have sent 5 Scouts to Explorers this year creating a big turnover. Activity and badge wise this is challenging and limiting due to a lower skill set of our young people following the pandemic. However, we have got back to doing what we do with various alterations to the programmes. I suspect it will take a little longer to get back fully. We have held the Blakedean weekend, a Patrol Leader training weekend, a Patrol camp, Scouts and Dads and Summer camp is about to take place. Took part in the Brow Hike and Nighthawk competitions. Camps and activities are all part of the development of our young people, and it is important full use is made of these opportunities. The mountaineering days for Slovenia are developing the whole Scout section. We have managed some awards, but certainly down on our past record and the badges are certainly down. Thanks to all the Leaders: Andrew, David’s 2 & 3, Geraint, Oscar, Tom, Sam H & Sam S, then there are others who help, Brian, Nigel, & Tom H, and the older Explorers. ## Explorers (Chris Warren) 16 Explorers, good attendance. The Leadership has stabilised. 2 Bronze and 1 Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award teams have completed practice expeditions. - 5) Treasurer’s Report. (David McMurdo) This year has been a fairly settled year with most income and expenditure at normal levels. Last year we had a very generous donation of £20000 which was used to replace much of our old equipment etc. This year we are back down to normal levels, as is our expenditure on equipment. Our combined bank balances are up £16250.91, however Camp Slovenia has £10593.64 on account, so we are actually up £5657.27. This is normal as each year we need to save at least £5000 to put towards new minibuses as our current ones’ age. In conclusion, we are on a sound financial footing with enough in the bank for contingencies, but no more than we need to meet future financial commitments. Copies of the accounts were available at the meeting. D McM thanked the Auditor, Graham Cobham. Set subscription rates. Following a discussion at a recent trustee meeting, ST proposed that the subscription rates remain the same. Seconded by Simon Hall. 6) Appointment of Officers: Chairman: Scott Trickett, proposed by D McM, seconded by ED Treasurer: David McMurdo, proposed by ED, seconded by ST Secretary: Eleanor Dale, proposed by ST, seconded by JH Subscription Secretary: Kath Ball, proposed by ST, seconded by ED Amy Trickett volunteered to assist Kath Ball. Representatives for each section: Beavers: Cubs: Alix Bullock (to be confirmed) Scouts: Andy Rainforth Explorers: Simon Hall Fundraising representative, Quartermaster, Safety Representative: the Trustees Committee Members - 7) Any other Business: Adopt the updated Constitution: the proposed Constitution has been circulated to the Group (parents, older Scouts, Leaders and Trustees) with the notification of the AGM 4 weeks ago. ED explained that the Scout association has updated their specimen Constitution and we are following this template. JH proposed the Group adopts the new Constitution, seconded by ST. Review specimen Trustees Report: ED explained that the Scout Association has also produced a standard Trustees Report to be reviewed and approved at each Annual General Meeting. This report aligns with the requirements of the annual Charity Commission submission. The decision to approve the use of this report was proposed by ST and seconded by D McM. The meeting was closed at 7.43pm. MYfHOLMROYO SCOUT GROUP INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENOING 31ST MARCH 2026 INCOME EXPENDITURE CASH 8ALANCES AT 31103r24 EXPENSES group s8cllor rènt ate. apitation 440.41 416.59 5,450.42 7,873.50 £ 14,180.92 eurrent alc S8vin9$ al 19.798.02 £ 43 714.94 £ 63,512.98 INTEREST current alc s8vlng8 elc LADS & DADS -357.20 1054.95 £ 1,054.95 DOFE 545.72 HMRC Gift Ald S88 List 3,721.34 BUILDING 419.C6 SU88CRIPTIONS Beevers Cubs SGouts Exploror¥ 2.709.00 3,007.00 5,007.50 2 814.00 £ 13.537.50 INSURANCES Sèe Lisl 930.24 TRAINING & GRANTS . 240.00 EQUIPMENT 809 Ilst DONATIONS Soe List 1,014.99 4,870.00 MOTOR EXP 888 Ilst FUNDRAISING See Litsl 3,756.23 4,367.23 CAMPS Sée list -$8.21 CAMP SLOVENIA 20. soe ligt £ -10,593.64 CASH BALANCES AT 31103125 current alc £ 34,993.98 savings alc bus £ 40,000.00 eqpmnl £ 4,769.89 £ 79,763.87 TOTAL £ gJ,452.98 TOTAL £ 90,452.98 sensi MYfHOLMROYO SCOUT GROUP INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENOING 31ST MARCH 2026 INCOME EXPENDITURE CASH 8ALANCES AT 31103r24 EXPENSES group s8cllor rènt ate. apitation 440.41 416.59 5,450.42 7,873.50 £ 14,180.92 eurrent alc S8vin9$ al 19.798.02 £ 43 714.94 £ 63,512.98 INTEREST current alc s8vlng8 elc LADS & DADS -357.20 1054.95 £ 1,054.95 DOFE 545.72 HMRC Gift Ald S88 List 3,721.34 BUILDING 419.C6 SU88CRIPTIONS Beevers Cubs SGouts Exploror¥ 2.709.00 3,007.00 5,007.50 2 814.00 £ 13.537.50 INSURANCES Sèe Lisl 930.24 TRAINING & GRANTS . 240.00 EQUIPMENT 809 Ilst DONATIONS Soe List 1,014.99 4,870.00 MOTOR EXP 888 Ilst FUNDRAISING See Litsl 3,756.23 4,367.23 CAMPS Sée list -$8.21 CAMP SLOVENIA 20. soe ligt £ -10,593.64 CASH BALANCES AT 31103125 current alc £ 34,993.98 savings alc bus £ 40,000.00 eqpmnl £ 4,769.89 £ 79,763.87 TOTAL £ gJ,452.98 TOTAL £ 90,452.98 sensi