Scouts Watford South Annual Report 2023 **#SkillsForLife 2** ## **Contents** |**Contents **|| |---|---| |**AGM Agenda**|**4**| |**Overview of minutes of 2023’s AGM**|**5 - 7**| |**Policy, Organisation and Rules**|**8-11**| |**Constitution**|| |**Note the District’s financial year:**|**12-23**| |1 January 2023- 31 December 2023.|| |**Reviews of 2023**|| |District Commissioner|**24 -26**| |Secretary|**27-28**| |Youth Commissioner|**29**| |**District Contacts**|**30**| **3** ## **AGM Agenda** **1. Introduction and welcome** **2. Apologies for absence** **3. Governance topics** - a. Approve the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held in 2023 - b. Adopt the model constitution from Policy, Organisation and Rules - c. Note the District’s financial year - d. Approve appointed and community members of the District Scout Council - e. Agree the number of members that may be appointed to the Trustee Board - f. Agree the quorum for future meetings of the District Scout Council (excluding this AGM) ## 4. **Review of the previous year** - a. The District Lead Volunteer’s review of Scouts in Watford South - b. Receive and consider the Annual Report of the District Trustee Board, including the annual Statement of the Accounts - c. Apollo review - d. Excalibur review - e. Jamboree review **5. Making appointments** - a. Confirm the District Chair, following recommendation from the open selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board b Confirm the District Treasurer, following recommendation from the open selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board c. Appoint members of the District Trustee Board, following recommendations from the open selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board - d. Appoint the Scrutineer / Independent Examiner / Auditor f. Nominate 2 representatives of the District Scout Council to represent the District on the County Scout Council - g. Confirm the County Team Lead ## **6. Awards** **7. Any Other Business and closing remarks** **4** ## **Overview of minutes at 2023’s AGM** **Welcome:** Chris Turnbull, District Commissioner, acknowledged Ian Leech and Graham Raven. ## **2022 Exec Update:** - Barry Hulin is acting treasurer after Paul Chambers. - Sam Shepherd became chairman. - A minute of silence was observed for those lost, including Robert Baden Powell’s Grandson. **Apologies given:** Deputy Mayor of Hertsmere, Councillor Ravi Martin & 11 scout council members **Approval of Minutes:** Approved: Brian Fox. Seconded: Will Waite. Unanimously in favour. ## **Governance:** - Model Constitution adopted; contact Chris or Sam with issues. - Approved: Bruce. Seconded: Kerry Waite. Unanimously in favour - Trustee board replaces the executive committee. ## **Trustee Nominations:** - Recommended: DC, Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Parent Rep, Safeguarding Rep, Property Rep - Quorum: 5 of 7 members **5** ## **Scouting Review 2022-2023:** - Membership dropped from 650 to 623. - Thanks to Larry for activities and including Squirrels in sports day. ## **Celebrations:** - 2 QSA in 2023, 1 KSA in 2024, 1 Gold DofE - Neo Moise recognized for Operation Feather. ## **District Trustee Board & Accounts:** - Barry Hulin presented the accounts. - Income: £3500 surplus, £1000 badge income, £1300 from 72nd closure, £18K from 2nd closure. - End of year: £42K funds, £10K surplus, £36K after payments. ## **District Assets:** - Minibus: Costs exceed income, MOT until April/May 2024. - Morten Hall: Needs demolition, costs £2.5K/year, discussions ongoing with council. ## **District Event Subsidies:** - Approved: Melissa Fox, Seconded: Sam Wright. Unanimously in favour ## **District Structure:** - Nominations open for various roles, aiming for 30% under 30. **6** ## **Trustee Board Elections:** - Chair: Sam Shepherd - Treasurer: Barry Hulin (Nominated: Melissa Fox, Seconded: Sam Wright, Unanimously in favour) - Secretary: Brian Fox (Proposed: Barry Hulin, Seconded: Will Waite, Unanimously in favour) - Safeguarding: Jack Jarman (Proposer: Kerry Waite, Seconded: Ben Bateman, Unanimously in favour) - Parent Rep, Property Portfolio, and Scrutineer: No nominations ## **Jamboree Presentation:** - 25th WSJ in South Korea attendees from Watford South. ## **Awards:** - Long Service: Sam Wright (5 years), Jack Jarman (5 years) - Wood Badge: Jack Jarman, Tony (14th) - Chief Scout’s Commendation: Krishant Uka - Queens Scout Award: Jack Jarman ## **End of minutes** **7** ## **Policy, Organisation and Rules Constitution** 5.3 applies to each District, whether or not it is registered with a charity regulator. 5.3.1.1 Every charity must have an agreed constitution. Although a charity may agree its own constitution, it is **very** strongly encouraged that each District adopts the model constitutions that are shown in 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6, respectively, in this chapter. The model constitutions in 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 describe the role, membership and operation of the Scout Council, and the Trustee Board. 5.3.1.2 In the interest of openness, especially for new members of the Scout Council, the Scout Council should re-adopt their charity’s constitution at each AGM. This must be recorded in the minutes of the AGM. A District which adopts unchanged the model constitution in 5.4 should record in their AGM minutes that POR 5.4, 5.5 or 5.6 is fully adopted as its constitution. In this case, a copy of 5.4, 5.5 or 5.6 does not need to be attached to the minutes – it is sufficient for the adoption of 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 to be stated in the AGM minutes. 5.3.1.3 As stated in Rule 16.1.1.1, a person must have reached their 18[th] birthday before they take on a charity Trustee role in the Scouts. 5.3.1.4 There are three classifications of Trustee: **8** - a. Ex officio These people are Trustees by virtue of their role in the Scouts. They are a vital part of the Trustee Board, providing a clear link with the leadership and operation of the charity. - b. Appointed by the Scout Council These Trustees are appointed by the Scout Council at their AGM following a rigorous and transparent selection process agreed by the members of the Trustee Board. This includes the Chair and Treasurer roles. This selection process may include nominations or an election process or other locally appropriate procedures. It may include selection of persons with specific skills from outside the Scouts. The Trustee vacancies should be advertised widely so that it is clear it is an open process. It may include members of the Scout Council and may also include people from outside the Scout Council (including from outside the Scouts) provided that there is no conflict of interest. - c. Co-opted by the Trustee Board These Trustees are appointed by the Trustee Board. Coopting offers the Trustee Board a way of broadening its skills mix or to introduce potential new Trustees mid-year. The Trustee Board must ensure that co-opted appointments follow an appropriate selection process, similar to that described for Appointed Trustees. 5.3.1.5 Certain people are disqualified from being charity trustees by virtue of the Charities Acts. This must be determined during the appointment process through the Trustee’s declaration and by Trustee eligibility checks (see Rule 16.1.3.1(d) and (e)). SV **9** In the previous edition of POR, Section Leaders (if they opted in), Deputy Group Scout Leaders and Group Secretary (if appointed) were ex officio members of the Group Trustee Board. If they are currently in role as ex officio Trustees at the time of this edition of POR becoming ‘live’ (1st April 2024) then their role as a Trustee will continue until the next Group AGM after 1st April 2024, or until 31st March 2025, whichever is sooner. In the previous edition of POR, the District Explorer Scout Commissioner, the District Scout Network Commissioner and the District Secretary (if appointed) were ex officio members of the District Trustee Board. If they are currently in role at the time of this edition of POR becoming ‘live’ (1st April 2024) then their role as a Trustee continues until the next District AGM, or until 31st March 2025, whichever is sooner. In the previous edition of POR, the County Secretary (if appointed) was an Ex Officio member of the County Trustee Board. If they are currently in role at the time of this edition of POR becoming ‘live’ (31st March 2024) then their role as a Trustee will continue until the next County AGM, or until 31st March 2025, whichever is sooner. 5.3.1.6 Trustees - term of appointment - a. Appointed Trustees are appointed by the Scout Council for an initial period of no longer than three years. - Further periods of appointment may be agreed by the Scout Council. - b. Co-opted Trustees are appointed by the Trustee Board for an initial period of one year. Further periods of appointment may be agreed by the Trustee **10** Board, however co-opted Trustees are encouraged to move to being appointed trustees at the next AGM. - c. Appointed and co-opted Trustees must serve no more than nine years in any Trustee role on the specific Trustee Board (this includes Chair and Treasurer). As example, if a Trustee served three years and then became Treasurer on the same Trustee Board, that person could serve as Treasurer for no more than six years. - d. Ex officio Trustees serve as a Trustee for as long as they hold the ex officio role. If their ex officio role is held for less than nine years, then they may hold an appointed or co-opted Trustee role to a maximum of nine years as a Trustee on the specific Trustee Board. - e. A volunteer who has been a Trustee may be considered for re-appointment to the same Trustee Board after a gap of three years. - f. Ex officio Trustees hold their trustee responsibilities for as long as they hold their role that includes trustee responsibility. Their Trustee membership of the Trustee Board ceases as soon as they are no longer in role. - g. The nine year Trustee maximum term rule referred to in 5.3.1.6 comes into effect from the charity’s AGM held during 2024. 5.3.1.7 All Trustees must complete learning as specified in Rule 16.1.3.1(g), 16.2.3.1(g) and the Chapter 16 Roles Table. 5.3.1.8 In addition to the Rules in 5.3, important parts of the model constitution in 5.4, 5.5 or 5.6 are Rules that must be followed. To ensure good and transparent governance, reasons for any variation from 5.4, 5.5 or 5.6 must be clearly documented in the minutes of the AGM. **11** ## **Financial Review 2023:** The accounts have been drawn up on the Receipts and Payments basis, which is consistent with previous years. The major part of our income is derived from the subscriptions we raise from our Groups using the annual census return before paying County so that in 2023 the surplus was £3,999.50 increased from £3,477.50 in 2022. Regular income includes interest which was £480.61 for both the current account & investment account as well as some miscellaneous income, as against £46.40 the year before. Diane Rogers does a sterling job as Badge Secretary where the funds raised amounted to £233.54 down from the year before at £1,106.56. Barry Hulin scrutinised these accounts in February 2024 & found them in perfect order. These accounts are held & operated separately from District and monies are held on behalf of Groups & a stock of badges is also held. Exceptional income included Jamboree receipts of £5,828.03 as against expenses of £6,168.49. For the first time we did contribute some spending money to the leaders who attended this event in North Korea. We do subsidise the young people attending and will need to set a budget to do the same for 2027 when the Jamboree will be in Poland. We subsidise District Events where we do charge a modest amount for participation so in the year that income was £6,910.83 against costs of £8,270.77. **12** We operate the accounts for our two Explorers sections: Apollo & Excalibur. Their income was £4,666.02 & £1,931.00 respectively against expenses of £5,478.09 and £2,127.33. At the year end their funds in hand were £3,632.53 and £611.20 reduced from £4,329.60 & £922.35 the year before. In summary we ended the 2022 year with total funds of £53,148.85 and in 2023 there was a deficit of £16,285.60 reducing the total to £36,863.25. For the 2022 year there were a number of significant post year entries which reduced the overall funds. Whilst there were also some small amounts post 31st December 2023 they do not significantly change the total. The years 2021 and 2022 had not been scrutinised although in practice since I have been operating as nominee Treasurer I can confirm that the figures shown here were prepared by Paul Chambers are accurate and can be relied on so I have acted as scrutineer in those years. The correct documents needed by CAF Bank Ltd for our general account have been accepted so I am now formally treasurer with them and I am also the point of contact for The Charity Commission and our returns to them are up to date. Santander for the Badge account have yet to be convinced to formally complete this change of treasurer. They could not have made this change more difficult. **13** ## **Financial Result** **2022 2023** Excess or (deficit) of £10,488.52 (£16,285.60) receipts over payments Balance of funds at 1st January £42,660.33 £36,863.25 **Balance of funds at 31st December £53,148.85 £36,863.25** Balance as at 31st December 2023 made up as follows: Current account £36,863.25 Cash in hand £ Nil **Total £36,863.25** The current account is held with **CAF Bank Ltd** in Kent and the investment account which was held via a deposit account with **The Scout Association** was closed by them in 2023 due to poor performance and monies transferred to our current account. The total is made up of the following funds: **Designated Funds** Jamboree Reserve £ Nil Apollo Explorers £ 3,632.53 Excalibur Explorers £ 611.20 General Fund £31,977.52 Kenya Fund Bushey & Oxhey **R** £ 412.00 Tony Smith Memorial Collection **R** £ 230.00 **Total £36,863.25** The Funds marked **R** are Restricted Funds being funds where the money is committed to be spent on specific items. **14** ## **Assets & Liabilities** ## **2022 2023** ## **Money assets** Cash in hand £ 311.40 £ Nil Current Account £ 34,214.65 £ 36,863.25 Investment Account £ 18,622.80 £ Closed **Total £ 53,148.85 £36,863.25** ## **Liabilities Restricted Funds** Kenya Fund (Bushey & Oxhey) £ 412.00 £ 412.00 Tony Smith Memorial Collection £ 230.00 £ 230.00 ## **Designated Funds** Jamboree Reserve £ 1,000.00 £ Nil Apollo Explorers £ 4,329.60 £ 3,632.53 Excalibur Explorers £ 922.35 £ 611.20 General Fund £46,254.90 £32,619.52 **Total £53,148.85 £36,863.25** ## **Notes:** When a Group closes or merges the Scout Association ‘POR’ gives the District responsibility for their assets & liabilities. More information is given elsewhere but included here we should list the land, buildings & contents of the 15th Scout Group which closed in 2019. As a guide to value the buildings are insured in the sum of £237,219. We should also note that we own a minibus for use by Groups; LT59RTV Citreon Relay 15 seater 2009 bought 18th November 2011. The last valuation for this vehicle was £4,000 but is now probably worth much less. **15** ## **Notes to receipts 2022 2023** ## **1. SUBSCRIPTIONS** £34,677.50 £35,062.50 We pay Capitation to County based on the annual census return which showed 650 members in 2022 and 623 in 2023. We charged Groups £55 and paid £50 per member in 2023 as against £53.35 and £48.00 respectively in 2022. We are liable to County for Capitation whether or not we have collected the monies from our Groups. ## `2.` **Groups** 2nd Bushey & Oxhey Group £17,951.30 £ Nil Final Closure of 72nd Group £ 1,355.54 £ Nil Final closure of 15th Group £ Nil £ 23.66 **Total £19,286.84 £ 23.66** ## 3. **Events** Beaver Section £ Nil £ 18.81 Cub Section £ 82.83 £ Nil Scout Section £ 73.50 £ 295.00 Apollo Explorer Section £ 4,844.04 £ 4,666.02 Excalibur Explorer Section £ 5,987.04 £ 1,902.50 **Total £10,987.41 £ 6,882.33 4. Miscellaneous** Scout Assoc. Investment Account £ 16.32 £ 239.73 CAF Bank Current Account £ 30.08 £ 240.88 Watford Borough Council £ Nil £ 213.42 **Totals £ 46.40 £ 694.03** **16** ## **Notes to payments** ## **2022 2023** ## **5.Event Expenses** Beaver Section £ Nil £ Nil Cub Section £ 497.18 £ 230.00 Scout Section £ 123.50 £ 119.10 Apollo Explorer Section £ 6,320.11 £5,478.09 Excalibur Explorer Section £ 6,297.80 £2,127.33 District Events £ Nil £ 316.25 **Totals £13,238.59 £8,270.77** ## **6. Administration** |**6. Administration**||| |---|---|---| |Insurances|£ 157.20|£2,535.45| |Administration/donation|£ 298.65|£ Nil| |Bank Charges|£ 81.00|£ 60.75| |Data Protection registration|£ 40.50|£ 40.00| |Web Site & e-mail server|£ 35.95|£ 35.95| |Bury Lake Membership|£ 75.00|£ 150.00| |Training|£ 85.00|£ Nil| |Miscellaneous|£ Nil|£ Nil| |Badges/Cards|£ Nil|£ 227.98| |AGM Expenses
|£ Nil|
£ 125.00| |**Totals**
|**£ 773.30**|**£3,175.13**| |**7. Group payments**||| |14th/2nd
|£ 864.54|£11,484.99| |Transfers for Groups|£ Nil|£ Nil| |15th Group|£ 1,632.31|£ 3,797.38| |**Totals**|**£2,496.85**|**£15,282.37**| ## **7. Group payments** **17** ## **Membership** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Chart Title
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The figures are taken from the annual census return we make to The Scout Association on which our capitation fees are paid. For the 2023 year there were 19 Squirrels 184 Beavers, 192 Cubs, 195 Scouts & 33 Explorers giving a total of 623. Out of interest the Census return made in January 2024 for the year ahead showed: 66 Squirrels, 171 Beavers, 199 Cubs, 205 Scouts & 42 Explorers making a total of 683. **18** ## **Receipts** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Receipts
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2022 2023 Column2
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## **Receipts 2022 2023** Subscriptions See note 1 £34,677.50 £35,062.50 Groups See note 2 £19,286.84 £ 23.66 Badge Secretary £ 1,016.56 £ 233.54 Events See note 3 £10,987.41 £ 6,882.33 District Minibus £ 605.00 £ 922.50 Jamboree 2023 £ 6,455.97 £ 5,828.03 Miscellaneous See note 4 £ 46.40 £ 694.03 **TOTAL RECEIPTS £73,075.68 £49,646.59** **19** ## **Payments** ## **Payments 2022 2023** Subscriptions to County Note 1 £31,200.00 £31,063.00 Event Expenses See note 5 £13,238.59 £ 8,270.77 Group payments See note 7 £ 2,496.85 £15,282.37 Minibus LT59RTV £ 1,528.42 £ 1,972.43 Administration See note 6 £ 773.30 £ 3,175.13 Jamboree £13,350.00 £ 6,168.49 ## **TOTAL PAYMENTS £62,587.16 £65,932.19** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Payments
£35,000
£30,000
£25,000
£20,000
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£0
Capitation Events Groups Minibus Admin Jamboree
2022 2023
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**20** ## **Moreton Hall** A review of our finances would not be complete without reference to this freehold site particularly as it is a drain on our resources. The site was donated to the Scout movement by the then headmaster of Kingsfield Prep School - Mr W H Sobey in 1951. Previously in 1946 Bert Moreton started the 21st South West Herts Group on 25th March 1946, the building there being named after him. The 15th Bushey & Oxhey Scout Group was formed on 22nd August 1980 by combining two Groups that met there. Sadly, the Group closed in 2019 since when the site has been left idle and ownership reverted to the District. It comprises land of approximately 100 metres by 50 metres with a Scout building, garage, store and garden shed on it. There are a lot of contents which **Barry Hulin** is slowly sorting out during his weekly visits to comply with the insurance condition for same. We are insuring the property at an annual cost of £1,398.95. The main building is in poor condition with Acrow props holding up one wall & roof which is also leaking. There was a burst pipe when the stop tap failed and has been temporarily fixed so we only have one operational toilet although the water is normally turned off. The electrics have not been checked and no asbestos survey carried out although the use of such material is unlikely. The site is overgrown and the garage is full of a kitchen which was intended for this site but is allegedly in poor condition. This has not been seen because of the undergrowth in front of the garage it is housed in. We have not been able to find leaders to operate a new group here and we do not have the funds to renovate the buildings or site. We have started the process of disposing of the site and have engaged the services of David Parry of AD Practice Ltd who is a scouter himself and has been used successfully elsewhere in the District so came highly recommended. **21** He is also discounting his usual fees. He tells us that the site is situated in the Watford Borough council area and is bounded by a stream putting this in Flood Zone 2 although the Environment Agency does not show any flood risk. Development of the site could have some difficulties because: 1. the rear of the site & edge of the footpath is allocated as ‘open space & green infrastructure’ 2. the access drive has a pinch point which could reduce the number of properties allowed to be built 3. high voltage wires laid over the site which could reduce the height of buildings &/or attractiveness for residential development 4. sight lines when leaving the driveway **David’s** advice which we have accepted is to engage the Borough Council at an early stage by way of a pre-app consultation. This went ahead but the Council have insisted on engaging a number of consultants which will be costly so we may have to consider a joint development. The deeds are held by **The Scout Association Trust Corporation** which have recently been obtained so we are planning on a further meeting with **Dave Parry** to decide the best way forward given the deterioration of the site and the costs of maintaining it. In recent times we have had to spend £2,400 on tree maintenance due to approaches from neighbouring houses. **22** ## **Independent Examination** As a local Scout District, we are an unincorporated body and as such there are no legal requirements regarding format and auditing of accounts. On advice from the HQ who would have drawn on the legislation for limited companies and charities we have prepared this receipt & payments account based on the guidelines they have recommended. Whilst it is not necessary for the accounts to be audited, we have also adopted the recommendation that these accounts be independently examined which involves the following procedures: 1. comparison of these accounts with the accounting records; 2. inspection of all accounting records for material errors; 3. analytical review of the accounts to identify problems; 4. review of accounting policies, material assumptions & judgements; and the examiner has also obtained an understanding of our activities & accounting systems, the nature of our assets, liabilities, income & expenditure to be able to plan this work properly. Signed:..................................................Dated:………………………… ## **Valerie Collins** **23** ## **District Volunteer Lead/ DC Report: Chris Turnbull** Whilst this report covers January to December 2023, I only took the role of District Commissioner in June 2023, prior to that we had an interim DC appointed by County I was just in role at the AGM last year, and maybe even I did not quite know the challenges that lay ahead, at The AGM we went from a District Executive to a small Trustee Board. Barry agreed to be District Treasurer, and Brian agreed to be secretary. Following the meeting we co-opted Sam into the role of chair and Jack into a safeguarding role, you will be aware we are still looking for parent representative and a Property portfolio person on the trustee board to help us to keep our eyes on the young people and support our properties respectively. I have spent some time with both new Group Scout Leaders and New Trustee Boards, trying to ensure we have a firm basis on which to build I am pleased to say as of this AGM we have GSL’s at all but one group, and Group chairs at all but 2 groups this has taken a lot of effort and there is now some distance to go with training as some do not have a scouting background. This is crucial especially in a time of change we should never underestimate the impact that a District and Group with sound administration makes to front line scouting. So where are we with front line scouting? Whilst leaders are still scarce and our waiting lists far longer than we would like we have welcomed some new faces, some faces have/ are moved/ moving on to other roles in scouting and we have said goodbye / are saying **24** goodbye to a few faces at the end of this term. Currently all groups have Beavers Cubs and Scouts meeting, 4 groups have Squirrel Dreys we have 2 Explorer units and there is a sniff of a network section. We must not be complacent, after the summer we will have 3 Cub packs without their own leadership team which we need to address, we will have one troop under new leadership, another Squirrel drey and another troop, As leaders we ( I count myself in here) must continue to talk to people about scouting at every opportunity, the news just last week talked about the number of young people unable to join because we don’t have the leaders to be able to offer them scouting. Whilst we must continue to drive scouting forward an AGM is a time to look back, the young people who went to Korea did not have the jamboree they expected but because the UK contingent leaders along with UK headquarters made decisions fast it seems from talking to people, they still had the trip of a lifetime. We have had a number of Queens and Kings scouts (depending on their completion dates) as well as a number of Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards. We should be proud of these young people all of Whom are still involved in scouting in some capacity. Since the last AGM we have also awarded: - 7 Acorn Awards - 40 Bronze Chief scouts - 19 Silver Chief scouts Award - 1 Gold Chief scouts award **25** We should be proud of the recipients as well as our leaders for ensuring these were completed. I am pleased to see some district events starting to happen again thank you to all who have stepped up to organise them. SO now we must look forward – there are more district events to be held this year. 2025 sees, explorers and scouts off to Lochearnhead Scout Station, we are just starting to plan this trip we have a number of new faces in the leadership team as well as some who are clocking up double figures for trips to the station whether for district trips, County Trips or maintenance weeks. 2025 also sees a group from Network off to gain their explorer Belt and a leader and explorer off to Madagascar (no it’s not like the film) with Hertfordshire County. Thank you to everyone who makes Watford South Scouts what it is, we need to further develop the District Team, and the groups to get the Kids off the waiting lists and into scouting And of course, for those between 14 and 18 at the end of July 2027 there will be a Jamboree in Poland we would expect to run selection in the spring / Summer of 2026. **26** ## **District Chair’s Report: Sam Shepherd** This first year as District Chair within the new volunteering structure has certainly been a learning curve. As has the overall role so far, since I do not come from a Scouting background. Far from seeing this as a barrier, however, I have enjoyed learning new things every day and using the transferable skills that I have brought to the role from a long events management career. For the past few months, safety has been at the forefront of my mind. It would be remiss to say that the Great Orme inquest has not impacted this. However, it has not been the sole driver behind the scouting premises risk assessment survey and support initiative that I’ve been gradually introducing. Having a properly risk assessed hut, or rented venue, where you can hold meetings helps to form the foundation for safe scouting. If your group does not currently have a premises risk assessment in place, or the one that you have is very out of date, please do not be afraid to contact me on sshepherd7989@gmail.com. I can help you with an initial risk assessment, so that things are easier to maintain going forwards. Of course, it is easier to keep track of risk assessments and maintain your scouting premises if you have a full trustee board in place for your group. I have had the pleasure of assisting with this by engaging with prospective volunteers over the past few months. **27** However, there is a lot more that I’d like to do in this area. My plan over the next six months, should I be re-elected, is to work with those of you who need to change your executive committee to a trustee board, or recruit new trustees to ensure that you are properly set up for the future. It has been an honour to serve as Chair for the past year and I am grateful to my fellow trustees for their support while I have been finding my feet. Now that I have, I hope to be able to work with more of you in the future to enable you to do what you do best – giving young people invaluable life skills and experiences. **28** ## **District Youth Commissioner’s Report: Neo Moise** As a relatively new District Youth Lead (DYL), I do not have much to report yet. However, since taking on the role in October, I have had the opportunity to get involved in lots of District events. In October, I supported Peak assault and witnessed the enthusiasm of two Apollo Explorer teams. I also attended Green Beret, where I saw Scout sections from our district having a great time despite the challenging conditions. During the event, I assisted Lees wood with managing the assault course, and in the evening, I worked with County Youth Lead (Kaighley Malon) to gather feedback from the youth. As DYL, my main aim is to support volunteers in putting the views and ideas of young people at the heart of their section's program. Specifically, I plan to focus on: - Promoting participation in the You Shape award and top awards. - Inspiring and motivating young people in the district to know about all the different opportunities available to them in Scouts, including what they can do when they turn 18. - Influencing decisions made in the district as a District Trustee Board member, ensuring that young people are at the heart of decisions. **29** ## **District Contacts** |Name|Role| |---|---| |Sam Shepherd
sshepherd7989@gmail.com|**Chairman**| |Christine Turnbull
christinescoutsws@gmail.com|**District Commissioner**
**District Volunteer Lead**| |Brian Alan Fox
foxba@btinternet.com|**Secretary**| |Barry Hulin
barryhulin@btopenworld.com|**Treasurer**| |Neo Moise
neomoise@hotmail.co.uk|**District Youth**
**Commissioner**| |Jack Jarman
Jarman.scouting@gmail.com|**Safeguarding Trustee**| |Caroline Jarman
socialmedia@watfordsouthscouts.org.uk|**PR & Media**| |Vacant|**Parent Representative**| |Vacant|**Property & Portfolio**| **30** ## **Stay in Touch** Web: https://www.watfordsouthscouts.org.uk/ Facebook: Watford South Scouts Instagram @Watfordsouthscouts Twitter: @Watsthscouts If you have any pictures of scouting events that can be posted on social media or included in newsletters, please email them to: socialmedia@watfordsouthscouts.org.uk. Please ensure you have correct permissions of all young people in the pictures. **31** **----- Start of picture text -----**
#SkillsForLife 27
Watford South
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