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2021-03-31-accounts

8th December 2021

Thanet District Scout Council Charity Commission Number 303423

Annual General Meeting

Zoom Video Conference Meeting – Wednesday 8th December 2021 - 7.00pm

Agenda

  1. Welcome by Mrs Ann Wells MBE, President

  2. Approval of the minutes of the AGM held on Thursday 24th March 2021

  3. Annual Report by the District Treasurer and adoption of accounts

  4. District Commissioners report

  5. Approval of the District Commissioner’s nomination of Chairman

  6. Election of District Treasurer

  7. Election of District Secretary

  8. Election of members of the District Scout Council to the District Executive Committee

  9. Approval of District Commissioner’s nominees to serve on the District Executive Committee

  10. Approval of the Independent Examiners

  11. District Chairs report and closing words

Ex-officio members District Chair Heinri Schnetler District Commissioner Richard Horne District Secretary Barbara Graham-Horne District Treasurer Tony Aylward District Youth Commissioner Georgia Elks

Electeted members

Tracey Garnier Catherine Hodges Tamsin Hooker Ken Arnold

Nominated members Andrew Turner Michelle Dennis Terry Pankhurst Carole Pankhurst

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District Chair’s Report

I remind myself of my closing remarks at our previous annual general meeting: “Scouts are resilient, Scouts are determined, Scouts will never give up”. I do not retract nor regret one word of it when I reflect on the past 12 months. Being mindful of the phenomenal efforts of everybody involved in Thanet Scouts, I and the district executive are most appreciative of your hard work.

Undoubtedly, we are still adapting to live with COVID19 and the wide-ranging implications the pandemic has on scouting. I have been fortunate enough to attend a number of group annual general meetings over the past several weeks and most grateful for being invited. This has enabled me to hear first-hand from group leaders and their executives of their sheer determination to continue with scouting under very difficult circumstances.

Personally, one highlight for me was to spend a few hours at the Master at Arms weekend in November, arranged by Ben Churchill and his team. It was lovely to see young people embracing the activities and to see such a committed and supportive team around them. Participating in the activities was hugely enjoyable; however, I will not quit my day job based on my air rifle and archery performance!!

As I am typing this, I am aware that there is an element of uncertainty ahead, particularly with the surfacing of the Omicron variant and what it entails for scouting. We have received guidance from the Chief Commissioner of England, and no doubt, risk assessments will need to be reviewed to ensure groups comply. Again, I wish to thank each and every individual for being proactive and submitting their risk assessments in a timely manner. While paperwork may be laborious at times, now, more than ever, it is vital to ensure we act in accordance with government guidelines.

The role of District Commissioner is no easy task, and I wish to thank Richard for his hard work and commitment. Richard has steered the ship under very difficult circumstances. His devotion, resilience and calm approach have ensured that Thanet Scouts continue to operate at an optimum level, and, of course, I am mindful that Barbara, our secretary, has been a huge support. Thank you both!

Finally, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. Stay safe and be kind to each other.

Heinri Schnetler - District Chair

Disrtict Commissioner’s Report

I hope you’re all safe and well, thank you for venturing IN tonight! for yet another zoom meeting. With the vaccinations being rolled out now I think that we will finally be able to move away from virtual meetings and get back to real meetings…is what I said back in March!

And here we are once again in front of screens! But at least we have had some respite and on the whole are getting to meet up.

Although we continue to live in challenging times, we have enjoyed quite a few months with plenty of Scouting activities taking place face to face and unmasked!

I encourage you to read the reports submitted by the ADC’s and DDC’s which gives a good flavour of the District activities that have been going on. We have seen some of the old favourites returning to the calendar along with a new event in the form of the Master at Arms Competition, which I’m sure will become an old favourite before we know it. So, thank you DDC’s, ADC’s and everyone who gave their time to provide a wealth challenges, adventures and fun for our young people. Not just for the District activities but also for everything else they have been doing for Scouting, much of which goes on away from the public gaze.

Not all, but many of the activities have been held at the campsite this year and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cath and Andy who continue to ensure that it stays in tip top condition

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and open for business.

Going back to March once again, I announced that the District had seen a decrease in membership, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. This was around 25%. However, I also said that we had a good foundation on which to build, and building is what you have been doing! The October headcount demonstrates that we have increased membership by 23% so we are well on our way to recovery, and we are very close to the pre COVID numbers. Please continue to be imaginative, resourceful, creative, resilient, friendly, fun and whatever else you are doing because it is clearly working.

Whilst life hasn’t been as restrictive, it has still been a very challenging year. I couldn’t have done my part without Heinri who, despite being under a great deal of pressure at work in recent months, has somehow found the time to not only provide me with a huge amount of support but to also attend AGM’s and to get out to see what our young people are doing. Things would also have come to a standstill without Barbara who, aside from carrying out the District Secretary role and the Appointments Secretary role, also has to put up with me! So than you both very much indeed.

But most of all, a big thank you TO YOU for everything you have done and your continued support of Scouting in Thanet.

I wish you all a very happy, safe festive season and hope that 2022 is a year to remember but for all the right reasons!

Richard Horne - District Commissioner

District Treasurer’s Report

I am pleased to report that the District continues to be in a healthy financial state. This is encouraging as it will enable us to support the development of Scouting in the District as we move forward.

Covid had a major impact on Scouting over the year. We successfully applied for the government grant for organisations affected by Covid. The income has been split between General Fund and Campsite so as to remove any loss for the campsite for this year.

In the past the cost of insurance has been split on a 60:40 basis between General Fund and Campsite. The Executive has reconsidered this and, since it is only the campsite that needs insurance cover, decided that it should be charged in full to the campsite.

We pay for electricity at the campsite on a monthly budget account. Last year we had to pay a top up to meet the costs, this year we had overpaid so received a refund.

The EuroJam camp in Poland was cancelled and payments from participants refunded in full. There was however a considerable amount of fundraising money which has been retained by the District in the International Fund. This money will be ring-fenced for the individuals who had planned to attend the event until August 2023 or their 18th birthday, whichever is the sooner.

When considering the annual District subscription, the Executive considered the inancial position of the District and the impact Covid had on Groups collecting subscriptions and so decided not to charge for 2021.

Once again we are indebted to Andrew Cannon of Spurling Cannon for examining these accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charity Commission, without charge.

Tony Aylward - District Treasurer

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Explorer Section Report

This year has been a mixed bag and one of lots of adaption and change. From starting the year online, we have returned to a full face to face programme even squeezing in a camp and expeditions.

We have seen issues with adult leader numbers over the last year as several of our leaders work for front line services and have had to take a back seat. However, we see ourselves in growth again with Sasha McCollum able to return to volunteering as our District Explorer Leader for Young Leaders and a new District Explorer Scout Commissioner joining our team in January plus a new ASL and several AESL taking up roles – A huge thank you goes out to all the adults involved in making Explorers happen every week and to those section leaders/GSLs who offer a Young Leader placement to our Explorers too. We hope to be back to D of E at full strength in 2022 but this will be delivered in unit based smaller groups as opposed to a central provision.

Vikings and Dragons are now meeting weekly in their new home at St Mark’s Church on Pysons Road. They have had a strong programme under new section leader Hayden and enjoyed a Survival Camp back in October with members completing their Survival Activity badge that they had worked for across last winter while online. Several members completed their Chief Scout awards or are close to completion. Having recently said goodbye to several members turning 18, the unit is keen to welcome new members and meets on a Tuesday from 19.30 to 21.00.

Phoenix have had a strong year with a summer camp and a night away in October, along with several members completing Chief Scout awards. We sincerely thank the District’s Sea Scout units for their partnership working to allow us to have fantastic season on the water in 2021 with lots of opportunities to try new things.

Spitfire continue to offer a great programme meeting on a Thursday at 1st Birchington HQ. It was great to see their Mircolighting adventure in the summer and they have been making connections to return to their air scout roots. Spitfire also have capacity for new members and welcome any Scouts who would like to link.

Young leaders have met several times for training modules and hope that the County based training will resume in 2022.

So far, we have a party of 38 young people signed up for KIJ with a good mixture of all the units attending. Shortly after that, Thanet Explorers will be represented in the team going on Kent Scout’s African Adventure and we look forward to our journey over the coming months selecting the six Thanet participants for the 2023 World Scout Jamboree with our selection weekend on 4/5th February 2022.

Catherine Hodges - DDC

Beaver Section Report

So we are here again with another year passing – and what have we done.

We started the year back in lockdown and again our leaders were busy with zoom meetings, providing material for programmes via FaceBook and email as well as incorporating socially distanced drop offs if the children were in their walking range.

Once we were set “free” after Easter we again held the Easter Colouring Competition, with a good amount of entries. Some groups went back to face to face meetings, with the rest still continuing via Zoom etc. The lifting of all restrictions has seen a steady increase in more groups meeting back and starting to incorporate sleepovers and day trips to their programmes.

The District Hike this year was joint with the Cub Section in September and we had a nice ramble around Birchington. This had followed the Sports Day in July which was affected by rain on the first day but was able to continue on the Sunday. The handicraft Competition recently held was

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a little disappointing in individual pieces but again we had a nice array of Colony collages. Well done to the winners.

Thank you to all the Beaver Leaders, Assistants and helpers for all their dedication, hard work and time they have given, and your tenacity in the challenging times to adapt and rise to the occasion and continue providing Scouting to our Young People.

Our thanks also go to the District Activities Team for the assistance in running some of the events.

Finally, We want to congratulate the Beavers who have managed to gain their Chief Scout Bronze Awards, and to any leaders who have received their Wood Beads or long service awards.

Teresa Johns & Zena Mays - ADC Beavers

Cub Section Report

Since the last AGM, and the announcement of getting back to face-to-face Scouting safely enabled packs to meet outdoors initially, which was welcomed by many of our packs, offering exciting with more practical Scouting. This was reviewed over the months finally moving to ‘green’ allowing us to Scout in a safe environment. Earlier in the year, some packs held day-camps, providing camp activities without the camping, having to go home to sleep and back the following morning. As time has progressed some packs have been able to offer Nights Away experiences.

The Cub packs took part in the virtual ‘The Big Night Out In’ offering varied activities during the weekend, including the re-run of the Mayhem Campfire led by Malcolm, which touched many hearts.

Cubs have participated in the Easter colouring competition and more recently the Handicraft competition, disappointing that there were only 3 entries in the pack collage, but all were fantastic.

Cubs joined the Beavers for the Hike this year around Minnis Bay and Pudding Island, all had a great time; so much so we will offer a joint event again in 2022.

With the continued support of leaders, Cubs have earned badges and challenges; many congratulations to those who have attained the Chief Scout Silver award. Well done to our leaders who have received their long service awards or wood badge, keep up the good work!

I am hopeful that we will be back on track to offer a full programme of events during 2022; with assistance from the Activities Team and Scout Active Support. My thanks go to Ben, Zena and Teresa who have worked with me to ensure that events can go-ahead and also Julie & Carole who continue to assist the District Cub Section.

Cath Kirkpatrick - DDC

Scout Section Report

I am pleased to let you know since my last report in March 2021, the District team have managed to arrange and run a few District wide events for the Scouts to take part in so that the Scouts can start getting back to normal.

We have re-introduced a 5 aside football competition, which was hosted by Margate Football Club, and which will be returning next year.

We ran a shortened version of the Adutt, this included lots of team focused activities for the Scouts to participate in, as we did not feel the Scouts would have the necessary skills to complete the full Adutt, and we were able to incorporate the annual First Aid and Pioneering competitions

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into the same weekend event.

We then introduced a new event, The Master At Arms Competition, which saw 49 Scouts from across the district compete against each other in individual disciplines to secure the title of Master at Arms. This event was well attended and enjoyed by the participants, so this will again be returning next year, but earlier in the year and we will look to run this as an overnight event for the participants.

The Fishing competition also made it back on to the calendar this year, which was great.

There will be a lot to look forward to next year, with all of our District events going back into the calendar, as well as KIJ 2022 and preparations for the WSJ 2023!

The events this year have been a great opportunity to meet a lot of the Scouts from across the District, and I was also lucky enough to get invited along to a few camps in the summer and meet some more of the Scouts, which was great.

Obviously as scout leaders, we are here for the young people, to help them develop with their skills for life and to help them become outstanding citizens, but this is not possible without the input of their leaders, and this year I was truly lucky to present some of our amazing leaders with Long Service Awards – 5, 10, 15, 25 and even 30 years - showing how committed and inspirational they are.

Leaders - thank you so much for everything that you are doing, even when things are difficult, your scouts, their parents, the wider communities and myself and the District team really do appreciate what you are doing.

Other thank you’s go to: The District Team and Activities for their continued support The District Exec for all of the work they do in the background Cath and the ADC team Andy Turner for all of his help at the campsite and with the rifle range And many others

I hope you all have a well earned break over the festive period and I look forward to getting back out to visiting more of you in the new year.

Ben Churchill - ADC Scouts

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Income General Account General Reserve Campsite Campsite Reserve Fund Transfers 202012021 61468.64 0.00 10974.70 0.00 4055.54 Notes 201912020 74,290.10 0.00 18,716.44 10,000.00 62.55 Total 76,498.88 103,069.09 Balance Brought Forward CAF Account Savings Account 1 Savings Account 2 Fixed Rate Account Cash 3,271.32 16,003.86 31,332.28 66,000.00 1,667.93 16,042.35 10,324.63 22,567.41 66,000.00 156.08 194.774.27 218.1S9.56 Expenditure General Account General Reserve Carnpsile Campsite Reserve Uniform Fund Endowment funds 53866.67 0.00 8990.41 0.00 0.00 0.00 62857.08 77,662.38 0.00 20,928.59 0.00 0.00 1293.20 99 884.17 Bal•nco Carriod Forword CAF Account Savings Account 1 Savlngs Account 2 Fixed Rate Account Cash Ad"ustment 14250.95 26016.18 21345.70 66000.00 4268.36 36.00 194,774.27 3,271.32 16,003.86 31,332.28 66,000.00 1,667.93 218,1S9.56 Page 8

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Campsite Income Climbing Wall Axe throwing Fees Electricity Water ProiectslEquipment Popcorn machine hire Zorb Hire Badge Sales Wayleave Covid Grant Misc. Total 202012021 Notes 201912020 141 00 0.00 0.00 537.50 637.59 50.57 0.00 0.00 0.00 000 74.08 9674.96 0.00 10974.70 4,894.45 138.00 307.91 0.00 40.00 0.00 80.00 74.08 0.00 13.000.00 18.716.44 Balance Brought Forward Campsite Climbing Wall -1984.29 1671.67 316.10 1,583.43 Total 10662.08 20,615.97 Exponditure Climbing wall Rates Electri¢ty Water Admin costs Maintenance Projects Insurance Badges Transfer lo Reserve Equipment Misc. Totsl 0.00 0.00 11 $7.00 448.29 0.00 2074.08 1102.72 2685.51 52.76 0.00 1,489.74 2,667.49 61.00 781.29 2,700.00 1,565.86 277.14 10,000.00 &44.40 488.91 20,928.59 764.88 757.93 8990.41 Balance Carried Forward Campsite Climblng Wall -1,984.29 1,671.67 1671.67 Total 10662.08 20615.97 Page 10

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Llabilltles 202012021 201912020 General Account Campsite Cllmblng Wall Unlforn) Fund Endowment Funds General Reserye Campsite Reserve Ad ustment Total Assets 84525.24 0.00 1671.67 348.03 19360.15 11500.00 14500.00 -23.90 131881.19 86,923.27 -1,984.29 1,67167 348.03 15,304.61 11,500.00 4,500.00 12.10 118,275.39 CAF Account ReseNes Designated and Restricted Funds Fixed Rate Ac¢ount Cash Total 14250.95 26016.18 3,271.32 16,003.86 21345.70 66000.00 4268.36 131881.19 31,332.28 66,000.00 1,667.93 118,275.39 Page 12

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Martin Dias Memorial Fund 202012021 201912020 7.24 3,315.58 3,322.82 Income from Savings Account 2 Balance Brou hl forward Total 1.55 3322.82 3324.37 Exp¢ndlturè Totsl Balance Carried Forward 0.00 3324.37 0.00 3,322.82 Total 3324.37 3 322.82 The original investment is represented by a 11.57¥• share of Investment Account Dunbar Legacy Account Income from Saving5 Account 2 Transfer from General Fund Balance Brou ht forward Total 2.25 10.50 0.00 3,410.92 3,421.42 3421.42 3423.67 Expenditure 0.00 o.oo Total Balance Carried forward 0.00 3423.67 0.00 3,421.42 Total 3423.67 3,421.42 The original investment Is fepresented by a 16.800A share of Investment A¢counl 2 CT9 Scouts 202012021 201912020 Income from Savings Account2 Balance Brought forward 0.00 4738.97 0.00 6,032.17 Total 4738.97 6.032.17 Expenditur• 0.00 1.293.20 Total 0.00 1293.20 Balance ca￿led forward 4738.97 4,738.97 Total 4738.97 4.738.97 Page 14

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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Report to the trustee51 members of lALi￿4 Iis4..k g, On accounts for the year ended 31"M.-L 2 Charity no (if any) 303lki3 Set out on pages report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('%he Trust") for the year ended Responsibilities and As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of basis of report the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 201 l Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Page 16

Independent examiner's Statement I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect,. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act. or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the forn] and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: ctini? S 1)1s,-1(J_%[Jf Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Page 17

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held via Zoom Video Conference Thursday 24th March 2021 - 7.00pm

Welcome by Mrs Ann Wells MBE, President

Members of the Thanet District Scout Council were welcomed to the meeting by the President, Ann Wells MBE. Ann thanked the large number of people who have supported Scouting in Thanet over the past year and during the COVID pandemic.

Approval of the minutes of the AGM held on 14th October 2019

The minutes were approved using Zoom polling.

Annual Report by the District Treasurer and approval of accounts

Tony Aylward gave his report and presented a copy of the audited accounts. I am pleased to report that the District is in a healthy financial state. This is encouraging as it will enable us to support the development of Scouting in the future.

We received two significant donations during the year. A bequest from Lynn Down’s estate of £10k which has been allocated for development of the campsite. Also, a donation of £3k from the Royal St George’s Golf Club to provide fencing for the rifle range at the campsite. Significant expenditure was incurred because of a water leak in the run up to the campsite which took some time to locate so we had very high-water charges as well as the cost of repair. Income from the Spice investment continues to be low and may well fall even further as interest rates continue to be very low.

There has been a rationalisation of the District bank accounts to better reflect our financial position by putting reserves in to one deposit account and designated and restricted funds in to the other so that the current account accurately reflects the money we have available for the daytoday running of the District.

There are a number of challenges ahead of us, not least caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, but, at this stage, I am confident we are able to deal with them.

Once again, we are indebted to Andrew Cannon of Spurling Cannon for examining these accounts without charge, in accordance with the requirements of the Charity Commission. The accounts were approved.

District Commissioners report

I hope you’re all safe and well, thank you for venturing IN tonight for yet another zoom meeting. With the vaccinations being rolled out now I think that we will finally be able to move away from virtual meetings and get back to real meetings… just not tonight though!

It has certainly been a challenging year in so many ways and I don’t believe that there is anybody who hasn’t been affected by the pandemic in one way or another. For people like myself this has been a period of relatively minor inconvenience and disruption. Having Trump and Boris constantly in the headlines, running out of toilet rolls and not being able to get a haircut! (Although that isn’t something that I’ve been too troubled by!) But we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that for others it has had a much greater and more serious impact and many have lost friends and family.

Although not due to covid, we lost Malcolm earlier this year. Malcolm put his heart and soul into 1st Garlinge, District and Scouting as a whole and he will be greatly missed.

Whilst the current situation continues to dominate our thoughts, I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we are covering the events since our last AGM which was prior to covid.

Between October 2019 and February 2020, NORMAL scouting proceeded with, amongst many other things, the Beaver Splash, Cubs Quiz and Fizz and the District Fishing competition before we were deprived of the ability to meet together.

Undeterred, you adapted and moved to Scouting via post, email and of course, zoom and other virtual methods. And this how we have had to continue, with the exception of the all-too brief

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moments of being able to meet under the socially distanced restrictions.

What has become very clear over the past 12 months is how creative, resourceful and resilient you all are! By not simply giving in, you have ensured that our Young People have been able to continue their adventure, gain badges and achieve awards, right up to the highest level of the Queen’s Scout award.

An awful lot more has been going on, but I shall leave you to read the various reports submitted by the ADC’s and DDC’s.

Regrettably, despite our best efforts, membership has suffered over the past 12 months and the census has shown a decrease of around 25%.

It would be all too easy to concentrate on the negative side, however, so let us instead charge our glass to half full or in this case three quarters full.

We have retained 75% of our membership and this provides a very strong foundation on which to re-build in the coming months as the restrictions are lifted.

I said at the beginning that it has been a challenging year but I couldn’t have done my part without Heinri and the continued support of the Executive Committee, so thank you. Thank you also to the Deputy DC’s, who, in truth work far harder and do far more than I do. Thank you to Cath and Andy for maintaining the Campsite to such a high standard and ensuring that it is COVID compliant and safe to use.

I would also like to thank the Risk Assessment team, Tom, Tim, Nick and Julian for coming to our aid and battling with an extremely difficult and unforgiving system to ensure that face to face scouting could go ahead.

But most of all, a big thank you to you for everything you have done and your continued support of Scouting in Thanet.

Approval of the District Commissioner’s nomination of District Executive Chair.

Richard Horne nominated Heinri Schnetler as Chair of the District Executive, and this was accepted using Zoom polling.

Election of District Treasurer

Tony Aylward was nominated by Aiden McCollum and seconded by Terry Pankhurst. The nomination was accepted using Zoom polling.

Election of District Secretary

Barbara Graham-Horne was nominated by Ann Wells and seconded by Michelle Dennis. The nomination was accepted using Zoom polling.

Election of members of the District Scout Council to the District Executive Committee.

Tracey Garnier Catherine Hodges Tamsin Hooker Ken Arnold

Nominated by Terry Pankhurst and seconded by Benjamin Graham-Horne. The nominations were accepted using Zoom polling.

Approval of District Commissioner’s nominees to serve on the District Executive Committee

Andrew Turner Michelle Dennis Terry Pankhurst Carole Pankhurst

The nominations were accepted using Zoom polling.

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Approval of the Independent Examiners Spurling Canon Ltd. This was approved using Zoom polling.

District Chair’s report and closing words

Being mindful that this will be my first Annual General Meeting since being appointed, I am also being tasked with hosting and chairing the virtual Annual General Meeting for the first time in the group’s history. If I am victorious in this task, I expect to be awarded a scout badge - possibly the “Funny Man Activity Badge”.

I want to start by paying tribute to my predecessor Dr David Diggens. For 10 years, David held the District Chair’s position and impressively supported and directed the executive. David, thank you for your service and the tremendous contributions you have made. In addition, I want to pass on my sincere thanks to Joan Arnold and Jackie Rampall who have both stepped down. Their long service to the District Executive has been inspiration and both will be missed.

I am mindful that many of us may have lost loved ones during the pandemic. As some of you may know, we have lost Malcolm Johns, a valued member of the scouting family who contributed to the organisation in many ways. Malcolm will be sadly missed by everyone, and while I did not have the opportunity to meet him, it is clear that he has left a void in Thanet Scouts.

The coronavirus situation continues to challenge everyone in many ways, and the cancellation of face-to-face scouting at the end of March 2020 was inevitable. However, it has not stopped things from happening, and many leaders, young people and parents, have embraced a new way of scouting. These days, the by-line is ‘Skills For Life’ and putting a hash-tag (#) in front of it when you are on any social media platform will bring up a considerable amount of information about scouting and how it manages to continue right now.

Our St Georges’ Day 2020 was special for many reasons. St George’s day is special in itself as day where we celebrate scouting and renew our promise, but 2020 was also the first on-line scouting activity for many (including me) and managed to attract a large number from the groups to join and share the experience enjoyed by many. So, especially this year, in these extraordinary and unprecedented times we find ourselves in, I wish to give my thanks to the many hours that are offered free by all the leaders, assistants, helpers and parents for the benefit of our District Scouts and Scouting, and especially this year for all the extra work to keep Scouting alive, albeit virtually.

I wish to formally record and acknowledge that thanks to months of robust and exemplary governance, led by the District Commissioner, Secretary and Treasurer, the groups responded professionally and admirably, putting systems and procedures safely in place to protect and preserve all concerned. A colossal task dealt with calmly and coherently in very novel circumstances.

Hopefully, we are coming out of the lockdown we have had for many months, and along with social distancing, it has put significant strain on all the groups/clubs/associations that used to meet regularly. Scouting has continued, with virtual meetings, games and even camps. As we head into a new year as a District Executive Committee, it will be time to take stock of the current situation and assess our plans. I would love to hear your thoughts to help us focus on what will be needed to support Scouting within the District.

I wish you all the very best and can honestly say, Scouts are resilient, Scouts are determined, Scouts will never give up.

The meeting closed at 7.36

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