1[st] Shipley Scout Group Scout Regn. No. 17550 Charity No. 305903
2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
NOTICE & AGENDA
and
2020/2021 ANNUAL REPORT
WEDNESDAY 29[TH ] SEPTEMBER 2021
Forward
The Trustees of 1[st] Shipley Scout Group are pleased to present their Annual Report for the year ending 31[st] March 2021. The Annual Report details the activities undertaken by 1[st] Shipley Scout Beavers, Cubs and Scout Sections and the annual accounts that have been independently examined in accordance with the general directions given by the Charities Commission.
Adrian Marshall Group Scout Leader
Peter Sutton Group Chairman
List of Trustees
Ex-Officio: Adrian Marshall GSL
GSL’s nomination: Peter Sutton Group Chairman
1[st] Shipley Scout Group Executive Committee & Trustees Nominated by the GSL:
Lord Lytton – President of 1[st] Shipley Scout Group Peter Sutton – Group Chairman Julian Peters Bob Phillips Jose Phillips
Executive Committee & Trustees elected at the 2020 AGM by the Scout Council:
Paul Cooper – Treasurer Sandra Sutton – Secretary Tim Phillips Sarah Hall Debbie Boyd
Notice & Agenda
The 1[st] Shipley Scout Group is holding its Annual General Meeting at the Scout Group Headquarters, Bakers Lane, Dragons Green, Shipley, on Wednesday 29[th ] September 2021.
Agenda
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Welcome by Peter Sutton – Group Chairman
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Apologies received
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Receive and approve Minutes of last Annual General Meeting
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Matters arising
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Section Leaders’ Reports
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Group Scout Leader & Chairman’s Report
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Treasurer’s Report & Accounts 2020/2021
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Adoption of the Annual Reports and Accounts
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Election of Officers
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AOB
1[st] Shipley Scout Group
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the 1[st] Shipley Scout Group 2020
MEETING WAS HELD OVER ZOOM
Those Present
P. Sutton, J. Peters, S. Alexander, H. Greenwood, K. Cooper, A. Marshall, P. Cooper, M. Woods, C. Sutton, K. Hudson, D. Cannons, S. Sutton
Welcome by P. Sutton.
Apologies received from R. Killner, J. Ingram-Marriott, S. Hall, J. James.
Minutes of the last AGM were agreed, proposed by P. Cooper and seconded by M. Woods.
No matters arising from the previous minutes.
Leaders’ Reports
Beavers
Numbers are good, there is a new Leader, Lee Widdington. A good year was reported with many activities, despite M. Woods being off, including Pen Pal letters and a Jumble Sale which raised funds for the Australian bush fires.
Cubs
K. Cooper reported that there are 18 on the books, Jo and Sue are now helping every week. Many activities have taken place since the Cubs have been back, including archery and a visit to the Fire Station. C. Sutton and L. Moyse have now left the group to run Explorers.
Scouts
D. Cannons reported 18 members at present with more lined up to come. Lots of activities have taken place including raising funds for Horsham Food Bank and a trip to Beaulieu.
Paladin
Paladin has now been running for a year. Numbers have increased, activities have including night hikes and metal detecting. Virtual scouting continued all the way through, including ‘Taskmaster’. Future activities such as pewter casting and tie-dying are planned.
P. Sutton/A. Marshall
Big thank you to the Executive Committee and the Leaders, especially throughout the last few months. Virtual scouting events held since the start of lockdown including celebrating VE Day. Thanks to P. Cooper for obtaining a large grant which made up for no subs and no marquee funds.
New legislation means J. Peters had to stand down, he has not really left and continues to be a great support to the group. He has also been awarded the very high Silver Wolf award. A. Marshall has taken over his position.
P. Cooper
Rates have been refunded and minibus tax and insurance has been reduced. The accounts will be accepted once they have been circulated and if any points are raised, they will be sent to the group.
P. Sutton surrendered the Chair and handed over to A. Marshall. Everyone re-elected on mass.
Heather Greenwood from District spoke to the meeting, she has enjoyed seeing what everyone has been doing and stressed how important it was that we continue to provide for the young people.
A. Marshall thanked everyone for supporting him in his new role. We face a challenging year ahead. Need to get the outside new building finished which will benefit us next year. He also thanked P. Tilley for his help with the work.
J. Peters said that A. Marshall had done very well in his new role and passed on his thanks for his award.
Formal versions of the documents from this meeting will be sent out.
Meeting closed
Beavers Leader’s Report
We started the scouting year in September taking temperatures, hand sanitizing and being outside as much as possible. The Beavers made apple crumble, visited Australia, met a lady who loves cats on zoom, and we walked miles in the mud.
Our new Leader Lee, now known as Sycamore, joined us and enjoyed flower arranging in a pumpkin. The country then went back into lockdown and Jane and Katherine (Cherry) set about making and delivering poppy sewing kits and ‘bats about bats’ activity packs.
We managed one more session before we were locked down again and being scouts we split our group into two to maintain social distancing. The Beavers made chocolate Christmas logs, we had a fun sticky, chocolatey evening. That was it until April 21[st] , St Georges Day, we made flags and celebrated all that is great in Scouting.
The Summer term was full on and back to doing what Beavers do best. We walked in bluebells, sung around the campfire, made junk model boats, sailed the boats in paddling pools and learnt lots about nature.
We had a VERY wet Father’s Day and had to abandon ship after a full house! The Beavers made a fabulous scarecrow for the Shipley scarecrow trail and again sang their hearts out around the campfire.
We have a full colony which is pretty much 50/50 girls and boys. We started the new term on a high by having a much needed and longed for sleepover. We enjoyed a boat trip on the Wey and Arun Canal at Loxwood, the Beavers were a credit to themselves, their families and our group.
Going forward, Jane has taken a break from regular meetings but is helping out in the background. With the support of our Exec team we are in a great place to be scouting. The grounds are amazing, the Beavers are so lucky to have this great place to begin their scouting journey.
Thank you, Lee, Katherine, Jane, Ade and the Exec team, you the parents and the young people who make it so worthwhile.
Cubs Leader’s Report
We currently have around 20 Cubs on the register with some new Beavers joining us this month. The past 12 months have been a challenge with the ongoing Covid situation, however, with the support of our wonderful team here at 1[st] Shipley and of course our parents, we have survived.
We spent a lot of the Winter months outside carving pumpkins, tin can cooking and having campfires as well as making Christmas decorations. We sadly then had a further lockdown imposed, finally getting back together after Easter. Again, we found ourselves outdoors, but we also welcomed Shere Khan (Carol) as a new Leader.
Since Easter the Cubs have enjoyed outdoor games, hiking, cycling and investing lots of Cubs, making scarecrows and learning to use what 3 words to find clues. The end of Summer saw the Cubs enjoying a BBQ at the hut and our thanks go out to Pete Sutton and Julian Peters for being our chefs.
The start of September ’21 has seen the Cubs out litter picking and creating community maps as part of their community challenge badge. Again, I would like to thank Maria Woods and Katherine Hudson for stepping in and helping out whilst some Leaders had a holiday. We have lots more activities planning over the coming months so do please keep checking your emails.
Finally, I think we all share our gratitude to the leadership team and other Leaders who have worked tirelessly to provide for our young people including the amazing Woggle and Compass, outdoor toilet and shower block and not forgetting the fresh coat of paint in the hut.
My last thanks go to my team who are amazingly supportive to me and each other.
Here’s to the next 12 months at 1[st] Shipley.
Scouts Leaders’ Report
First of all I would like to say a big thank you to our new Leaders Glyn, Owain, Jack and John, it’s fantastic to have you join the 1[st] Shipley Scout family. Thank you also to the parents who have supported the scout team through the Covid pandemic. Whatever I have set for the scouts they have supported and met the challenge.
September we got the go ahead to get back to face to face scouting, outside in marquees through rain, sun and snow we had our meetings, using spotlights to shine across the camp field. Making tin can lanterns, internet safety, hikes around the parish and making catapults and campfires to keep us warm.
Back to zoom calls for November and December with the local lockdowns with Kahoot Quizzes, Deal or No Deal games, cooking cheese straws, making bristle bots and making sausages rolls. Many badges ticket off with skills challenge, chef badge, and creative badge.
Christmas celebrated with a good sing song videoing a Christmas carol to raise funds for the group and a MacDonald meal enjoyed by all, always popular MacDonald’s with the scouts.
January gave us time indoors at home to complete compass and map reading skills over zoom, circuit training for healthy living, Spring camp making bird boxes and bird feeders, dens and hikes.
February and March still in lockdown dropping off kits every Sunday evening to all the scouts so they had everything they needed to take part in the meeting on Monday.
We looked at the Scout Artist Badge, the artist Andy Goldsworthy, Mother’s Day cards and jewellery box making, PowerPoints and quizzes on drugs alcohol and no smoking posters. Finishing off the term, with ham and cheese pinwheels, every scout now a king or queen on puff pastry cooking.
April Camp with a Harry Potter theme, learning to cook like a wizard, spells and charm lessons, broomstick flying all in the way you click that camera. The penny hike and seeing what house they were in with the Sorting hat, making butter beer and
learning a new trick or two. Show casing their spells & tricks on the last night of camp and entering into the harry potter quiz.
April was back to face to face scouting, just in time for the good summer weather. Started the term with tent pitching, orienteering, dens in the woods, war hammer painting, Father’s Day chocolate spoons and marshmallow gifts with mug designs. Community badge completed litter picking in the community, finishing the term with a traditional water fight and BBQ.
Let’s see what September and 2022 brings us, thank you again for all your support and dedication to this scout troop.
Paladin Leader’s Report
I am sure it would be easy to focus on the unconventional year we have had and refer to it as an obstacle that has been put in our way and restricted what we are able to do in scouting, but the truth is I think in some ways it has allowed our section to appreciate just what matters when it comes to being part of 1[st] Shipley Explorers.
With Lizzie signed off on official scouting maternity leave, congratulations etc, I was left with the daunting prospect of having to rope in the services of my brother Luke, who very kindly did the necessary training in record time and was able to step in as an Assistant Leader, thank you very much to him.
Even though our weekly sessions were run online, the creativity of our nights would only increase week by week with bank heists and train robberies (online escape rooms), we taught our members to how pick locks and break open safes (by that I mean online word puzzles of course).
With the new temporary team up and running and face to face rules allowing, we were set for an unforgettable Explorers’ extravaganza. Now we were allowed to meet up in person again we thought it only fair to go big and pack our programmes with all kinds of outdoor activities that scouts should give young people the opportunity to experience, from archery with 1[st] St. Leonards to metal detecting at a former WW2 Canadian military base and some of our famous games nights, including Taskmaster (the extended edition) and not to forget our famous camp fire cuisine evenings, they cook a beautiful garlic bread.
Numbers have continued to grow on average around 10 members turn up regularly. What we aim to do is provide a programme that is respectful of their age and growing maturity and give them the respect they deserve in letting everyone decide how their evenings are run and the activities that we take part in as a group. After all Explorers is meant to be a place for the older teenagers to meet where they are allowed to start making their own choices, have fun and learn new skills in an environment with people who value their opinions.
Hopefully in the future we will be able to venture further afield and even go international with mountain climbs and exciting expeditions. We are very pleased to have recently welcomed back Lizzie who will be coming along to as many evenings as she can, it will be great to have her back in the mix. Thanks to everyone for their support and we are very much looking forward to the year ahead - it’s going to be a whopper!
Joint Summary Report from the Group Chairman and Group Scout Leader
As you have heard from the Leaders it’s been an exciting year at 1st Shipley despite the incredible challenges Covid presented us with. It felt sometimes that nothing would ever feel normal again, this was especially true with our young people whose education was put on hold, leading to anxiety and uncertainty in many cases.
Now hopefully with fingers firmly crossed we have returned to something nearing normal and I have had time to reflect on the role scouting has played at 1st Shipley over the last 12 months. The old and well used Scouting phrase ‘Be Prepared’ struck a chord with me because we weren’t prepared, no one was. Having said this however it didn’t take long for the Leaders and Exec to come together to create one of the most memorable and inventive times in this group’s long and distinguished history.
So as the Leaders have said despite everything, they have managed to pull together a truly brilliant scouting programme across all sections. This was not easy given the safety restrictions imposed, but they did it anyway. And it’s at this point I just wanted to make a comment.
I have often said that we are all in the good memory business here at 1st Shipley and boy was there ever a time when good memories were needed more in recent history. I truly believe that for many of our young people the programmes our leaders put together was a reminder of normality and stability, something to hang on to when the world had been turned on its head.
So, in my view a massive thank you needs to go to our wonderful loyal Leaders who continued providing wonderfully inventive activities and memories at a time they were needed most. I don’t think you have comprehended how important your role was and how appreciated you were by our parents and guardians and of course our young people.
While the Leaders were off doing their magic other things were afoot at 1st Shipley. To anyone who has visited HQ over the last 12 months you will have seen lots of exciting work taking place outside. We set ourselves the challenge of creating a truly magical environment for our group and visiting organisations.
Firstly, we have been fortunate enough to have been supported by some incredible organisations and companies who have built us a wonderful new toilet and shower block. This has been incredibly difficult to get traction on given the very unsettled economy and working conditions, but we are nearly there. We have so many people to thank for this that I won’t begin to try, suffice to say there will be an official launch where we will thank everyone in style.
The other notable build in the last year is the incredible Woggle and Compass which is our outside catering and dining facility. This building became the glorious obsession of our very own GSL Ade and Scout Leader Pete. Lots of us helped with this and some of us hindered, but it really was the Ade and Pete show. Thanks so much to everyone involved with this but especially you two Ade and Pete, the Woggle and Compass is amazing!
2021 also saw some very notable awards being bestowed. Julian was presented with the prestigious Silver Wolf award for his outstanding contribution to Scouting. This award is as good as it gets in Scouting and is extremely well deserved, congratulations JP, we are all very proud of you.
Just as Julian’s awards cabinet was starting to groan under the weight of his many trophies, along came another one. Julian, Bob and Jose Phillips then received yet more accolades for their contribution to scouting at The St George’s Day awards ceremony, well done and richly deserved all.
So with the best scouting family in the country and our new supercharged facilities we look to the future with confidence and ambition. We want to really push forward now, we have lots of new and enthusiastic leaders, and lots of the old guard ready to share wisdom and forge ahead. The future is very bright at 1st Shipley very bright indeed.
TREASURERS NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 2020/2021
We have had a good year in terms of grants from HDC for Covid of just under £21k. Carol singing without carol singing we got in £2,300 from friends and supporters of Shipley.
The past year has been a spending year on the outside and we have spent around £12k.
There are still some paying subs by cash can we try and get everyone to pay online as this makes life a lot easier.
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Election of Officers and Executive Committee
The following are willing to re-stand for the following year, all nominated by Adrian Marshall GSL: -
| Group Chairman | Peter Sutton |
|---|---|
| Executive Committee MembersTim Phillips | |
| Jose Phillips | |
| Bob Phillips | |
| Sarah Hall | |
| Sandra Sutton | |
| Debbie Boyd | |
| Paul Cooper |
Scout Council Nominations to the Executive Committee:-
| Position Special Projects Quartermaster |
Nominee Julian Peters Pete Tilley |
Proposed by | Seconded by |
|---|---|---|---|
New Executive members
(To be added during meeting)