## **1st Whitchurch Scout Group** ## **Annual General Meeting 22nd May 2024** Committee Attendees: Neale Thomas (chair), Rebecca Allsopp, Nick Allsopp, Helen Williams, Alya Lawrence, Siân Widdows, Les Hancock, Huw Jones, Pierre Deamotte. Apologies: None The meeting was well attended. 16 parents and or guardians were in attendance for some or all of the meeting. 1. The chair welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for coming. General plea for help and more volunteers. Big thank you to all the leaders and volunteers who have enabled another successful year. 2. The minutes of the 2023 AGM were approved. 3. The current committee stood down. 4. The Treasurer delivered the report for 2023 and confirmed that the report had been scrutinised by an independent examiner in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission. See Appendix 1 for a full report. Income increased slightly compared to previous year. Gift aid income - need to keep promoting this - plea to those attending AGM to please sign up to Gift aid if a UK taxpayer. Our Scout group is in a fortunate position financially, but there are significant costs to upkeep the building. Spending increased last year due to external cladding work. Hall hirer income is reinvested into maintaining the hall and into the group.Subs have been frozen again this year and Scout group pays capitation costs for all members and subsidises other activities for the troop e.g. trips, support for young leaders and camps. New stoves have been purchased this year. £68, 904 in cash flow. Need to keep 3 years of hall running costs in reserve (approx. £40,000). Plan to get interior of the hall painted this year, gates replaced and some fencing replaced. 5. Review of the Beavers Section was delivered by Helen Williams. 13 Beavers in the colony, tough year for Beavers as Helen is the only leader in uniform. Alya (scout leader) has stepped in lots of times this year to ensure Beaver meetings can still go ahead. Assistant leader is stepping down this summer. Some activities are still constricted by the lack of qualified leaders. Plea for more Beaver leaders or any additional help - this is the priority for the colony to grow and thrive. Lots of activities this year: campfires, smores, railway safety, water fight (lots of fun), agility badge, team building, first overnight camp (since pandemic), space badge, spooky halloween night, Burns night. More young leaders hoping to start in September 2024. 6. Review of the Cubs section was delivered by Nick Allsopp. 21 cubs with strong attendance. 45 badges awarded (according to OSM) and 2 Chief Scout silver awards. Strong position leader wise with 4 fantastic adult leaders and 3 young leaders. One leader is stepping down this year, so looking to recruit another adult leader. Lots of hikes, cooking outdoors, trips including trampoline and climbing. Lots of team building and leadership games, celebrating Diwali, Chinese new year, Halloween etc. No overnight camps in 2023 due to difficulties in coordinating leader availability. 7. Review of the Scouts section was delivered by Alya Lawrence. 24 Scouts with good attendance. 230 badges awarded over the year. 3 Scouts have successfully auditioned for the gang show this year. Lots of activities over the year including an expedition challenge for the older Scouts in Spring 2023 and another expedition planned for July 2024. Six Scouts have achieved their gold Chief Scout awards (two to be awarded at the end of the AGM). 5 camps held throughout the year including a weekend at Silvercross in December. Lots of badgework tied in with camps. Other activities included NSPCC online safety evening, Scouts have written their own code of conduct, cycle ride, night hikes, design of a Scout uniform T-shirt. 8. Leaders General news - No changes to Group Leader for each section. Big thank you to leaders from chair for delivering an exciting programme over the year. 9. Trustee Board - some changes have happened over the last year to the governance of Scout groups. Executive Committees will be renamed Trustee Boards to recognise that group exec. members are trustees. Group constitution will need to be readopted on an annual basis, group constitution is adapted from the model constitution from the Scout Association. AGM attendees voted to accept and readopt the new group constitution for the next year. 10. The 2023 Chair asked for nominations for the position of Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, maintenance coordinator, a parent representative for each area Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. 11. The following were duly nominated and seconded: Neale Thomas - Chair (re-elected) Faye Jones and Michelle Randall - Treasurers Siân Widdows - Secretary (re-elected) Jo Morris - Scout parent representative Sion Price - Cub parent representative Sandra Jakeman - Beaver parent representative Pierre Delamotte Huw Jones (will stand down in autumn 2024) 12. AOB Award of gold Chief Scout awards to two Scouts (1 absent tonight). There is a lot of work involved and both have worked on it at home and in scout meetings. Big thank you and presentation to Becca for all her hard work volunteering for the group as a treasurer and other roles over many years. Appendix I 1ST YdHffCMURCH SCOUT GROUP aThJ is not requir•J lor th* ￿ vnd•rstti*)n 144 of It￿ charl￿ N£t 2011 (the CthantiesActi ar￿ that an ndwdent éxaminabcrti ts r•quirtd. 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