Please take the time to read the information provided below, hopefully this will be useful and help your young person settle into the group, our leaders are always at hand before or after sessions to answer any questions.
sections
There are five Sections in which Scouting takes place:
Beaver Scouts ages 6 – 8
Cub Scouts 8 – 10½
Scouts 10½ – 14
Explorer Scouts 14 – 18
Scout Network 18 – 25
In Scouting, we believe that young people develop most when they are ‘learning by doing’, when they are given responsibility, work in teams, take acceptable risks and think for themselves.
meeting times
All 1st Brookwood groups meet on a Friday. Most meetings happen at the Memorial Hall in Brookwood but some meetings will be outside, the leaders will send an email with details before the session.
Beavers 17.15 to 18.15
Cubs – 18.30 to 20.00
Scouts – 19.30 to 21.00
200 Club
Online Scout Manager
We use a system called Online Scout Manager (OSM) which lets us handle a lot of our administration online including payment of subs https://www.onlinescoutmanager.co.uk/
By visiting the Parents Portal on OSM, you can see the upcoming programme, make payments, find out about badges and, most importantly, keep contact and personal details up to date for your child including any dietary or medical requirements.
You will receive an email with a unique secure link where you can enter all the sign-up information that we need from you. (if you don’t receive an email after your child’s first night let us know – email gslbrookwood@gmail.com)
costs
Beavers subs £40 a term
Cubs subs £45 a term
Scouts subs £45 a term
Uniform is from £15 to £20.
There will be occasional camps and outside activities which will have a cost too. We believe Scouting should be accessible to all and we want everyone to be able to take part in our varied programme. The Group is able to subsidise activities, please speak in confidence to a leader or email gslbrookwood@gmail.com for further information.
communication
Leaders use the details on OSM to email parents before every session. Each section also has a parents whatsapp group which the leaders use to send any information and is also used by parents to ask questions, arrange lift shares etc. Please speak to a leader who will add you to the whatsapp group.
Upcoming programme and events are always displayed on OSM.
Medical and Dietary Information
It is essential that you inform the Section Leader if your son / daughter suffers from any medical condition or if they require any specialist medicines or treatment and add the information to the relevant parts in OSM.
It is also necessary for information to be supplied to the Section Leader about any dietary needs of the member. Please complete the details on OSM if circumstances change.
Uniform
You don’t need to wear uniform for the first few weeks but some young people find it helps them settle in and feel part of the group. Uniform will be required once you are invested, the leaders will let you know when this will be. There are different uniforms for each section, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, all of which can be bought online (https://shop.scouts.org.uk/) or from the uniform shop in Woking.
Who runs the Group?
The Troop is run by trained volunteer leaders and helpers who run the Sections in their spare time.
what is expected from the members?
To enjoy themselves, do the best they can and respect the other members, adults, property and equipment. The Troop members have drawn up a list of basic rules for behaviour and they are attached to this letter.
what is expected from parents?
Give your child positive support in their Scouting. Encourage them to attend activities and meetings, and let us know if they can’t be there.
Please complete the member details on OSM when you receive the link in an email so that we can contact you if we need to, and let us know if anything changes.
Let us know about any additional support that your child may need, and any dietary requirements.
The leaders are all volunteers and appreciate any help that we can get, so if you can help in anyway please speak to a leader.
what is expected from the leaders?
We will provide a varied and interesting programme of activities designed to suit all interests and abilities.
We will let members and their parents know about events by email, OSM and by whatsapp.
We will treat all members equally regardless of their ability, including any of our own children who are members. We firmly believe that Scouting has much to offer young people as they develop and that taking part is more important than being good at something.
Safety & Safeguarding
The welfare of children and young people is our priority and everyone has a duty to report safeguarding concerns directly to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team, in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card)
This makes sure that the team is aware of concerns as soon as possible and can put measures in place to minimise risks to children, young people and adults at risk.
A safeguarding concern could be about:
- A breach of the Yellow Card or Green Card.
- Police or statutory agency involvement regarding a member.
- A welfare concern.
- Suspicions that a child could be at risk of harm.
- You must report concerns as soon as possible (always within 24 hours), whether you are told about them directly or indirectly. If you’re not sure what to do, or you’re not sure if a concern has been reported, contact the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.
The UK HQ Safeguarding team will give advice, support and guidance from the moment you report a concern. If you inform another member about the concern, then both individuals must then report direct to the UK HQ Safeguarding team.
This applies to all concerns, no matter how insignificant they might seem or when they happened or whether they happened inside or outside of Scouts.
You can report by:
Phoning 020 8433 7164 (9am – 5pm weekdays)
Emailing safeguarding@scouts.org.uk
Using the Safeguarding Reporting Form
In an emergency outside the above times, you can contact the Safeguarding Team by calling the Scouts Support Centre on 0345 300 1818.
Parental Permission
It is taken as understood that you give your permission for your child to take part in Scout activities during the normal meeting time.
Your permission is sometimes needed for specific events, camps and activities that may take place at a different place or time, information will be on OSM and will be sent via email.