Message from Group Leader

Post date: Jan 26, 2015 11:48:35 PM

Dear scout parents (and cub parents),

Happy New Year.  2015 will be a great year for our scout group.  Many scouts are looking forward to Showtime and of course we have preparation for Jamboree in January 2016. 

A reminder for Jamboree, your scout is required to

• • be approved to go by your leaders – a formal sign off by me

  • have camped out as a scout for 10 nights, with 4 consecutive nights

  • be able to take direction from patrol and assistant patrol leaders

  • be able to assist in setting up camp, cook and clean up camp for 40 other scouts, and pack up camp

  • have the pioneer badge and cord

5 of our scouts really enjoyed BayJam over the first week of January, and have begun that journey.  A great time had by all, supported by our departing leader Debbie, with one nights assistance from me and two from Simone Brian. What a great experience.

We will do separate fundraising for Jamboree to pay for any leaders who may go and then the balance remaining apportioned across the scouts.  These fundraisings will be nominated as outside of the normal once a term fundraising we now have in place.  The first of these should be phone book deliveries in Feb and March – 9000 books raising a little over $3,000 gross.  Not bad!!  Nicole Cairns will be in contact shortly.  We hope all scout families and even cub families will help.

I attach a program for term 1 and 2.  You will note a number of camps in each term, to ensure we provide the scouts wanting to attend Jamboree the best chance possible. 

Now a necessity.  We need another parent as a leader.  I emailed you all in November around this.  We had a family come forward re being a cub leader which is great, but no scout leaders.  With Eric retiring, Debbie moving and Lucy studying out of town, we are well down.   We will need to work on David to delay his pending retirement around June / July.  We are currently blessed with David and Euan having qualified with their beads, and have Angelica moving through her training modules successfully.  They feel that with the additional effort of Jamboree preparation, there is a definite need for more parent help.  We therefore ask that you consider this commitment.  Please talk to one of the leaders or myself should you wish to learn more about the fulfilling experience of being a leader.  Also note the fees are less than half for your scouts if you are a leader.

We have spoken to a number of you about the possibility of becoming a leader.  I am out of ideas.  Therefore, we have agreed to provide you extra time, and delay the start of scouts until we find at least one more parent to become a leader.  Why not grab another parent and do it together, lightening the load?  If you think one of your mates needs a nudge, let’s work a plan together.  We will therefore be back to you in due course as to when scouts starts.  In the meantime enjoy the remainder of the school holidays.

Thus, although the program is scheduled to start on 5 February, it is delayed until further notice.

Happy to hear of ideas as usual.

Thanks

Yours in scouting.

Ian Sanders