29th South West Leeds Scout Group(St Margarets)

Welcome Pack

What is Scouting?

With an international membership of over 28 million in 216countries and over half a million in the UK alone, Scouting is thelargest voluntary organisation for boys and girls in the world. Youare about to join an amazing movement, sharing experiences andactivities with Scouts across the planet.

This is all the more impressive considering that it all began with just 20 boys over 100 years agoin 1907, when the founder of Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, ran an experimental camp held duringthe first nine days of August on Brownsea Island in Dorset. The camp was a huge success andScouting has never looked back since.

It has grown and changed many times over the last hundred years but at its core has been thebasic aims of Scouting – to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical,intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members oftheir local, national and international communities.

The aims are achieved through a seamless progression of training, activities and awards coveringeverything young people of any faith or culture do in Scouting from aged 6 to 25 in five age groupscalled Sections:-

Beaver Scouts 6 to 8 years old

Cub Scouts 8 to 10½ years old

Scouts 10½ to 14 years old

Explorer Scouts 14 -18 years old

The Scout Network 18-25 years old

The motto for all five Sections is “Be Prepared”.

The Scout salute The Scout sign

The Scout salute is made with the right hand and only when stood at alert. It is used in Cubs &Scouts as both a greeting and a sign of respect. The three fingers are there to remind you of yourpromise to do your duty to God, Queen and to help other people. The Scout sign is used in all Sections(the whole Scout Group) when someone is being invested, making or renewing their promise.

The History of the 29th S.W. Leeds (St Margaret’s)Although not quite as old as Scouting itself, the 29th Scout Group is over 60 years old and has

been based at St. Margaret’s Church Hall, Newlay Lane since the church was built and opened.

It was originally formed from the 1st S.W. Leeds Group based at St. Peter’s in Bramley, whosenumbers had grown so large that by 1950 there was a desperate need for a new Group to releasesome of the pressure. It was formed as an open, sponsored Group which means that although theGroup is attached to St. Margaret’s Church, its membership is open to young people of all faiths.

Over the next 60 years the 29th would have its ups and downs, but the Group has remainedactive, outdoor and full of excitement and adventure, taking generations of young people out camping,climbing, caving, kayaking and hiking amongst many other activities. In recent years the Group hastaken Scouts to Kenya, Switzerland and skiing in Austria as well as to camps nearer to home atHunters, Greave and Madge Hill. Every Section has a strong voluntary leadership team that helpsto support and develop the young people whilst keeping the Section meetings fun.

The Sections meet at the following times during term time:-

When?

Beaver Scouts Mondays 5.30pm - 6.30pm

Cub Scouts Mondays 6.30pm - 8.00pm

Scouts Mondays 8.00pm - 9.00pm

Explorer Scouts Tuesdays 8.30pm - 9.30pm

Where?

St. Margaret’s Church Hall, Ganners Way, Bramley. LS13 2PF.

Hunters Greave Campsite, Pollard Lane, Bramley. (Scouts & Explorers in the Summer Term)

Who’s who at the 29th?The Scout Group is like a family unit of Scouting and exists to ensure the progressive growth of

young people that join it.

Group Scout Leader (GSL) – Michael Tiffany.

In charge of the Group is the Group Scout Leader, whose role it is to help support the Leadersto put on a great programme for the young people. The GSL has to make every effort to ensure eachSection has the right Leaders in place to provide quality Scouting and that the Section Leaders areall working as a team. The GSL is supported by the leadership team and by the Group Chairman.

Group Chairman – Maggie Bellwood

The Chairman’s role is to manage all the adults involved with the Group and support the Leadersby providing administration, fundraising and a wide range of support that a Group needs. She leadsa Group Executive Committee who are responsible for all property and equipment, raising funds,administration of Group finances, insurance and supporting the Leaders in whatever way they can.The ‘Exec’ is open to all parents/carers to join and meets once a month (except August) on thesecond Wednesday in the month for about an hour (7pm to 8pm). The more the merrier! Maggie issupported by the other officers – a Group Secretary and Treasurer.

Group Secretary – Karen Drewell

The Secretary’s role is to support the administration of the ‘Exec’ and the Group by taking minutes,writing letters and thank-you’s, dealing with correspondence and any other matters of communicationwithin the Group.

Group Treasurer – Heather Taylor

The Treasurer’s role is to administer the finances of the Group. This involves keeping the books,dealing with bills, payments and receipts and preparing a set of accounts for the Annual GeneralMeeting.

Leadership Team

The leadership team, like the ‘Exec’, are all volunteers who give their time freely to support theyoung people. We are always looking to recruit new Leaders and there are several roles that youcould take – Leader, assistant or occasional helper. Please just ask any of the Leaders and they willpoint you in the right direction. A warm welcome, support and training is offered and who knowswhere it will lead you?

Cathy Mill Beaver Scout Leader (Hawkeye)

Heather Taylor Colony Assistant (Bubbles)

Jess Roebuck Young Leader (Mowgli)

Gary Reid Scout Leader

Jackie Reid Assistant Scout Leader

Adam Dutson Assistant Scout Leader

Jade Pryke Assistant Scout Leader

Ashley Hepworth Assistant Scout Leader

Nathan Drewell Troop Assistant

Joe Bellwood Young Leader (Scouts)

Alex Reid Young Leader (Scouts)

Subscriptions and FundraisingSubscriptions are payable at the start of each half-term and are worked out at £2 per week

(Working out between £8 and £16 dependent on the length of the half term). An invoice for thehalf-term will be sent out to every member before the end of the current run. If there are ever anyconcerns with ‘subs’ please have a quiet word with the Section Leader. We try to make sure costdoesn’t prevent any young person being involved in Scouting.

The ‘subs’ are used to pay for support from West Leeds District Scouts and Scout HQ. Thisincludes personal, accident and medical insurance, adult training, resources and subsidised events(e.g. swimming galas etc). Any remaining money is then used to pay for the repair and replacementof equipment, resources and supplies for activities (e.g. crafts, cooking materials etc), badges andsubsidising trips, camps or activities within each Section.

However, this only covers the day to day running of the Sections. Capital expenditure (e.g.camping equipment, storage, games equipment etc) and the rent for use of St. Margaret’s ChurchHall has to come from the Group itself. This is why one of the main roles for the ‘Exec’ is fundraising.The cost of running the Group in any year runs into thousands of pounds and as a charity, this canonly be met through fundraising activities.

Typical fundraising events that need your support are:-

· Bag packs at local supermarkets – usually takes place twice a year for two hours per Section.

· ‘Bags to Scouts’ – twice a year collection of unwanted clothing, bags and shoes.

· Group Bonfire – our annual fundraiser at Hunters Greave.

· Sponsored Events – last year we did a sponsored walk along the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

· Bramley Carnival/Beeston festival – we attend local festivals/carnivals and have a stall to raise funds.

· Scout Shop dividends.

· Gift Aid

· Wades and Stanningley Charities – we can bid for funds from these two local charities.

· Sport Relief – we have obtained funds from ‘national’ charities in the past.

If you have any other good fundraising ideas, activities or events, please share them with theGroup. Similarly, if you have access to fundraising ‘pots’ through work or the community, please letus know and we can try to raise funds for the whole Group.

Gift AidThe main source of fundraising remains the easiest one for you. The annual ‘subs’ for each

member of the Group works out at £80 and we can recover tax on this money through a schemecalled Gift Aid.

By completing the Gift Aid Declaration form at the back of this pack, any payments you make canbe reclaimed from the Inland Revenue as we are a charitable youth organisation. Providing someonein your family is paying income tax or capital gains tax we can reclaim on the payments (currently28p in each £). For each member we can claim back £22.40.

Across a Group of 60 members this brings in nearly £1500 for simply filling in a form. You cancancel this arrangement at any time by contacting the Group.

Child ProtectionScouting takes the safeguarding of all members very seriously and we have procedures in place

to ensure the safety of our young people and adults. All adults who have access to young peoplemust be checked with the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau). Any parents who would like tooccasionally help with Sections can also voluntarily complete an ‘Occasional Helper and CRB’ form.

Please ask any of the Leaders for a copy of this form and we will arrange to support you completingthe details. We like to share many of our Scouting moments and achievements through photographsand video. These photographs are never used outside our Scout Group unless we have sought yourpermission to do so. However, if you would prefer for photographs not to be taken, please completethe relevant section of the membership form. Please be assured that images will only be taken whenappropriate and all images will be treated with respect and sensitivity.

Special Needs and Health InformationEvery member must complete a membership form attached to the back of this pack. If you have

any concerns regarding the health of your child, please enter the relevant details on the form. Thiswill ensure the leaders can support each member fully and safely. Before every camp or activity, youwill be asked to complete a further medical form to ensure that all the details we hold remain up todate and that they are safe and secure on the activity.

Scouting is a fully inclusive movement and we have no bar to any young person wanting to jointhe Group. Please speak with any Leader should you believe any member has a special need (health,learning difficulty, diet etc) and we will do all we can to ensure these needs are catered for.

Data ProtectionAny data we hold about members is covered by the Data Protection Act whether this is on paper

or computer based. The 29th S.W. Leeds Scout Group holds information about every member. Tohelp us to contact you, manage our activities safely and effectively and to comply with the Act weneed to ensure our records are up to date. Each year in January we carry out an annual check ofthe data we hold but during the year it would help us if you could advise of any changes to theinformation you have provided.

Equipment and StoresThe 29th S.W. Leeds Scout Group is lucky to have been able to build up a substantial amount of

equipment and resources over many years. Gary Reid is our Quartermaster and can be contactedabout any issues to do with equipment. We have a number of spare items (boots, kagoules, leggingsetc) that can be used on activities. Similarly, should any family wish to borrow camping equipmentfrom the Group for family use (tents etc) , please contact us and for a small donation and a deposit,we can arrange for this equipment to be rented out.

Sponsorship with the ChurchThe 29th S.W. Leeds Scout Group is sponsored by St. Margaret’s Church and the Bramley

Churches but remains open to all faiths. However, as part of their promise, each member promisesto do their duty to God. In Scouting, this doesn’t involve attending church every week, but once amonth we have a family service from 9.30am to 10.15am at St. Margarets in which all uniformedmembers are welcome to join the service with their family.

Mandy, our Vicar, would love to see you at church for these services. Mandy also regularly involvesherself with Scouting activities and is a keen supporter of the Group and all we do in Scouting.

Annually we hold a St. George’s Day Parade (usually nearest Sunday to 23rd April) where wemarch with all the Groups in West Leeds and attend a service of thanks where we renew our promise.

CommunicationAs a Group we will communicate with you via letter but also increasingly we are using text

messaging and email. To help ensure all of our communication channels to you are open, pleaseensure that details of mobile numbers and email addresses are included on the membership format the back of this pack. Should any of your details change during the year, please let your Leaderknow immediately so that our records can be updated.

Scout Shop and UniformsAt the back of this pack are details of the uniform that Beaver Scouts, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers

need to wear for their meetings. These items can all be bought from our local Scout Shop along withlots of other Scouting materials and gifts.

It is important that everyone at the Group uses the Scout Shop so that it continues to supportScouting in the District but just as importantly, for every pound spent at the Scout Shop we get adividend at the end of the year. This can run into hundreds of pounds of extra fundraising.

By buying uniform from other suppliers, you are taking money out of Scouting and into others’hands and the quality of the uniform is never as good as the official uniform available from the ScoutShop. When you arrive you will be asked which Group and District you belong to. Just say ‘WestLeeds, 29th S.W. Leeds’ and the volunteer shop assistant and the till will do all the work of workingout the Group dividend.

West Leeds Scout ShopThe Lanes, Lowtown, Pudsey LS28 7AQ

Our friendly and experienced staff are waiting to serve youin our modern premises, which are well stocked with all

sizes of uniform for all Sections with fitting facilities.

We know that there are other suppliers of uniform but notall their goods are supplied by Scout Shops, and their profits are

not used to promote Scouting. We pay a dividend to all theGroups who purchase uniform and other goods from us.

Buying uniform on line is not recommended as selecting thecorrect size of garment is difficult, but we have the facilities for

trying on uniform items before purchase.

Raise funds for your Group by using West Leeds Scout Shopfor all your uniform and other Scouting needs.

Opening hours: Fridays: 5.30 pm to 7.00 pmSaturdays: 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm

Tel: 0113 255 6922 Email: westleedsscoutshop@sky.comAt other times contact the Manager on 0113 256 2345

The West Leeds Scout Shop isthe only official supplier of uniformfor all Sections in Leeds.

It is based in the District ScoutHeadquarters on The Lanes, offLowtown in Pudsey.

Please ask for a catalogue whichgives details of all the extra itemswhich are available for Beavers,Cubs, Scouts, Explorers andLeaders. Ideal presents for birthdaysand Christmas.

If you have any questions pleasecontact John Coates, Manager,during opening hours on 2556922,or at other times on 2562345.

District Headquarters

Photo need updating

Beaver ScoutsBeaver Scouts wear a turquoise sweatshirt and a Group scarf (necker)

with a maroon woggle to hold it in place. For the bottom half, we only askthat Beaver Scouts do not wear jeans and wear sensible, practical clothing(e.g. jogging bottoms). They have the option of wearing a turquoise polo top(useful in the hot summer months), activity trousers or shorts and a baseballcap. These are available from the Scout Shop but are not compulsory towear at Beaver Scouts.

The Beaver Leaders’ Scouting names are taken from the story ‘Friends of the Forest’. The storyis set in the wilds of Canada, where a family of humans set up home and come across a group ofBeavers – a colony. The Beavers name the humans: Hawkeye, the father, who is the first to spotthe Beavers; Bubbles, the daughter, who makes bubbles as she splashes down the river; Rainbow,the mother, who always wears bright clothes and; Rusty because of the colour of his hair.

The children get to know the Beavers in their lodge (home) and find out how the animals and thehumans have so much in common - living in a family unit, adults looking after the youngsters andall working together in friendship and co-operation to build homes and gather food. By the end ofthe story, two kits (baby beavers) are old enough to swim across the river and, departing from themore realistic aspects of the life, they emerge as wolf cubs. This links with our own Beaver Scouts‘swimming up’ to Cub Scouts.

The concept of Beaver Scouts relies heavily on the natural habits of the beaver animal. Ourcurrent leadership is Hawkeye and Bubbles and also Mowgli (our Young Leader) who began at Cubsand kept the same name when she joined Beavers. Other leaders in our colony have had namesfrom the story such as Keeo – the Beaver who turns silver and gains the power to talk English, TicTac - the squirrel and Malak - a wise, old owl. Beaver Scouts work in groups taken from the storyknown as ‘lodges’ and take part in a simple ceremony at the start and end of every meeting.

During the first few weeks in Beaver Scouts your child will take part in a range of games andactivities that will give them an understanding of Scouting. They will discuss the origins of BeaverScouts and the meaning of the Beaver Scout promise will be explained. After a short while, you willbe invited to attend a simply ceremony of investiture which takes place at the end of the meeting.The new Beaver will make their promise and will be presented with their membership badge, Groupscarf and District/County badges.

Beaver Scout Law & Promise

The Beaver Scout programme and activities are based on six ‘programme zones’ These are:-

Beliefs and attitudes

The zone is at the heart of Scouting and underpins all the other zones. It helps Beaver Scouts tounderstand their Promise and how to put it into practice. This zone will also help them to developtheir sense of right and wrong and help them to respond to the needs of others.

Community

Through this zone Beaver Scouts will find out about the community in which they live and howthey contribute to it. They will also learn about local people, places and facilities.

Fitness

This zone focuses on activities to improve fitness, promote physical health and increaseawareness of personal safety. It should provide Beaver Scouts with the opportunity to participate ina variety of games to improve their co-ordination skills.

Creative

This zone provides opportunities for Beavers to take part in and enjoy different creative activities.Beaver Scouts are at an age where they are starting to learn how to express themselves. They enjoymaking things, creating and developing their talents, skills and interests, and expressing themselvesthrough creative play and activities.

Global

Scouting is proud of its strong international links and presence in over 216 countries. This zonewill help Beaver Scouts to start exploring the similarities and differences between people of differentcultures. This zone helps Beaver Scouts to develop an awareness of both the natural and manmadeworlds.

Outdoor and adventure

Beaver Scouts will be given a chance to enjoy the outdoors and sample different activities whilstlearning some simple scouting skills.

A number of badges are available for the Beaver Scouts to earn in recognition of their progressthrough the Colony. To help you to identify them, these are as follows:-

The Membership badge

This is awarded at the Promise ceremony after a few weeks in Beaver Scouts.It helps the young person to understand the commitment they are making when theymake their promise and become a member of the Scouting Movement. This is thebadge worn by every scout, no matter what age.

The Joining-in Award

This recognises a young person’s participation in the programme. It is awarded atthe end of each full year in Scouting. A young person joining in Beaver Scouts andstaying in Scouting until Explorers can gain a 12 years joining in award.

Challenge Badges

These are awards that challenge young people to use their skills that they have learnt in BeaverScouts. There are six awards – , Creative, Fitness, Friendship, Global, Outdoor and Promise.

Chief Scout’s Bronze Award

This is the top award that a Beaver Scout can achieve and is presented at a special night heldtwice a year somewhere within West Leeds District.

Moving-on Award

This award is given to help ease the transfer of a Beaver Scout to the CubScout Pack and is presented as your child is leaving Beavers or sometimes asthey are starting Cub Scouts.

Activity Badges

Beaver Scouts have the opportunity to achieve twelve different activity badges.

Staged Activity Badges

These six badges are staged across the first four sections (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and ExplorerScouts). A young person can gain whichever badge is appropriate to the level they have reached.

Partnership Awards

These awards are tackled with other Sections in the Group and promote activities within the Groupand across the programmes of each Section. They include- Faith, Environment and InternationalFriendship.

Badge Requirements

Full details of the requirements for all Beaver badges can be found in the Beaver Log Book orthe Little Beaver Badge Book. Both these books and the Beaver Law and Promise cards are availablefrom the Scout Shop.

Position of badges on a Beaver Scout uniform

GroupName Tape

District/CountyBadge

Chief Scout’sBronze Award

PartnershipAwards

ChallengeAwards

Joining-inAwards

MembershipAward

OccasionalBadge

Activity Badgesand Staged

Activity Badges

Cub ScoutsCub Scouts wear a dark green sweatshirt and the Group scarf

(necker) with a coloured woggle to hold it in place that represents their‘six’. They have the option of also wearing a dark green polo shirt, navyactivity trousers or shorts and a baseball cap. Cub Scouts borrow a lot of their organisation from theJungle Book stories by Rudyard Kipling. They meet in a Pack (like a pack of wolves), their Leaderis known as Akela (the leader of the wolves) and other Leaders will take on Jungle Book names likeMowgli, Shere-Kahn and Hathi.

At the beginning of the Pack meeting, Cubs hold a ceremony called a ‘Grand Howl’. At the endof the evening they perform a flag-down ceremony. They are organised into ‘sixes’ with each sixrepresented by a colour and coloured woggle. Ideally each ‘six’ should have six Cubs in it! The leaderof the six is a ‘Sixer’ and he is supported by a ‘Seconder’. These roles are given to Cub Scouts whoshow a lot of maturity, hard work and skills.

During the first few weeks at Cub Scouts, your child will take part in a range of activities that willgive them an understanding of Scouting. They will discuss the origins of Cub Scouts, the meaningof the law and promise and the story of the Jungle Book. After a few weeks you will be invited to asimple ceremony of investiture which takes place at the end of the meeting. The new Cub Scout willmake their promise and will be presented with their Membership badge, Group scarf andGroup/District badges.

Cub Scout Law and Promise

The Cub Scout programme and activities are based on seven ‘programme zones’. These are:-

Beliefs and attitudes

The zone is at the heart of scouting and underpins all the other zones. It helps Cub Scouts tounderstand their Promise and how to put it into practice. This zone will also help them to developtheir sense of right and wrong and help them to respond to the needs of others.

I promise that I will do my best,

to do my duty to God and the Queen,

to help other people andWest Leeds Scout Shop for all your Scouting requirements

The Cub Scout Law

Cub Scouts always do their best,

think of others before themselves

Community

Through this zone Cub Scouts will find out about the community in which they live and how theycontribute to it. They will also learn about local people, places and facilities.

Fitness

This zone focusses on activities to improve fitness, promote physical health and increaseawareness of personal safety. It should provide Cub Scouts with the opportunity to participate in avariety of games to improve their co-ordination skills.

This zone provides opportunities for Cub Scouts to take part in and enjoy different creativeactivities. Cub Scouts are at an age where they are starting to learn how to express themselves.They enjoy making things, creating and developing their talents, skills and interests, and expressingthemselves through creative play and activities.

Global

Scouting is proud of its strong international links and presence in over 216 countries. This zonewill help Cub Scouts to start exploring the similarities and differences between people of differentcultures. This zone helps Beaver Scouts to develop an awareness of both the natural and manmadeworlds.

Outdoor and Adventure

This zone is at the heart of what makes Scouting so special. Cub Scouts will be introduced to theworld of camping and many other outdoor activities and adventurous sports/games. The aim of thiszone is to challenge and inspire young people to appreciate the outdoor world and the many fantasticopportunities it offers.

A number of badges are available for the Cub Scouts to earn in recognition of their progressthrough the Pack. To help you to identify them, these are as follows:-

The Membership badge

This is awarded at the Promise ceremony after a few weeks in Beaver Scouts. Ithelps the young person to understand the commitment they are making when theymake their promise and become a member of the Scouting Movement. This is thebadge worn by every scout, no matter what age.

The Joining-in Award

This recognises a young person’s participation in the programme. It is awarded atthe end of each full year in Scouting. A young person joining in Beaver Scouts andstaying in Scouting until Explorers can gain a 12 years joining in award.

Challenge Badges

These are awards that challenge young people to use their skills that they have learnt in BeaverScouts. There are six awards – , Community, Creative, Fitness, Global, Outdoor, Outdoor Plus andPromise.

Chief Scout’s Silver Award

This is the top award that a Cub Scout can achieve and is presented at a special night held twicea year somewhere within West Leeds District.

Moving-on Award

This award is given to help ease the transfer of a Cub Scout to theScout Troop and is presented as your child is leaving Cubs orsometimes as they are starting Scouts.

Activity Badges

Cub Scouts have the opportunity to achieve 33 different activity badges.

These are some of the most popular:

Staged Activity Badges

These six badges are staged across the first four sections (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and ExplorerScouts). A young person can gain whichever badge is appropriate to the level they have reached.

Partnership Awards

These awards are tackled with other Sections in the Group and promote activities within the Groupand across the programmes of each Section. They include- Faith, Environment and InternationalFriendship.

Badge Requirements

Full details of the requirements for all Cub Scout badges can be found in the Cub Scout Powerpackor the Little Cub Badge Book. Both these books and the Cub Scout Law and Promise cards areavailable from the Scout Shop.

Position of badges on a Cub Scout uniform

Chief Scout’sSilver Award

GroupName Tape

District/CountyBadge

PartnershipAwards

LeadershipStripe

Union Flag

OccasionalBadge

Joining-inAwards

MembershipAward

Activity Badgesand Staged

Activity Badges

Moving-onAward

ChallengeAwards

ScoutsScouts wear a teal green long sleeved shirt or blouse and a group scarf

with a leather woggle. Many Scouts pick up ‘different’ woggles throughouttheir activities and these can be worn around their scarf too. They have theoption to wear blue activity trousers or shorts should they wish.

Unlike Beavers and Cubs, Scout Leaders use their normal first names (e.g. Gary, Jackie, Adam,Jade & Ashley). This is a sign that the young people are growing up within the Group. At the startand end of each meeting Scouts have a simple welcome and flag ceremony and they are groupedin ‘Patrols’ for this ceremony, led by a Patrol Leader (PL) and Assistant Patrol Leader (APL). Togetherthey are known as a Scout Troop.

Scout Law and Promise

During the first few weeks in Scouts your child will take part in a range of games and activitiesthat will give them an understanding of Scouting. They will discuss the origins of Scouts and themeaning of the Scout Law & Promise will be explained. After a short while, you will be invited toattend a simply ceremony of investiture which takes place at the end of the meeting. The new Scoutwill make their promise and will be presented with their membership badge, Group scarf andGroup/District badges over the lowered Scout flag.

Scouts are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and can approach thisindependently. Being outdoors is an important part of Scouts and so we spend a lot of the programmetaking part in activities that teach Scout skills such as camping, hiking, survival, backwoods cookingand pioneering as well as many adventurous activities such as caving, abseiling, kayaking andclimbing. In the Summer term, we leave St. Margaret’s Church Hall and spend several weeks atHunters’ Greave Campsite at the bottom of Pollard Lane, opposite the Abbey Inn. Here we have thefreedom and space to train the Scouts in the ways of the outdoor life.

The Scout programme and activities are based on seven ‘programme zones’. These are:-

Beliefs and attitudes

The zone is at the heart of scouting and underpins all the other zones. It helps Scouts tounderstand their Promise and how to put it into practice. This zone will also help them to developtheir sense of right and wrong and help them to respond to the needs of others.

Community

Through this zone Scouts will find out about the community in which they live and how theycontribute to it. They will also learn about local people, places and facilities.

Fitness

This zone focuses on activities to improve fitness, promote physical health and increaseawareness of personal safety. It should provide Scouts with the opportunity to participate in a varietyof games to improve their co-ordination skills.

West Leeds Scout Shop for all your Scouting requirements

On my honour I promisethat I will do my best to do my duty

to God and to the Queento help other people

and to keep the Scout Law.

Creative

This zone provides opportunities for Scouts to take part in and enjoy different creative activities.Scouts are at an age where they are struggling to understand how to express themselves. This zoneencourages them to enjoy making things, creating and developing their talents, skills and interests,and expressing themselves through creative play and activities.

Global

Scouting is proud of its strong international links and presence in over 216 countries. This zonewill help Scouts to start exploring the similarities and differences between people of different cultures.This zone helps Scouts to develop an awareness of both the natural and manmade worlds.

Outdoor and Adventure

This zone is at the heart of what makes Scouting so special and takes up over a half of theprogramme in Scouts . Scouts will be introduced to the world of camping and many other outdooractivities and adventurous sports/games. The aim of this zone is to challenge and inspire youngpeople to appreciate the outdoor world and the many fantastic opportunities it offers.

A number of badges are available for the Scouts to earn in recognition of their progress throughthe Troop. To help you to identify them, these are as follows:-

The Membership badge

This is awarded at the Promise ceremony after a few weeks in Scouts. It helpsthe young person to understand the commitment they are making when they maketheir promise and become a member of the Scouting Movement. This is the badgeworn by every Scout, no matter what age.

The Joining-in Award

This recognises a young person’s participation in the programme. It is awarded atthe end of each full year in Scouting. A young person joining in Beaver Scouts andstaying in Scouting until Explorers can gain a 12 years joining in award.

Challenge Badges

These are awards that challenge young people to use their skills that they have learnt in BeaverScouts. There are nine awards – Adventure, Community, Creative, Expedition, Fitness, Global,Outdoor, Outdoor Plus and Promise.

Chief Scout’s Silver Award

This is the top award that a Scout can achieve and is presented at a very special night arrangedby Central Yorkshire Scout County.

Moving-on Award

This award is given to help ease the transfer of a Scout to an ExplorerUnit and is presented as your child is leaving Scouts or sometimes as theyare starting Explorer Scouts.

Activity Badges

Cub Scouts have the opportunity to achieve 75 different activity badges.

These are some of the most popular:

Staged Activity Badges

These six badges are staged across the first four sections (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and ExplorerScouts). A young person can gain whichever badge is appropriate to the level they have reached.

Partnership Awards

These awards are tackled with other Sections in the Group and promote activities within the Groupand across the programmes of each Section. They include- Faith, Environment and InternationalFriendship.

Badge Requirements

Full details of the requirements for all Scout badges can be found in the Scout Membership Packor the Little Scout Badge Book. Both these books and the Scout Law and Promise cards are availablefrom the Scout Shop.

Chief Scout’sGold Award

GroupName Tape

District/CountyBadge

PartnershipAwards

LeadershipStripe

Union Flag

ChallengeAwards

OccasionalBadge

Joining-inAwards

MembershipAward

Activity Badgesand Staged

Activity Badges

Moving-onAward

Patrol

Position of badges on a Scout uniform