;

On behalf of the Scout Network Team, may we take this opportunity to wish you and your families a Happy New Year and to take this opportunity to thank you and your Scout Network teams in ensuring that the Scout Network remains positive and continues to develop across the UK!

Certainly from the feedback we have received from you at the recent round of Development, Advice and Support Days, and from various work shops and events we have attended, the list of 'Positives' out weighed the list of 'Negatives' in relation to the section.

This should be taken as a great sense of achievement for all of us and I believe we will see yet another great increase in individual membership for the Scout Network in 2009.

So what Does 2009 bring for Scout Network?

The team have been out during the back end of last year attending the first batch of workshops. It has been great fun meeting many of you and in particular, getting feedback on what is happening in your Region. We are looking forward to meeting the rest of you at your own workshops in the next couple of months.

The Development, Advice and Support days have been held in a number of Regions across England since October '08. Feedback received so far has been extremely positive. If you are an adult supporting sections you will be contacted directly with further details of the forthcoming days.

The dates for the next days are:

North West of England - 08/02/09

Scotland - 13-15/02/09

Wales - 28/03/09

East of England - 29/03/09

Northern Ireland - To be confirmed

For more information on the workshops see:

www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/network/news/rdaas.htm

If you have attended one of the Programme Development, Advice and Support Days and would like any more support please don't hesitate to contact us on programme@scout.org.uk

Please also remember that the presentations are available online for you to use to support Scouting locally.

If you have already attended your Development, Advice and Support day you will have already received your copy of Scout Network Taking the Lead. Taking The Lead has been developed to help promote the active participation of our members in the day to day running of Scout Network' and it will help them to develop lifelong skills.

It is fundamental that Network members are involved in the decision making process and organisation of the Scout Network. For some members of the Scout Network, they may be new to this type of leadership and decision making, so as leaders and commissioners; we have a responsibility to support them in learning the necessary skills.

The resource is divided into four sections and has a number of modules in each section:

1. Being a member of the Scout Network

2. Building skills outside Scout Network

3. Being on the Scout Network committee

4. The Extras

The resource is to help you as leaders and commissioners in supporting your members in building the skills to run really fantastic Scout Networks. How you deliver the modules, or whether you simply use the resource as a starting point is entirely up to you.

Each unit also links with the Adult Training Scheme, and therefore completion of the modules may support the members during their Adult Training or when validating the appropriate module of the training scheme.

We hope that Taking the Lead will help you develop your Scout Network to meet its full potential.

The recourse is now available to all and is free to download from; www.scouts.org.uk/network/resources

The feedback we have received from the resource has been very positive; we have trialled the resource with the North East Region. If you would like the team to assist you in running a course or run one for you - just simply contact the Scout Network team on scout.network@scout.org.uk

A template is now avalible which allows you to print the name, unit and date onto the Chief Scout Award Certificates.

The template can be found at;

www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/network/resources/certs.htm

Do you know Section Leaders or Assistant Section Leaders who need to complete their training for their Wood Badge? If so, the next Section Leaders' Training course may be of interest to them.

When is it? 18th - 24th April 2009

What does it cover? This course gives practical information, advice and support for running your Colony, Pack, Troop or Unit.

You will operate in cross-sectional or sectional groups depending on the nature of the subject. You will be able to try out new ideas and theories and you will return home with a host of new skills that you will be able to directly apply to your role.

The following 14 modules of the Adult Training Scheme are covered: 5-9, 11-19.

How much does it cost? £399 Residential, £255 Camping including all meals

For more information and/or an application form please email adult.support@scout.org.uk, go to www.scouts.org.uk/gilwelltraining or phone 0845 300 1818

The British Red Cross are developing a new strategy for first aid learning for young people and would like to hear the thoughts, ideas and experiences of leaders and young people in Scouting. Your responses will help them to develop their strategy, and may influence the way we work with the British Red Cross to provide first aid learning to young people in Scouting in the future.

There are two questionnaires. Both can be completed online or downloaded to email back to:

adult.support@scout.org.uk

Questionnaire for leaders (aimed at leaders in all Sections)

Complete online by visiting http://q.scouts.org.uk/s/E2jXJ12tV-oFJdf or download

Questionnaire for young people (aimed primarily at Scout, Explorer and Network members)

Complete online by visiting http://q.scouts.org.uk/s/4ZuoQkHmCC8Ln7H or download

The closing date for completion of questionnaires is 13th February 2009

Your Programme, Your Voice is an online survey that is undertaken 3 times a year. It helps the Programme Team to define the challenges, to focus on areas where support is most needed and to bust myths.

It was trialed with the Cub Scout section in February and May 2008, and in November 2008 it was extended to the Beaver Scout and Scout section. This year Your Programme, Your Voice will be extended to both the Explorer Scouts and Scout Network sections.

A representative sample of adults involved in these two sections will be invited to take part in Your Programme, Your Voice nearer the time.

In March, our youth sites will be retired in their current form. In the meantime, consultation and review with volunteers, parents and of course young people is taking place to determine the best sort of provision for our youth members online. If you have thoughts and ideas on this subject, we would be grateful to hear them at web.team@scout.org.uk Basic badge requirements and programme descriptions will still be available at these links:

www.scouts.org.uk/network

The first of our Activity Academies will take place from the 6th - 10th April 2009 at Hawkhirst Scout Activity Centre.

This Academy will be a water based multi activity training and assessment week with the aim to give those attending, the opportunity to develop their activity and leadership skills whilst gaining recognition via Activity Permits and National Governing Body Qualifications. The Academy will also be a suitable experience to use for the Residential section of the Queen's Scout and Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Awards. All members aged 18-25 are eligible to attend no matter what role they hold.

For more information and to apply please visit:

www.scoutbase.org.uk/ps/activities/assessment/activityacademy.htm

Roverway is a European event for 16-22 year olds. It will take place in Iceland between 20th and 28th July this year. The Participant fee is £480 exclusive of air travel. International Service Team fee £350.

The registration deadline for the UK Contingent has been extended for one month until the end of January. Your support is welcomed in raising awareness of this in your area.

If you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact the UK Contingent team at as detailed below. Further information is available on the Contingent web pages:

www.scouts.org.uk/roverway

roverway@scout.org.uk

Telephone: 0208 433 7162

For the latest information from the Activities and Global team at UKHQ, please visit:

www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/enews/activitiesjan09.htm

www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/enews/globaljan09.htm

The Scout Network team will continue to support any local development events you have organised - be this through running a training/development day or weekend programme, delivering specific sessions as required or visiting to answer any questions that you may have.

Please do get in touch with the team via email scout.network@scout.org.uk. If you are not sure what help/support we can offer, we are very happy to discuss your needs.

As our diary is already filling up for 2009 we generally need a few months notice to organise for members of the team to be present.

If you do ever have any questions or comments we are always more than happy to discuss these with you.

Andrew Wellbeloved

UK Commissioner for Programme

Adrian Wray

UK Adviser for Scout Network

Emma Saunders

Programme and Development Adviser