AMENDMENT: amended Jan 2006 due to change from Activity Authorisation Schemes to Activity Permit Scheme; Addition of District Scout Network.
The following represents an ideal constitution for a Scout District where the circumstances and the support allow.
There may be situations where it is impractical to implement the constitution in full, such as a District comprising large areas of especially difficult terrain and a small population.
All elected and constitutional bodies of The Scout Association at Headquarters, County, and District should have, as full voting members, at least two young people between the age of 18 and 25 years old.
This policy as a matter of good practice, should also be applied to any ad hoc, short or long term working groups or committees.
The District Scout Council
The District Scout Council is the electoral body which supports Scouting in the District. It is the body to which the District Executive Committee is accountable.
Membership of the District Scout Council is open to:
Commissioners;
Scouters;
Administrators;
Section Assistants;
Skills Instructors;
Advisers;
all Explorer Scouts;
all members of the District Scout Network;
Chairmen of Troop Leadership Forums in the District;
Members and Associate Members of the Movement registered in the Scout District and including Members of District Scout Fellowships;
all parents of Explorer Scouts;
persons elected or reselected annually by the District Scout Council on the recommendation of the District Commissioner and the District Executive Committee;
the County Commissioner and County Chairman are ex officio members of the District Scout Council.
Membership of the District Scout Council ceases upon:
the resignation of the member;
the dissolution of the Council;
the termination of membership by Headquarters following a recommendation by the County Executive Committee.
The District Scout Council must hold an Annual General Meeting within six months of the financial year end to:
approve the Annual Report of the District Executive Committee, including the annual statement of accounts;
approve the District Commissioner's nomination of the District Chairman and nominated members of the District Executive Committee;
elect a District Secretary unless the District Secretary is employed by the District Executive Committee;
elect a District Treasurer;
elect certain members of the District Executive Committee;
elect Group Scouters to represent the District on the County Scout Council;
appoint an auditor or independent examiner or scrutineer as required.
The District Executive Committee
The District Executive Committee exists to support the District Commissioner in meeting the responsibilities of the appointment and to provide support for Scout Groups, Explorer Scout Units and any District Scout Network in the District.
The District Executive Committee consists of:
Ex officio members
The District Chairman;
The District Commissioner;
The District Secretary;
The District Treasurer;
The District Scout Network Leader;
The District Explorer Scout Commissioner.
Nominated members
persons nominated by the District Commissioner.
the nominations must be approved at the District Annual General Meeting.
the nominations must be confirmed or otherwise at the District Annual General Meeting.
persons nominated need not be members of the District Scout Council and their number must not exceed that of the elected members.
Elected members
persons elected at the District Annual General Meeting.
these should normally be four to six in number.
the actual number must be the subject of a resolution by the District Scout Council.
Co-opted members
persons co-opted annually by the District Executive Committee.
the number of co-opted members must not exceed the number of members who may be elected.
Right of Attendance
The County Commissioner and the County Chairman have the right of attendance at meetings of the District Executive Committee.
The District Executive Committee may establish any sub-Committees that it deems necessary. Sub-Committees consist of members nominated by the Committee.
The District Commissioner and the District Chairman will be ex officio members of any sub-Committee of the District Executive Committee.
Any fund raising committee must include at least two members of the District Executive Committee, in addition to the ex officio members. No Section Leader or Assistant Leader should serve on such a fund raising sub-Committee.
A Scout District is an educational charity. Members of the District Executive Committee are the charity trustees of the Scout District.
Only persons aged 18 and over may be full voting members of the District Executive Committee because of their status as charity trustees.
Certain people are disqualified from being charity trustees by virtue of the Charities Acts.
Charity trustees are responsible for complying with all the legislation applicable to charities.
Some Districts may also need to register as a charity. Scout Districts registered as a charity in England and Wales will be required to make an annual return to the Charity Commission (see Rule 13.3).
The District Executive Committee is responsible for:
promoting the development of Scouting in the District and arranging for harmonious co-operation with other organisations;
the raising of funds and the administration of the District's finance and property, including Explorer Scout Units and any District Scout Network;
appointing a District Appointments sub-Committee and a Chairman of such a sub-Committee;
appointing other sub-Committees and their chairmen as the Committee may require;
supervising the administration of Groups, particularly in relation to finance and the trusteeship of property;
attending to District administration, particularly:
matters relating to Leader Warrants;
the appointment of Section Assistants and Skills Instructors, Administrators and Advisers;
registrations, membership of the Movement, appointing an Assistant Secretary as Badge Secretary for the District;
the presentation of an Annual Report and annual statement of accounts to the Annual General Meeting of the District Scout Council.
The District Appointments sub-Committee
The District Appointments sub-Committee is a mandatory sub-Committee of every District Executive Committee.
The District Chairman may be the Chairman of the District Appointments sub-Committee.
The sub-Committee must maintain links with the County Training Manager or the Local Training Manager (depending on the County training structure).
The responsibilities of the Appointments sub-Committee are:
to interview and satisfy themselves as to the suitability of applicants for appointment as Assistant District Commissioners, District Explorer Scout Commissioner, District Scout Network Leader, District Explorer Scout Leader, Explorer Scout Leaders and Assistants, District Scouters; Group Scouters; Section Assistants; Skills Instructors; Group and District Administrators; and those seeking Adventurous Activity Permits who do not hold a Warrant or Appointment elsewhere in the Movement;
to consider applications for changes in appointments in Groups or in the District;
with the District Commissioner, to review appropriate Warrants, Certificates of Appointment and Adventurous Activity Permits;
following the suspension of an adult within the District, to recommend continuation of suspension, re-instatement, or modification or cancellation of appointment;
to support the District Commissioner in the resolution of disagreements.
See also the publication The Appointment of Adults in Scouting.
In addition to the functions listed above, the District Appointments sub-Committee must consider, jointly with the District Commissioner, the report of any conciliator appointed by the Regional or Chief Commissioner.
Any recommendation to cancel or not renew a Leader Warrant or Appointment must be agreed with the District Commissioner and a report submitted to Headquarters.
In the event of agreement not being reached the matter must be considered by the District Executive Committee. If the District Commissioner does not agree with that Committee's decision, the matter must be referred to the County Commissioner, whose decision must be accepted as final by all parties.
The District Executive Committee may appoint an Assistant District Secretary to be the Secretary of the District Appointments sub-Committee.
The District Team Meeting
The District Team, comprising the Explorer Scout Commissioner, all Assistant District Commissioners, District Scout Network Leader, District Scouters and Chairman of District Scout Fellowships, meet as frequently as necessary under the chairmanship of the District Commissioner.
The purpose of the District Team Meeting is to:
review the progress, standards and effectiveness of programmes of Groups and Explorer Scout Units and any District Scout Network in the District;
plan a programme of visits to Scout Groups and Explorer Scout Units and any District Scout Network;
give support and encouragement to Leaders;
plan the support of adults undertaking Adult Training;
plan any programme of District events deemed to be necessary to supplement Scouting in the Groups and Explorer Scout Units and any District Scout Network;
secure the support of the Scout Fellowship in the work of the District;
keep the District Executive Committee advised of the financial requirements of the training programme in the District, including Explorer Scout Units and any District Scout Network;
ensure that there is at least one of each of the Sections catering for mixed membership within its boundaries.
Conduct of Meetings in the Scout District
In meetings of the District Scout Council and the District Executive Committee only the members specified may vote.
Decisions are made by a majority of votes of those present at the meeting. In the event of an equal number of votes being cast on either side in any issue the chairman does not have a casting vote and the matter is taken not to have been carried.
The District Scout Council must make a resolution defining a quorum for meetings of the Council and the District Executive Committee and its sub-Committees.
