;

"Outdoors '99" - 24 Hour Challenge

Important Notice - Water Safety Fact Sheet

Charity Commission - Revised Forms (England and Wales)

Grants for Young People - Community Action Projects

National Lottery Charities Board - Small Grants Programme

World Moot - Mexico Millennium

Scout Angler Badge - Resource for Leaders

National Lottery Charities Board - Main Grants Programme

Cub Scout TV - National Video Competition

King George VI Fund - Help for Training

Uganda 2000 - Millennium Project

Hawkhirst Highlights - Pre-Millennium Moments

Jamboree 2007 - UK Bound?

US Opportunity - Work Abroad

Scout Travel Packages - Venture Abroad

Old Vehicles - Lose a Logo

Kielder Water - Feel Free to Drop In

Gilwell Park - Brief History

Resource Centre - End of season Sale!

Committee of The Council - Election Results

Committee News

Annual Report:

A new outdoor activity award has been developed for the Scout Section following a recommendation of the National Scout Team based on the successful trial of 1997. The new award "Outdoors '99" will have three different levels: Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Packs will be sent to ACC / AAC(Scouts) at the end of October, for distribution to Troops via ADCs. The award will run from 1 January to 31 December 1999.

One main feature of the award will be a joint challenge issued by the National Commissioners for Cub Scouts and Scouts. "The National Commissioners' 24 Hour Challenge" will be for older Cub Scouts to link with Scout Troops to plan and carry out four outdoor activities in a single 24 hour period. This material will be distributed with the "Outdoors '99 packs" to Scout Troops, and separately to Cub Scout Packs via ACC / AAC (Cub Scouts) and ADCs at the end of October.

Look out for this information coming your way soon.

A serious factual error has been identified in some versions of the Fact Sheet FS120603 dated 05/98 Water Safety (incorporating Life Jackets and Buoyancy Aids). On Page 1, "short term cold water immersion" paragraph 3 line 7 replace the words "carbon monoxide" with "carbon dioxide".

The Commission has started issuing Annual Returns covering financial years ended on or after February 28, 1998, to all registered charities. Only Groups, Districts, Counties and Areas which are registered charities and have an income or expenditure over £10,000 are required by law to complete the Annual Return AR7.

The main change to the previous form (AR6) is that the form now asks only for information that enables the Commission to monitor charities, so that help or advice can be given. Information necessary to keep the charity's entry on the Commission's register up to date will be obtained by means of a separate Database Update form.

A Database Update form will be issued with every Annual Return. Completion is not mandatory but all charities have been asked to complete and return the form so that the charity's entry on the public register can be kept up to date. The form will contain pre-printed extracts from the Commission's database so that only changes need to be shown.

Groups, Districts, Counties and Areas which are registered have ten months from the end of their financial year to complete and send back the return, which should be accompanied by a copy of the annual report and accounts as adopted at the appropriate Annual General Meeting.

Anyone that needs help with any aspect of the Annual Return process can telephone the Commission's accounts and annual return helpline on 0151 703 1515.

Community Service Volunteers and the Millennium Commission have £1.5m to give to young volunteers to establish their own community action projects. Anyone aged between 16 and 25 can apply for an award of up to £10,000 to run a project which lasts between 4 and 12 months.

'Literally anything is possible, from running a community festival to turning disused wasteland into a city oasis - we want young people to give their creativity full reign,' said Maralyn Lewis, CSV's Millennium Awards Manager.

Award winners must recruit students from a local educational establishment to act as their project team. An educational professional must act as a mentor to the project. The money can be invested in many areas of the project. This could include skills-training, materials, conference fees, travel expenses, venue hire or equipment.

CSV will offer advice to applicants. For further details contact Maralyn Lewis on 0171 278 6601.

This programme is now available across the whole country and offers grants of between £500 and £5,000 for organisations with an annual income of less than £15,000. Application Packs are available by telephoning 0345 458 458 (Scotland - 0645 700 777). For more details or advice please phone the Scout Lottery Line on 0171 590 5123.

The 11th World Scout Moot will be taking place between 12 - 23 July 2000 and is open to Members of the Movement aged between 17.5 and 26.5 at the time of the event (i.e. participants must have been born between 1 January 1974 and 31 December 1982).

The Association is planning to send a Contingent. If you are interested please contact Lisa Portman in the International Department on 0171 584 7030 to be put on the mailing list.

The Environment Agency have sponsored the Scout Angler badge in a bid to encourage responsible angling and a wider environmental awareness among young people.

In addition to branding the badge, The Environment Agency are also producing a support resource, aimed at Scout Leaders who wish to receive some guidance in the field of Angling. This resource will cover a wide range of environmental issues, including waterside awareness and safety, fishing techniques, fish biology and the care of fish. It is hoped that all Counties/Areas will receive the resource in early November.

Owing to advice received from The Agency, the requirements of the Scout Angler badge have changed slightly - these changes will appear in the supporting resource and also the Scout Proficiency Badge Handbook in due course.

These are available on line on ScoutBase UK in The Library.

The theme for this round is 'Community Involvement' - Application packs for this round are available by ringing the Charities Board on 0345 919191. There are no closing dates for the request or submission of application forms. Recent discussions with the NLCB have suggested a decline in the quality of Scouting applications. Remember Headquarters is willing to check applications and offer advice on the completion of forms.

'Community Involvement' fact sheets are available free of charge by sending a S.A.E. to the Finance Department at B-P House. For more details or advice please phone the Scout Lottery Line on 0171 590 5123.

A national competition has been launched for all Cub Scout Packs. To enter Packs have to make a 5 minute video in the style of a television broadcast on the theme of water showing activities undertaken and/or information obtained during the Pack's participation in the "Waterwise" activity project. Any Member having access to video equipment or expertise may wish to make them available to their local Pack. Regional winners will be invited to an expenses paid final to give a live performance of their broadcast. The winning Pack will receive an extra special prize.

A leaflet giving full details and entry form has been sent to every Cub Scout Pack via their ACC/AAC(Cub Scouts) and a supporting article appeared in the September issue of SCOUTING Magazine. The closing date for the receipt of entries is 30 November, 1998.

Grants from the King George VI Leadership Training Memorial Fund are made on an annual basis to assist Adult Leadership training. They are also available for the expansion of Scout and Venture Scout training.

Assistance towards the acquisition and erection or repair of buildings does not fall within the scope of this Fund.

Applications for grants usually far exceed the amount available, and in the past few years interest rates have fallen which places limitations to the grants that the Fund can make. Therefore, grant aid from other sources should be explored before application is made to this Fund.

Where the purchasing of equipment is involved, a detailed analysis will be required of the potential use of the equipment.

Claims from those Counties/Areas who have been granted money for the 1998 allocation must be with the Secretary of the Fund by December 31 this year, or their grant will be automatically cancelled.

Completed applications must be submitted by 30 November for the 1999 allocation.

Forms, together with Notes for Guidance, can be obtained from The Secretary of the King George VI Fund, The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Bury Road, Chingford, London E4 7QW. Telephone: 0181 524 5246.

For details of the Uganda 2000 millennium project contact UK-Uganda Network, Hatherly, The Street, Mortimer, West Berkshire RG7 3PB or email uganda@scoutbase.org.uk

The 1999 Hawkhirst Adventure Camp programme is now available - with full list of all canoeing and sailing courses as well as general camping details and equipment hire. To receive a copy send a SAE to Hawkhirst Adventure Camp, Kielder Water, near Hexham NE48 1QZ

In 2007, the Scout Movement will celebrate 100 years of service to young people. As well as celebrating the successes of the past, Scouting will be looking forward to its second century.

The biggest event of the World Scouting calendar is the World Scout Jamboree and the Association wants it to be held in the United Kingdom in 2007. The Centenary World Scout Jamboree will be a milestone event. There could be over 34,000 participants (aged 14 to 18 from 200 countries) and about 6,000 volunteer staff from around the world. There might also be 10,000 visitors each day, during the ten day event.

For the past two years, a working group has been preparing to make a bid to host the Centenary Jamboree in the UK. It will make the bid at the World Scout Conference in Durban, South Africa in July 1999. The bid - which is a bit like the bidding for the Olympics or the World Cup - aims to convince the rest of World Scouting that they too want the 2007 Jamboree to be in the UK too.

A key aspect of the bid will be the proposed site. In conjunction with our professional consultants, Arup, we have looked at a large number of potential sites for the Jamboree, throughout the country. The conclusion is that the best site for the bid is Hylands Park in Chelmsford. A presentation was made to the local authority in September and received overwhelming support. Much more work now has to be done.

Work on a Boy Scouts of America camp next summer and be paid for it! You must be between 18 and 30 and be available for at least 6-8 weeks. For an application form contact Maggie Brady, International Department on 0171 584 7030.

The Scout Association and Venture Abroad have teamed up to bring you Scout Travel Packages Abroad (part of the international key area of Plan 2001).

From just £94 per person three day breaks and week long summer camps are available in Belgium, Switzerland and Northern France. Packages include travel from London to your destination, accommodation in tents or indoors, programme support, camping equipment (if camping) and optional full or half board at some sites.

The travel and accommodation is all arranged for you - It just couldn't be easier to 'go international'! For more information please call Venture Abroad on 0113 256 1444

Recent pictures in a local paper showed New Age travellers who were about to be evicted from the land they have been occupying. They also featured on television. Their vehicles included a coach with the Scout symbol and a Leeds Scout and Guide insignia. It is often possible to see similar vehicles at Tilbury Docks being shipped overseas still covered in their Scout badges. Groups disposing of their vehicles might like to think about removing or painting over such signage.

For Leaders who have not yet visited the area or seen the facilities available - why not take the opportunity to stay with the friendly Hawkhirst team during the weekends of 20 November or 4 December? Two days of fact finding and sight seeing will enable you to plan your future camp or event with the assistance of Centre staff. All accommodation and meals are included for just £15 per person.

Earlier in this edition of Talking Points, mention was made of the UK Scout Association bid to host the World Scout Jamboree in 2007. Members of the 13th Itchen North Scout Group, Hampshire, will be helping to stage the bid at the World Scout Conference in South Africa in July 1999. They are also trying to raise £5,000 for a project to offer Scouting to Street Kids. As part of the support for their project, a new 48 page illustrated booklet has been written offering a brief history and guided tour of Gilwell Park. It provides an excellent introduction to the history of Gilwell Park as a home of Scouting and as a delightful souvenir reminder for previous visitors.

The price is £3.95 including p&p. Cheques should be made payable to 13th Itchen North Scouts. Orders should be sent to PR Publications, PO Box 19412, London E4 9YT. Further details are also available on the 13th Itchen North Scout Group Web Site http://www.hants.org.uk/umuhambo/

Due to the arrival of new stock The Resource Centre must clear its shelves of the old stock. All items must go!

All prices include P&P.

To place your order please contact the Resource Centre at Gilwell Park, Chingford, London, E4 7QW or phone direct on 1818 498 5400.

Following the election results announced at the AGM, and then the immediate meeting of the Committee of the Council, the Committee membership is now :

John Bevan	(Chairman, Committee of the Council)
Derek Capper	(Chairman, Programme & Training sub-Committee)
George Mitchell	(Chairman, Community Development sub-Committee)
Ken Thomson	(Chairman, General Purposes sub-Committee)
Alan Lee	(Chairman, Finance sub-Committee)
Nigel Coopey
Yvonne White
Roger Avenall
Martin Gerrard
Alex Alexander
Sally Yeo
Andrew Wellbeloved

Chief Scout, Treasurer, Chief Commissioners, International Commissioner, Chief Executive

Kate Geddes, Andrew Fry

After consulting widely on delivering more effective support to local Scouting, support from Headquarters will be enhanced during the next 12 months by an enlarged Field Commissioner service, increased use of information technology and the opening of an Information Centre.

Resources are being focused on the centenary celebration in 2007. Plans are well underway in the UK to mark this historic milestone by making a bid to host a World Jamboree.

Our Patron Her Majesty the Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh attended a 'Celebration of Scouting' evening jointly hosted by The World Scout Foundation and The Scout Association. World Scouting was also promoted through a display at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Edinburgh.

Community development work continues in especially in the inner-cities and rural areas. A highlight of the year was when nearly 100 young people from Reading, Southall and Greenford became Members through the Sikh (Fauj) Project.

Scouting turned the world into a global village in October 1997 with the first Jamboree-on-the-Internet, linking the 30 million strong World Scouting Movement in 218 countries. This was at the same time as the 40th Jamboree-on-the-Air.

After consultation The Scout Association decided its membership should be allowed to continue shooting. The Association carried out a survey to assess opinions. 70 % of those who responded favoured the retention.

The first National Child Protection Co-ordinator was appointed in 1997 to work with local Leaders to promote child protection through Scouting.

1997 was a time when Scouting boldly addressed the equal opportunities issue and the Association gave clarity to the issues in Scouting.

The review of Scouting's programme for young people continues. The aim is to provide an enjoyable educational experience for members which is relevant and enriching. Over 700 Members from 24 counties aired their views during a series of interviews.

The Movement is frequently mentioned in the media. It is encouraging to note than less than five per cent of the annual coverage is 'bad' and the remaining 95 per cent is worth millions as free advertising.

Thousands of visitors to London's Tower Bridge were given an insight into the development of the World Scout Movement through a week long exhibition.

The total incoming resources for the year amounted to £10,88 million.

Membership fee income, whilst virtually static, still represents a large proportion of our income.

Investment and other income amounting to £2.59 million includes donations, grants and insurance commissions and has benefited from increased dividends and higher prevailing rates of interest.

Scout Shops Ltd. Turnover for the year ended 31 January 1998 showed a growth of 4.2% over the previous year.

Scout Insurance(Guernsey) Ltd. Our captive insurance company continues to perform consistently and a profit equivalent to last year has been achieved.

Scout Services Ltd., Another excellent year was accomplished by Scout Services Ltd., mainly due to the continuing success of sponsored badges.

Friends of Scouting UK was established to enable former members and current supporters to provide moral support to Scouting and to keep in touch.

Baden-Powell House Hostel lost money, primarily due to the late completion of the refurbishment contract. As the financial year ended, it was starting to turn in positive results. Hawkhirst Adventure Centre achieved one of its best years ever.

The continuing lower claims experience under the member's Personal Accident and Medical Expenses Policy has enabled benefits to be improved once again at no cost to the Association.

A loan scheme has been introduced to assist Counties to purchase a computer and to set up an email address.

The Net Incoming Resources for the Year Ended 31 March 1998 amounted to £940,000, just below last year's £1 million.

The total funds at 31 March, 1998 amounted to £29.5 million. An increase year on year of almost £4 million.

Specialist guidance and advice has continued to be provided on obtaining National Lottery Grants. Scouting and nationwide Scouting has been reasonably successful with its applications.

£216,750 was loaned to assist groups, Districts and Counties to acquire or modernise local Headquarters buildings.

The Association provided £124,903 in grants to assist Scouting at local level.

Subsequent to the end of the Financial Year, the Committee of the Council reaffirmed its policy of co-locating the Headquarters offices at Gilwell Park. The decision on how best to fund this operation has not yet been taken but the Trustees of the Association have adequate funds at their disposal to facilitate this without recourse to outside borrowings.

The Annual Report of the Scout Association is now published on ScoutBase and can be found at http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/annrpt/index.htm