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Membership of the Movement - Clarification

Membership Subscription - 1999/2000

SCOUTING Magazine - Drugs Poster Award

Abseiling And Climbing Walls - Insurance

District Commissioners - Please Give Generously

Camping Fees and VAT - Update

National Lottery Charities Board - Main Grants Programme

National Lottery Charities Board - Small Grants Programme

Form WE - Child Protection

Founders Footsteps - Heritage Tour

Sky High - Drop-In

Get Yourself in the Picture - Annual Appeal

Half Price Camping - Northumberland Nights

YHA Membership - Special Offers (England & Wales)

Learn to Sail - Boats Provided!

Millennium Celebrations - Planning Continues

Resource Material - Updates

E-Mail addresses - Headquarters Offices

Committee News

VFYP Election Procedures:

Going For Growth:

Membership Subscription - Exemptions from Payment:

Co-education:

Membership Card Trial:

Co-location of Headquarters offices to Gilwell Park:

Network Pilot Project:

Scout Fellowship Review:

Review of National Volunteer Structures:

Communications and Image Strategy Working Group:

National Adults in Scouting Event:

2007 Celebrations & World Jamboree:

The Committee of the Council has clarified the categories of membership of the Scout Movement. There are two categories - as at present - Members and Associate Members.

Members include all youth Members and adults with warranted appointments. Members make the Promise and pay Membership subscriptions. Additionally adults make a Membership declaration and are subject to Form WE vetting procedures. Associate Members and non-members may opt to become Members.

The following adults must be at least Associate Members: members of the Scout Fellowship, District/County/Area office bearers, and certified Instructors/Helpers/Advisers. Associate Members pay Membership subscriptions, make an Associate Membership declaration and are subject to Form WE vetting procedures. Non-members may opt to become Associate Members.

Note that 'office bearers' only includes the key trustees appointments of Chairmen/Secretaries/Treasurers of District/County/Area Scout Councils. Group 'office bearers' and other members (trustees) of Group/ District/County/Area Executive Committees are encouraged to become at least Associate Members.

Membership Declarations. The Membership and Associate Membership Declarations for adults referred to above will apply from the date at which the new declarations become available.

A new 'Adult Membership Application Form' has been designed which includes the declarations. This is being field tested. A further announcement will be made once the forms become available.

As previously announced in Talking Points, the Annual Subscription for 1999/2000 will be £9.75 with a rebate of 0.35 if payment is received by 23 April, 1999. In a letter to Districts/Counties, David McCarthy, Director of Finance explained that for several years we have been able to contain increases to on or just over the rate of inflation despite falling numbers, through contributions made by other areas. However, evidence from both the High Street and World Stock Markets indicate that we cannot rely on these sources to the same level in the forthcoming financial year. At the same time, despite continuous and vigorous control over Headquarters spending, upwards pressure from all Sections is becoming harder to ignore. Examples include the necessity to create a Health & Safety Officer post to provide vital advice and support both to HQ and the Movement on these matters, whilst the Information Centre will significantly advance the provision of advice to Groups throughout the UK.

SCOUTING Magazine has won the 1998 Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence Media Award for the publication of the "Drugs - What you need to know" poster, supplied with the April 1998 issue.

Scout Campsites and Activity Centres are reminded that the only persons who may use Abseiling or Climbing facilities at their sites, including the tower or wall, are members of the Scout and Guide Movements.

Any Scout authority planning to allow non-members to use their facilities must obtain prior approval from the District or County Commissioner (as appropriate) and must purchase adequate third party insurance cover. Non Scout use is NOT covered by The Scout Association's existing insurance arrangements. Contact Scout Insurance Services for advice.

At its Spring meeting, the National Team for Adult Support will be doing some work on the role of DCs. The team would like to hear from any District Commissioner who has had any success with a particular aspect of their role, any difficulties or any issues that you wish to have considered. Please write to the Adult Support Office at Gilwell Park.

An item published in the June edition of Talking Points resulted from specific advice in writing from the 'Head of VAT Services' of a national firm of Chartered Accountants specialising in the charity sector. Most Scouting campsite operators will be pleased to know that since then, a District Campsite has obtained the following ruling from Customs and Excise, Grimsby (reference corres 38/1998).

"I can confirm that following discussion with our Headquarters, there has been no amendment to the YMCA Tribunal decision or any new subsequent policy changes which would affect this decision. Camp fees can therefore continue to be charged at the rate as advised in the Tribunal decision." Therefore exempt facilities available to the members of a "youth club" can also be supplied on an exempt basis to non-members. This is a continuation of the position which has existed since the beginning of this decade.

The current themes are Community Involvement and Poverty & Disadvantage. A new application pack covering both is available by ringing 0345 919191. The Board run a continuous grant making process so there are no closing dates for the request or submission of application forms. These themes are expected to run concurrently for two years. The minimum grant is £500 and more than half the grants made have been under £50,000.

Community Involvement. This theme is relevant for many Scouting projects. The types of project which may be considered are: new buildings, extensions, repairs and renovations, land lease or purchase, Leader training, training publications, volunteer recruitment and training, increasing Group membership. Projects which benefit the wider community (i.e. those available to other community groups in addition to Scouts) tend to be viewed more favourably than those which solely benefit Scouting.

Poverty & Disadvantage. The types of project which may be considered for funding under this theme are: new buildings, extensions, repairs and renovations, volunteer recruitment, increasing Group membership, etc. You must be able to demonstrate that the beneficiaries of your project are suffering from a significant degree of poverty or disadvantage. The Charities Board no longer require applicants to obtain a permission letter from Headquarters but it is highly recommended that a copy of your application be sent to the experienced Lottery Team at BP House prior to submission for help and advice where appropriate.

Further information can be obtained by sending an A5 S.A.E. to the Finance & Marketing Department at B-P House. For help and advice please contact the Scout Association Lottery Line 0171 590 5123.

This programme offers grants of £500 to £5,000. It has no specific themes and so allows great scope in the types of project you can put forward. It is a continuous grant making process, there are no deadlines and applications are welcomed all year.

To be eligible to apply your gross income for the last year must be under £15,000. (N.B. Under S.O.R.P. regulations you can net off your membership subscriptions to bring you within this threshold e.g. for Groups, subscriptions passed on to District, County and Headquarters are not classified as income to the Group as they are passed on without benefit to the Group. THIS RULE APPLIES SOLELY TO SUBSCRIPTIONS and NOT to any other items.)

Application forms for England, Northern Ireland and Wales can be obtained by ringing 0345 458 458 and for Scotland from 0645 700 777.

A Small Grants Programme Fact Sheet can be obtained by sending an A5 S.A.E. to the Finance & Marketing Department at BP House. For help and advice please contact the Scout Association Lottery Line on 0171 590 5123.

The first key step in our child protection procedures is the vetting of adults who may have unsupervised access to our youth members. This is done using Form WE. During a recent four month period the Records Office at Lancing processed over 22,000 checks. The corresponding period in 1997 shows a figure of under 21,000. Commendably, Groups, Districts and Counties/Areas are making greater use of the checking system.

The Scout Association is pleased to host a three day 'In the Footsteps of the Founder Heritage Tour' from 13-16 September 1999. Based at Gilwell Park and staying in the luxury of the historic White House, participants will be taken to various sites associated with the Founder of Scouting, including Brownsea Island, Charterhouse School and Westminster Abbey as well as visiting the Association's unique archives.

The guided tour will be led by Paul Moynihan, the Archivist at Headquarters. Further details from Paul at Baden-Powell House.

Sky High, the National Scout Parascending Weekend will be held at Brokestone Heath, Grantham over the weekend 10/12 July, 1999. Further details from the Activities Office, Gilwell Park.

The publishers of the Beaver Scout and Cub Scout Annuals are looking for photographic contributions on which to base features for the Millennium editions of the books. If your Colony or Pack has taken part in any exciting or visually interesting activities recently and you have a selection of photographic evidence, then they want to know.

All contributions will be considered and the best will not only enjoy the distinction of being published in one of the Association's most prestigious publications, the photographers will also be paid a publication fee! So if you want to see yourselves in print, send your photographs to the address below, including your contact telephone number, a written description briefly explaining the content of the photographs, details of the event and the names of the people pictured. Contributions should be clearly marked 'Annuals 2000' and addressed to the Books Editor, The Scout Association, Baden-Powell House, Queen's Gate, London SW7 5JS. If you wish to have your photographs returned, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.

To promote camping during three weeks in August 1999, the daily rate at Hawkhirst Adventure Camp is being halved to £1/person/day. This charge includes use of a number of on site activities. Contact, Derek Langford, Tel: 01434 250217. Email: hawkhirst@aol.com

The special membership offers to the Scout are still available. Many Leaders have been encouraged to include hostelling in their programmes for the first time through these free group membership offers.

The offers include:-

• Free group membership available to all Scout Groups within the Scout Association covering Beaver Scout to Venture Scouts.
• Half price Individual Membership to Scouts moving into the Venture Scout Section in 1999.
• Free Individual Membership to all those becoming a Queen's Scout in 1999.

Please note: Leaders wishing to renew their existing Group Membership on expiry may do so free of charge but should write 'Scouts Free' on receipt of the renewal notice they will receive from the YHA.

Details and application forms for all these offers are available from YHA Customer Services, Trevelyan House, St Stephen's Hill, St Albans, Herts. AL1 2DY. Tel: 01727 845047.

Hawkhirst Adventure Camps is offering an opportunity for all ages to learn to sail over a weekend in July or August. Stay a week and you can learn even more. Full accommodation and equipment provided. Contact Hawkhirst Adventure Camp, Kielder Water NE48 1QZ.

Many District Camps being planned for the weekend of 26/29 May. Let's have fun and get all our young people to the camps...let them be 'Part of the Action'. Resource material is being prepared to assist the planning for local celebrations.

The national competition for a Millennium Badge was won by 7 year old Kent Beaver Scout David Silverman. Details will be announced shortly outlining wearing the badge on uniform, helping local charities and possible sponsorship.

Gilwell Park will host 'The Event' weekend for all those who will be Chief Scout Award and Queen's Scout Award holders. It will start on 30 June 2000. Each County/Area is offered a contingent of at least 17 young people and three Leaders. Your County/Area Millennium Co-ordinator will be able to give you more details.

The following new and revised factsheets are available from the Resource Centre.

There has also been minor revisions to FS120409 (05/98) Route Plan; FS120077 (04/98) Emergency Card; FS120072 (06/98) Youth Hostelling.

The following email addresses are now operational

The Committee of the Council met at Gilwell Park during the weekend of 7/8 November 1998.

The revised Bye-Laws, once approved by the Privy Council, allow for up to three reserved places on the Committee of the Council for young people (18-25 years). The Committee will consider draft procedures for the election of young members of the Council to the Committee of the Council at its next meeting, with a view to putting them to the Council for adoption (initially, by post). In advance of this Counties/Areas are asked to ensure that one young person (18-25 years) is nominated to the Council of the Association at their next Annual General Meeting in preparation for the election.

More than 30 presentations have been made at County and Regional meetings. Many Counties/Areas have put Going for Growth at the top of their agenda and want practical ideas. The Going for Growth Group are planning to work with County Commissioners at their regional meetings to develop simple action plans.

The Committee considered representations from some Scout Fellowship members that the exemption from payment for those aged 65 and over should continue. The Committee also considered a paper by the National Chairman, Scout Fellowship proposing that the withdrawal of the exemption should be phased in. The Committee considered the representations but decided to reconfirm its 1996 decision that there would be no exemptions from payment, other than in respect of Honorary Scouters. A letter has been sent to Assistant County/Area Commissioners (Scout Fellowship) explaining the decision.

The decisions made at the June meeting were reconfirmed: all new Groups established after 1 January 2000 must be mixed. Single gender leadership of mixed Sections is acceptable although joint male/female leadership is still preferable. The Committee reconfirmed that Groups may make the decision to have mixed Sections. New advice is being prepared.

A prototype Membership Card will be issued to all Members (youth and adults) and Associate Members entered on the 1999 Census forms. Details were included with the recently distributed Census information. Membership Cards will be distributed direct to Groups once the complete census and full membership subscription payment has been made by a County/Area to Headquarters. Over 95 percent of Counties/Areas complete this exercise by 23 April. It is estimated therefore that most cards will be distributed in early May. There will be one supplementary distribution to cover new Members joining later in the year. Details will be included with the initial distribution of cards. The scheme will be reviewed after the first year's operation.

The Committee received a report from Arthur Andersen Consulting. This had been commissioned by the Finance sub-Committee to evaluate the cost benefit analysis of co-location of Headquarters offices to Gilwell Park and to advise on the funding options of the project. The Committee reconfirmed its decision to co-locate the offices and will make a final decision on the preferred funding option at its next meeting.

The Committee noted the report and the recommendation that there should not be a formal and structured programme provision for the 18-25 age group. The report noted the need for a social network for this age group and the Committee agreed that this should be considered by the Scout Fellowship Review Group.

The Review Group reported and recommended a number of measures to enhance the role of the Fellowship in providing active support to Scouting and to attract more young members. These were agreed in principle and the Group was asked to consult on ways to implement the decisions and report back to the Committee in June 1999.

A discussion paper on Headquarters volunteer structures and roles in the light of changing priorities for the Association's work was considered. A group was set up to take forward the Committee's preliminary views.

The report of the working group was considered. Scouting has a strong public image but it is not necessarily the one that the Association would like to have. The media and the public has a preoccupation with a highly publicised but outdated view of Scouting. The aim of the strategy was to ensure that Scouting's mission was more widely understood. Strategic objectives were agreed that will govern the Association's work.

A new event at Gilwell Park for adults incorporating the Gilwell Reunion is to be held annually on the first weekend in September. The first will be after the proposed campsite redevelopment has been completed.

The Committee will establish a wholly owned charitable company to organise the UK's centenary activities at its next meeting.

The 1999 Committee meetings will be 13/14 Feb; 28 Apr; 26/27 Jun; 25 Sep; 30/31 Oct.