;

Nights Away - Permit Scheme

Activities - New Factsheets

Amendment to POR - Towing Inflatables

"Coming Soon" - NPI 2004

Scout Awards Board - Giving Recognition

Explorer Scouting - Questionnaire

International Experience - Taiwan Beckons

DC Guidelines - Special Needs

Canoeing and Pulling - National Regatta

Special Offer - Woburn Safari Park!

Scout Network - Commissioner Courses

Weekend Fun - LEGOLAND Again

Gift Aid - Good News!

District Commissioner - Open Days

Adventurous Activities - Authorisation Scheme

Holiday Homes Trust - Special Offers

Eurosource - Recycle and Cash In

2007 Shopping - New Products Available Online

Scout Photography Badge - Sponsorship News

Time Team - Channel 4

Swimming Staged Activity Badge - Changes

2007 Volunteer Staff Vacancies - Cool Marketing, PR and IT Opportunities

New/Updated Factsheets - Activities

Vehicle Weight Limits - Safety Checks

Imperial War Museum - Duxford & The Scout Association

NSRA - Air Rifle Courses

ScoutsReunited - Growing Daily

Gilwell Gifts - Something Special?

Girlguiding UK Members - Climbing walls/abseiling towers

Air and Air Scout Advisers Appointed

Committee News

Census 2003:

Membership Subscription 2004:

District Commissioners' Conference:

International Conference of Catholics in Scouting:

Gilwell Park Campsite Redevelopment:

Delegations to World Scout Youth Forums and WOSM Conferences:

Faiths and Beliefs at the Centre of our Work:

European Conference 2004:

UK Contingent Leader - 2005 European Scout Jamboree:

Chairman, Brownsea Island Management Committee:

Fundraising Policy:

20th World Scout Jamboree - Thailand:

Annual General Meeting of the Council of The Scout Association and Council in Conference:

Future Meetings of the Committee of the Council:

The Activities Team will be sending full details of the Nights Away Permit Scheme to DCs during May. The District packs will include full information about the scheme and samples of the new resources. Additional copies will also be sent to County and Area Commissioners.

The Nights Away Permit Scheme does not need to be implemented until September 2004

During the next eighteen months, the Activities Team will be providing additional material to promote all residential experiences. The aim across the Movement over the next few years is to increase the number of nights spent away from home. For more information please contact the Activities Team on 020 8433 7125.

A new factsheet the Commercially Led Activities Index (FS120086) is now available. It covers the steps to be taken when buying in activities from a provider outside The Scout Association. The second edition of the Scout Led Activities Index (FS120084) is now also available. Both factsheets are available on ScoutBase UK at www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/facts/index.htm.

This new rule takes effect immediately.

Rule 9.73 Towing of inflatables behind powered watercraft

1. The activity of being towed on an inflatable behind powered watercraft is specifically forbidden.

The National Programme Initiative (NPI) for 2004 will offer help, suggestions and programme ideas to support the Environment aspect of the Programme Zones. It will also suggest ways in which Groups, Units and Networks can work together to gain the Environment Group Award. This will be in the form of a website, a booklet and, for 2004, a competition.

Watch out for the initial launch of the NPI in the autumn. A flyer containing detailed information will be widely circulated from the beginning of September.

Make sure that your Colony, Pack, Troop, Unit or Network takes advantage of the NPI for 2004 as soon as the information arrives.

The working group creating the resource would be interested in hearing from anyone who has completed the Environmental Group Award. Please contact thomas.ovenstone@scout.org.uk

In a message to Members of The Association, the Chairman of The Awards Boards writes: "The Awards Board would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard over the past year to nominate candidates for awards and to prepare thoughtful and well-written citations. Citations that concentrate on the quality of the candidate's contribution since the last award have increased and so made the Board's work of assessment and the maintenance of consistent standards easier.

From time-to-time Commissioners have to tell the Board that there has been a backlog of applications for their areas because someone, charged with making recommendations as part of their job specification, has not done so because he/she did not believe in the system. Whilst the Board would not seek to force an award on anyone, it believes very strongly that no one should indulge his or her beliefs to the point where they deprive others of recognition which they may richly deserve and would find immensely supportive and encouraging. The Board hopes that every effort will be made to bring candidates to its notice, with unsung, unglamorous service not forgotten."

Many thanks to all District Commissioners and District Explorer Scout Commissioners who completed the questionnaire issued in December 2002. The information and statistics have proved useful in informing the Explorer Scout Support Team at Headquarters about the key issues that need support within the Section.

The 12th World Scout Moot will take place in Taiwan in 2004.

Several thousand young people from across the globe will come together to take part in an expedition and a range of activities as part of an International Team.

If you were born between 30July 1978 and 10 August 1986 you can join Network members and Guide members from across the UK on the international experience of a lifetime! Find out more at www.Moot2004.org.uk or contact Tian Bersey in the International Office on 020 8433 7119 or Moot2004@scout.org.uk Applications close 30 June 2003. Some financial support is available.

When necessary, due to an individual young person's Special Needs, the District Commissioner may, on the recommendation of the ACC/AAC (Special Needs) (or Adviser), permit that young person to be in a Section outside of the normal age range. This permission should be logged on a simple form and be subject to annual review. Contact the information Centre for the new factsheet on Flexibility for Age Ranges in the Sections (Special Needs).

The National Sea Scout Pulling and Canoeing Regatta is being held on the weekend of 5/6 July at Kingston on Thames. Further details and entry forms are available from Keith Maund on 020 8399 5846 or email: keith.maund@btinternet.com

There are two courses taking place this year for County or Area Scout Network Commissioners. Whilst aimed at Scout Network Commissioners, some Administrators and others operating Scout Network may also find the course content useful. The dates are: 11-13 July in Coventry and 14-16 November at Gilwell Park. Please contact Jackie Johnson at Gilwell Park or download an application form from the Adult Support pages at www.scoutbase.org.uk.

Following the highly successful LEGOLAND Windsor Scouting events in November 2002, LEGOLAND Windsor has agreed to hold another two weekends for Scout Association Members on 13/14 and 20/21 September 2003.

These events will be semi-exclusive (meaning that the general public will also be admitted on these dates). However the cost for all Scout Groups wishing to attend will be at a discounted rate. In fact, last year's prices will be frozen.

Scout Groups will also be entered in a free prize draw if they book their tickets by a certain date. Look out for booking forms in the May and June issues of Scouting Magazine, and on ScoutBaseUK (www.scoutbase.org.uk). Alternatively you can request a booking form from the Scout Information Centre by calling 0845 300 1818.

The Association has been advised by the Inland Revenue that it is no longer necessary to 'submit a copy of the latest available accounts' as mentioned in FS190006 page 3, 'The First Steps', 1. when writing to the Inland Revenue . If they need them, they will ask you for a copy. More good news! They have also changed their name from the Inland Revenue Financial Intermediaries and Claims Office to Inland Revenue (Charities) at the same address (page 6 of the Factsheet).

To provide support for newly appointed District Commissioners we extend an invitation to attend an Open Day at Gilwell Park.

In the morning there is the opportunity to get an up to date briefing on the key areas of Development, Programme and Adult Support. There is the option to choose from a range of other HQ Departments to meet and a wide range of information will be available. The final part of the day gives District Commissioners a clearer understanding of their role and responsibilities in the area of Child Protection and an insight into the work of the Records Department. A visit to the Scout Information Centre and an opportunity to tour the Gilwell House offices makes for a busy but informative day.

The dates for this year are:

Saturday 17 May

Thursday 18 September

Thursday 11 December

(For those who are travelling some distance there is the opportunity to book overnight accommodation in The White House.)

Further information and an application form are available from the Field Development Service at Headquarters (020 8433 7131) or your local Field Development Officer.

The Adventurous Activities Authorisation Scheme is currently undergoing a review across all activities to ensure its ease of use and robustness. For the first stage of this, the Activities Team would like to hear the views of the members most closely involved in the scheme. Therefore any Activity Advisers, Activity Assessors, District Commissioners or Section Leaders are invited to respond with their thoughts on the scheme under the following headings to activities@scout.org.uk

• What is your role within Scouting?
• How easy is the scheme to operate?
• How easy is the scheme to understand?
• Does the authorisation process work quickly enough for you?
• Do you have the skills to carry out your role within the scheme?
• Are current resources provided to support the scheme useful and informative?
• Do you have any other thoughts on the scheme?

In order to maintain a high occupancy of the Trust's caravans and chalets, the Trust Office at Gilwell Park will be offering special deals on last minute breaks. These special price holidays are open to any Scouting family or any family with Special Needs - the Special Needs families do not have to have a Scouting connection. The Trust has units on 13 well known commercial holiday parks. Please contact Lynda Peters or Ann Standing on 020 8433 7290.

Eurosource is a recycling company that can provide an easy way to generate extra funds for your Group. Start collecting mobile phones and printer ink cartridges to raise money. Up to £5 can be raised for mobile phones and up to £7 for cartridges! Visit http://www.scoutsappeal.com/index.htm for more information or call 08451 30 20 10.

Scouting 2007 has recently launched an eShop on the Internet. Visitors to the web site can easily browse and purchase a wide range of Scouting 2007 branded from the online catalogue. To visit the 2007 eShop, go to www.scouting2007.org.uk and click on the 2007 Shopping button.

Jessops is now sponsoring the Scout Photography Badge. You can visit the Jessops webpage at www.jessops.co.uk Resources provided by Jessops will soon be available to help Scouts gain the badge so watch this space! For further information, please contact Anna Midgley on 020 8433 7234

On the weekend of 28/29 June 2003, Channel 4's Time Team will host the UK's biggest ever archaeological event: The Big Dig. And you can join in. They want you to dig a 1 metre square investigation hole called a test pit and report what you find. All over the nation, in back gardens, on private land and in public spaces, we're asking the people of Britain to dig and discover what lies beneath the surface, just like an archaeologist.

Following the step-by-step guidelines, adhering to exacting archaeological standards, you'll experience a taste of what a real archaeologist does. You'll even have support from experienced archaeologists and there's a chance that the Team will visit you while you're digging!

Through the project they hope to offer an insight into practical archaeological methods and make a real contribution to our overall knowledge of Britain's archaeological resource. Taking part couldn't be simpler.

All you have to do is register via the Channel 4 website www.channel4.com/bigdig or request a registration form by calling 09065 999 344 (calls cost £3).

Should you have any questions about Scouting and the Big Dig, please contact Michelle Johnson on michelle.Johnson@scout.org.uk or call on 020 8433 7210.

In line with the policy to update badge requirements when a health and safety issue comes to light, and in consultation with the sport's governing body changes have been made to the above badge. Please contact the Activities Team on 020 8433 7125 or activities@scout.org.uk. Alternatively you can go to http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/badges/staged-sw.htm

Following the successful launch of the Scouting 2007 web site in January, Scouting 2007 needs additional volunteers to help expand its marketing, PR and IT activities.

Three new volunteer staff roles have now been approved, and applications are invited by Sunday 25 May 2003. These roles are Public Relations Manager, Integrated Marketing Manager and Web Site Manager. For a description of these opportunities and details of the application process, go to www.scouting2007.org.uk and click on the Staff Vacancies button.

With the summer weather fast approaching and camping on the horizon, people are reminded to check their vehicle weight limits when carrying camping or any other equipment.

When calculating the weight of the load for your vehicle you are reminded that vehicles fitted with a tail lift do not actually include the weight of the tail lift itself in with the calculation of the load capacity. The tail lift therefore will have to also be added as an additional weight.

Points for consideration:

• The weight of equipment on a vehicle must be carefully checked before setting off.
• Just because a van is big does not mean it can be filled to the brim
• The owner of the vehicle may also be prosecuted by default, and may face large fines
• Consider excess weight if equipment may be wet.
• Hydraulic tail lifts weigh over half a ton.

We are currently working with Imperial War Museum Duxford to develop resources for the Cub Scout Air Activities Badge and Scout Air Researcher Badge. These resources will shortly be available to help Cubs and Scouts to gain these badges.

Look out for information on these resources on ScoutBase UK and in Scouting Magazine. Duxford will also be making available resources, for the Basic Aviation Skills badge, and various dates in the summer when Scouts can go along to Duxford to complete their Scout Aeronautics Activity badge.

For more information regarding booking a visit to Duxford, please telephone 01223 499341.

One day courses at Gilwell Park will take place on

26 April, 5 October, 16 November

For further information contact the Gilwell Park Campsite Office on: 020 8498 5411

ScoutsReunited has received massive interest and is now 10,000 strong and still growing. The aim of this website is to help current and past Scouters to link up with old friends they may have lost contact with. The address is not surprisingly www.scoutsreunited.co.uk.

This facility allows you to link yourself to a Group or an Event. You can even add yourself to a new one. If you like this service you can click the "Tell a Friend" function on the home page to tell your friends about the site.

Why not sign up today? You've got nothing to lose because it's free.

Are you looking for that special gift for someone who might be celebrating a Scouting anniversary or receiving a St George's Day Award? Then look no further, as you can buy the following products from the Scout Information Centre:

All of the above gifts can be ordered directly from the Scout Information Centre. However, it will save you time with our online direct ordering. This facility is available for those of you who don't want to trawl through each page of our catalogue. We particularly hope those of you requiring bulk orders for course material will make most use of this service.

You can access the online Information Centre Catalogue by clicking on the eSHOP icon on the top left of home page of www.scoutbase.org.uk and then click to go straight to the online catalogue. We hope you like this new feature.

There have been a number of recent enquiries from both Guide leaders and Scout Site Wardens on this subject recently. The following advice is from Girlguiding UK

Anyone who instruct members of Girlguiding UK on walls/towers must now hold either Level 1 of Girlguiding UK's Climbing and Abseiling Training Scheme or the MLTB's Single Pitch Award (SPA) (or higher).

We are happy to arrange for our assessors to go to Scout sites to assess your instructors at your convenience: please contact Jane as below. If you know an MIA holder, s/he can train/assess for you, but he/she will need to contact our Climbing Technical expert first.

If you have any SPA holders: they may also attend a weekend 'train the trainers' course, and then run their own Level 1 training/assessment courses at your sites. We can also arrange training courses: contact Jane Mason (details below) regarding either of these courses.

Where joint activities are taking place, involving both Scouts and Guides, it is the Scout rules that need to be followed.

To check whether training and/or assessment is needed, please obtain a copy of the scheme, either through Guiding contacts or from our Trading Service: 0161 941 2237, tradings@girlguiding.org.uk, www.guiding-essentials.org.uk

Climbing and Abseiling Training Scheme   Ref 6142   cost £5.30.

The publication also contains various forms which can be copied, such as Instructor Registration/Assessment.

Contact details: Jane Mason, Girlguiding UK.   0207 834 6242 x 273 or e-mail janem@girlguiding.org.uk.

Support for Air Scouting and Sea Scouting has recently passed from the Activities Office at Gilwell Park, to the Scout Office. Two new Advisers have recently been appointed to the National Programme team in these areas. They are Chris Shaw for Air Scouting and Daragh O'Malley for Sea Scouting.

If you would like to contact them, please do so initially via the Scout Office at Gilwell House, or by email (scout@scout.org.uk)

The Committee of the Council met at Gilwell Park on 22 March 2003

Initial analysis of early results from the 2003 census show a slowing in the rate of decline of membership to approximately 3.3%. There is also an encouraging trend in the lower age bands.

The Committee considered a revised five year rolling budget analysis and agreed the Association's budget for 2003/2004.

As is now customary the Committee gave early consideration of the Association's Membership Subscription for next year. The Committee does this to give the Movement advance information despite the difficulties in forecasting numbers, expenditure, and the external financial climate more than a year ahead. The major factors in deciding the Membership Subscription for 2004 were:

1. the need to make some provision for inflation - which seems likely to be in the order of 3% over the year;
2. the need to manage centrally the further reduction in income consequent upon the anticipated continued decline in paying membership
3. the continuing increases in the cost of insurances

In the light of all the information available, the Committee has decided that the Association's Membership Subscription for 2004 will be £18.00 with a rebate of 50p for prompt payment.

As discussed at the County/Area Commissioners' Conference last November arrangements are being made for a DCs' Conference to be held over the weekend 10/12 September 2004 at Warwick University. The AGM of The Scout Association will held over the same weekend at the University.

Fr John Seddon has been appointed as the European & Mediterranean representative on the World Committee of the International Conference of Catholics in Scouting for an initial period of two years.

It was reported to the Committee that the new buildings, including the new accommodation block, were to be handed over at Easter.

The Committee decided that the present arrangements for delegation composition should remain as at present for the time being, but where possible having a greater involvement of young people aged 18-25. Any new arrangements for delegation composition would hopefully apply in time for the forming of the delegations to the 2005 World Scout Youth Forum and World Scout Conference.

The current National Team for Religious Development will be wound down with immediate effect and a new Faiths and Beliefs Support Team will be formed reporting to the P&D sub-Committee. The role of Religious Consultant is to be discontinued.

The Committee agreed the Association's delegation to the Conference in April 2004: Chairman, Committee of the Council (Delegation Leader); Chief Scout and/or Chief Scout (designate); International Commissioner; Chief Executive; and two members aged 18-25 years (at least one to be an EYR from the Committee).

The Committee noted the appointment of Andrew Sharkey.

The Committee noted the appointment jointly by Girlguiding UK and The Scout Association of Paul Brenham with effect from the end of September 2003.

Minor amendments to the Association's policy were approved. The principles and criteria of the policy have now been extended to other promotional and advertising media such as printed material, publications, web-sites, events and buildings.

The Committee received the final report from the UK Contingent Leader, David Bull. It also previewed a part of the video that is being made available to all participants in the event.

The meeting will be held on Saturday 13 September 2003 at Regent's College, Regent's Park, London. The Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin MP has accepted an invitation to address the Council.

2003: 20/21 Jun [GP]; 21/22 Jun [GP - primarily for Trustees only]; 13 Sep [Regents College]; 27/28 Sep [GP - primarily for Trustees only; 28/29 Nov [GP]; 29/30 Nov [GP - primarily for Trustees only]