Chairman’s Chatter - Andy Edmonds

Over the last month I have been adding to my ever growing “in tray” as I have tried to identify outstanding issues and would like to express my gratitude to all those who have helped me try to understand what has happened in the past. Once this “fire fighting” has reduced then I look forward to being able to give more attention to planning for the future.

The District is in a strong position overall and I was impressed at my first meeting of the District Executive by the strength of will to make decisions and move things forward. In the future, I will be using my “Chatter” to keep you abreast of the key issues.

We are still looking for a new District Treasurer and to this end have made some initial steps to advertise the post. In the meantime, I am grateful to John Young for agreeing to hold down the day to day requirements and to Keith Angliss for his tremendous efforts in drafting the District Accounts for 2009. These have now gone forward for audit.

You will see when these accounts are published, that the proceeds from the sale of Atlasta Hall (ex 25th Mitcham HQ), came through in the autumn. The Executive has now signed off on some proposals for what I have called “Atlasta Fund”. Details are available on the web site.

The Extraordinary General Meeting of the District Scout Council in order to sign off these December 2009 District Accounts and review membership and workings of your Executive Committee will be held at Morden Hall DHQ 8pm on Wednesday 13th October 2010.

Attendance is open to: “Commissioners; District and Group Active Support Managers; 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 Active Support Units; 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”.

If likely attendance is high, then I have a “Plan B” to move the meeting to a larger venue! It is my hope to open the meeting up to a “Questions and Answers” session in order to receive your ideas and feedback on future plans.

To quote P.O.R. “The District Executive Committee exists to support the District Commissioner in meeting the responsibilities of the appointment and to provide support for Scout Groups and Explorer Scout Units in the District”. I have received one self-nomination for elected membership of the Executive and would remind everyone that I am looking for your ideas and feedback please by the end of the month. If Sections want to nominate their own representatives then please also let me know.

Jack Petchey Awards 2010/2011 – John Young

We now only receive 18 awards, instead of the 24 we used to get, spread over 9 months of the year. Each award is worth £200, which must be spent on the Section, (or used by the Section if the Group benefits) for equipment or an activity suggested by Scout or Explorer Scout who received the Award, in conjunction with the Leaders.

Each award winner can only receive one award, so a Scout who moves on to an Explorer unit cannot put forward to receive another award as an Explorer.

It has become more difficult to obtain your nominations, despite reminders, in time to submit them to JP, so again I would remind all that you may miss out if you do not let me have them by the 15th of the month preceding your allocated month. You may let me have the forms before the 15th and that way you will not forget (and may receive your money earlier).

The next round of awards are as follows:-

September: Merton Park ESU and 1st Morden Scouts.
October: 5th Morden Scouts and 6th/12th Mitcham Scouts.
November: 8th Morden and 8th Wimbledon Scouts.
January 2011: 9th Wimbledon and 11th Mitcham Scouts.

If you would like another copy of the application form please contact me and I will forward a copy to you, wimwantreas@btinternet.com .

Vetting and Barring Scheme

The UK Government has stopped the implementation of the Vetting and Barring Scheme in England and Wales while it undergoes a review. The requirements for Criminal Records Bureau disclosures remain unchanged as does the roll-out of eCRB across England and Wales from 26 July 2010. Check www.scouts.org.uk for up to date information as it becomes available.

Training Dates

Diary Dates

July 3
7
10
11
17
21
24

September 4-5
12
14
15
16
18
20
21
22
26

Scout Store open
CSLs’ Meeting
District Sports
Scouts’ Raft Race
Scout Store open
Beaver Leaders’ Meeting
SASU BBQ

Site Clearance
Practical Skills Day
Senior Managers’ Meeting
Beaver Leaders’ Meeting
Store reopens for Autumn Term
Store Open
District Team Meeting
SASU Formal Meeting
Troop Scouters’ Meeting
Cubs’ Cyclo Cross

Morden Hall DHQ 10am
Morden Hall DHQ 8pm
Wimbledon Park
Ravensbury Park
Morden Hall DHQ 10am
Morden Hall DHQ 8pm
Jean & Dave Gould’s Garden

Paches
Morden Hall DHQ
Morden Hall DHQ 8pm
Morden Hall DHQ 8pm

Morden Hall DHQ 10am
Morden Hall DHQ 8pm
Morden Hall DHQ 8pm
Morden Hall DHQ 8pm
TBC

9th July	7:45pm - 10:15pm	Module 11 - Administration (Section Leaders)
	7:45pm - 10:15pm	Module 17 - Activities Outdoors
14th July	7:30pm - 10:00pm	First Aid Refresher Course
18th September	9:00am - 5:00pm	Module 10 - First Aid (3rd Beddington HQ)
19th September	10:00am - 4:30pm	Module 25 - Assessing Learning
25th September	9:00am - 1:00pm	Module 12 - Providing a Balanced Programme
	2:00pm - 4:30pm	Module 18 - Practical Skills
29th September	7:45pm - 10:15pm	Module 16 - Nights Away
10th October	10:00am - 1:00pm	Module 20 - Administration (Managers)
	2:00pm - 4:30pm	Module 23 - Safety for Managers & Supporters
16th - 17th October		Module 16 - Nights Away
16th October	9:00am - 5:00pm	Module 10 - First Aid (Morden Hall DHQ)
31st October	10:00am - 1:00pm	Module 13 - Growing The Movement (Section Leaders)
	10:00am - 4:30pm	Module 21 - Growing The Movement (Managers)
6th November	10:00am - 1:00pm	Module 22 - Section Support
	2:00pm - 4:30pm	Module 25 - Managing Adults
	2:00pm - 4:30pm	Module 26 - Supporting Adults
14th November	10:00am - 11:30am	Module 7 - Valuing Diversity
	11:45am - 1:30pm	Module 19 - International
	2:30pm - 4:30pm	Module 17 - Activities Outdoors
21st November	9:00am - 5:00pm	Module 10 - First Aid (1st Whitton HQ)

Please note that all Modules from September to December 2010 (apart from those specified above) will be at Morden Hall DHQ.
All Leaders who have already booked for Modules will be advised of the change of venue and a map will be issued.

Further information on training can be found on the GLSW web site.

District Store

Don’t forget that the Store closes for the summer on 22 July and re-opens on 16 September.

We currently have a SALE on:

Old style Beaver sweatshirts sizes 32 and 34 only £3
Old style Beaver polos £2.50
Old Style Cub sweatshirts sizes 34 and 36 only £4
Old style Cub polos £2.50
Old style adult sweatshirts 1 x L and 1 x XL £3

Training Grants

Don’t forget that grants can be obtained towards the cost of your training – you get 100% of the cost of your obligatory training back and up to 50% for skills training eg canoeing or climbing. Check the Wimbledon and Wandle website (District Information section on the Info page) for details of how you apply for grants, especially the discretionary ones.

Under 18s Music Night at 4th Worcester Park - 24 July

Please encourage your older Scouts and Explorers to celebrate the end of term at this event. There will be live music; a cash BBQ and Bar (strictly no alcohol – and none can be brought in either); ticket price £5. Contact ailie.burlinson@btinternet.com for more information or tickets.

Do you have an idea for a project that will benefit your local area?

Merton Priory Homes have a £1m grant programme and applications are welcome from community groups.
mphcommunityfund@circleanglia.org is the contact email and the closing date for applications is 1 October 2010

If you would like to be notified by email each time Links is published,

click on this link links@wimbledonandwandlescouts.org and we will add you to the list

Copy for the next issue should be with the editor by Thursday 2nd September

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.

John Lubbock

I hope you all have wonderful summer camps, camps that create special memories for everyone taking part.
Be adventurous; be happy; be safe.

Beavers - Kevin Quigley (ADC Beavers)

I was lucky enough to be invited to assist in the judging of the recent Scout Camping Assessment weekend, which was great fun – see the report in the Scout section and the results on the District web site. One thing was noted – it may be interesting for Beaver Leaders to visit such an event – and even help if they wanted to – in order to be able to tell their Colony about what is happening in Scouts. Food for thought!

On a similar vein, for those Beaver Leaders wanting to increase or improve their practical skills there is a District organised Practical Skills Day (based on Module 18) on Sunday 12th September 2010 at Morden DHQ.

Finally in these ‘adverts’ for other sections, the Scouts have their rafting event in Ravensbury Park, Morden Road, Mitcham between 12 noon and 4pm on Sunday 11th July. Whilst I know Beavers can’t take part at the event, I know that it is also quite a ‘spectator sport’, and the Scouts would make Beavers and/or their Leaders welcome to watch and enjoy the fun.

On to other matters. We have our next Beaver Leaders’ meeting at Morden DHQ on Wednesday 21st July at 8.00pm and the September meeting will be Wednesday 15th – same time and venue.

QUARTERLY CENSUS
Yes it’s once again due. The Deadline set is 31st July, but as we all know, many of us will be long gone to our summer holidays by then. The County has asked for all numbers to be in by mid July. Therefore could I have the Colony details by 11th July via e-mail (kevin.quigley@naismiths.co.uk is the best address to use) or phone – 07590 671 101. Many thanks in advance.

This is the last Links before the summer break, so I would wish you all well for the summer holiday. Whether you are camping or holidaying in the UK or abroad or simply staying at home, let’s hope the sun shines in the day and any rain falls at night!

Happy Beavering!

Cubs - Michèle McNamara (ADC Cubs)

CSL Meeting –The next meeting is on July 7th, it is at this meeting that we traditionally set our calendar for the coming year. This is your chance to tell us what events you do and do not want, so please make an extra effort to attend.

Summer Camps – Please make sure that you have sent your NAN forms to Paul Atkins in plenty of time for your camps/holidays. Remember also that rules regarding CRB forms are changing shortly.

County Commissioner Cubs – The Commissioner has expressed a wish to attend one of our CSL meetings at which she will discuss any topic on which you may want further information or just find out what County are planning on your behalf. If you have anything you would like her to discuss can you please let me know at the next CSL meeting? I plan to see if she is available to visit at the September meeting.

Finally I hope you all have a good summer and for those going away during the summer break, hope everything goes well.

Scouts - Dave Bixby (ADC Scouts)

Camping Assessment weekend: My sincere thanks to all who helped make this another great weekend.
The weather could have been a little warmer but at least all the canvas should have gone home nice and dry.

I find it very interesting watching teams arrive and seeing how they organise themselves, getting their equipment on to the site. Some PLs don’t have the first clue what equipment they are going to use, which only points to a lack of good preparation. Details of our events are published in November the previous year so there is no excuse and I would expect Troops to get their Scouts at least thinking about this event 2 to 3 months in advance. That way there is no rush, arrangements can be made half an hour here or 10 minutes there, without it affecting the other things going on in their lives.
Scouts who are fully aware of how preparations are building become more confident in their ability to cope, and confident Scouts are less likely to drop out at the last minute.
Equipment for any camp or activity should be checked well in advance to allow for repairs/replacement to be completed comfortably before it is needed.
There really is no excuse for teams being issued with badly maintained equipment eg blunt axes, unstrung dome tent poles etc. Each of these takes no more than a few minutes to put right.
The Scouts all seemed to have enjoyed themselves and we tried a couple of new activities this year: some feedback on these would be good.
The Patrol achieving the highest standard of camping this year was 22nd Wimbledon Tigers, followed by 2nd Morden Unknowns.
Top cooks were the 23rd Mitcham Fishies followed by 3 Troops in joint 2nd place – 2nd Morden Unknowns, 5th Morden “C”s and 22nd Wimbledon Tigers.
This is slightly different to what I announced on the day for which I apologise.

Summer Camps: For those off to summer camp, have a great, safe time. This is really what the Scout year should be building towards and as above, good preparation is the key to good experiences.

Paches tidy-up 4-5 September: Don’t forget our tidy-up weekend. You are welcome to come for a day, both days or camp for the weekend. Several Troops are beginning to use this facility for all sorts of activities so we ensure it is safe and clear of rubbish.
Camping at Paches is strictly Green Field Permit but there are a number of highly skilled Leaders around our District if your Group needs the help.

Skills Day DHQ 12 September: So far I have had no expressions of interest either as instructors or participants. Do we know all there is to know? I certainly don’t! We need a reasonable number for the exchange to work, so please respond by 23 July at the latest.

Survival Skills weekend – Paches 25-26 September: The closing date for taking part in the Survival Skills weekend is 19 September. We are working on the original date but as mentioned at our last meeting, it may be necessary to move to the first week end in October but this is not confirmed yet. If the date has to change, priority will be given to those booked for the original weekend.

Troop Scouters’ meeting DHQ 22 September: The County Commissioner, Ian Newbery, is planning to attend our next meeting so that you can put any comments or questions directly to ‘The Management’.
This is also the meeting for setting next year’s activities and dates so please, if no-one from your Troop can attend, let me have your comments and preferred options beforehand.
Remember, if you don’t provide any input you can’t moan that we are not meeting your needs.

Next meeting - Morden Hall DHQ, Morden Road Mitcham, Wednesday 22nd September at 8pm and afterwards a social gathering at the George (Harvester), London Road, Morden.

Explorers - Paul Henderson (DESC)

Firstly, I want to inform and remind you of some key GLSW Explorer Scout events. These are run by the County for the Explorer Scouts throughout the 5 Districts. Not only are they fun and varied but they also take care of some of your programme planning for the remainder of the year. I urge you to support these events as best you can. We have an active ACC Explorer Scouts and a lot of effort goes in to organising them and your participation is critical to their success. Equally all the work is done for you! Currently in the programme there is the GLSW Treasure Hunt and Scarefest. Please use the following link for further information http://www.glswscouts.org.uk/explorers/.

Over the same period of time the County are also running the Explorer Challenge. The challenge runs from 1st April to 13th December 2010. Again, the challenges are varied and all demand a different amount of effort. The challenges themselves can form part of your programme and will help you achieve a balanced one. Please see the following link for further information http://www.glswscouts.org.uk/explorers/2010/challenge.pdf.

In addition to these more locally based activities, the County mountaineering team also run an Explorer Scout Mountain weekend in North Wales which is scheduled to take place on the 22nd – 24th October 2010, with a pre-meet on the 17th October 2010. This weekend always proves popular and spaces are limited. Book your places to avoid disappointment. Again, follow the link for more information (http://www.glswscouts.org.uk/bethesda/courses/scout_weekend.htm).

Whilst we are all focused on the summer expedition this year please give some thought to your expedition in 2011. There is a fabulous opportunity to take part in a County Explorer Scout Expedition to Sweden. For those not lucky enough to be selected for the two GLSW Jamboree Units there is an opportunity to travel to Sweden anyway, to take part in a programme that will “combine adventurous activities, a bit of sightseeing, the international dimension, and a day visit to the World Jamboree”. Please talk to your Unit members about this expedition and use the following link to register your interest in the expedition - http://www.glswscouts.org.uk/2010/sweden-expedition-2011.

Lastly, it remains for me to remind you to use the innovative Nights Away Notification portal available on the District website to make sure you notify the District of your activities and to have very enjoyable and successful summer expedition.

http://www.wimbledonandwandlescouts.org/nan

Scout Active Support Unit - Linda Vaudrey

We hope everyone who went to the meal on Sunday, 13th June, enjoyed themselves. Many thanks to Jean Brumwell for organising.

Have you remembered to let Jean or David know whether you will be attending the BBQ on Saturday, 24th July? If not please let them know a.s.a.p. The cost will be £7.00 per head, please bring your own drinks.

Tuesday, 21st September – our speaker on antique clocks and watches. Bring an old clock/watch with you for a valuation. Bill Walden would like to hear from you if you can come.

We hope everyone has a most enjoyable summer – see you at the BBQ.

District Commissioner - Joe Rogerson

As I write, we have just received the sad news of the untimely death of Mike Edwards, until recently GSL of the 1st Morden, and his funeral will take place on 2nd July. Mike was both a cub and a scout at the 11th Mitcham, where he also served as ASL and on the group executive; he became involved with the 1st Morden when his children joined the group. For those who knew him he was a man of great knowledge, understanding and wisdom; he was a giver of sound counsel and bore his very serious illness with amazing fortitude over a long period of time. Our heartfelt condolences go to Gill, Rohan, Matthias and Sophronie, as they deal with life without a loving husband and father. He was, and remains, a great example of what it is to be a Scout, something for which we all try to strive, both for ourselves and the scouts in our care.

This being the last Links until September, may I wish everyone a wonderful summer with lots of exciting Nights Away!

Joe