Diary Dates

Appointments Sub-Committee - Joan Burgess
Thank you to the following who have had their appointments confirmed during the past three months.  Your commitment is recognised and appreciated:

• Lisa Eales, BSL, 4th Morden

• Christina Kolthammer, ABSL, 4th Morden

• Brenda Inwood, ACSL, 6/12 Mitcham

• Michelle O'Shea, ASL,6/12 Mitcham

• Peter Treagust, GSL, 6/12 Mitcham

• Gary Baker, SL, 23rd Mitcham

• Christine Brett, ACSL, 23rd Mitcham

• Laura Hold, CSL, 23rd Mitcham

The new appointment system has now started and the first provisional certificate was issued this week.
Training Advisers - still a problem but the training team are working to improve this.

CRB FORMS: Mr Robert Brumwell will be processing all CRB forms with immediate effect.    Forms will be available from Robert and should be returned to him on completion.
Adult Warrant Application Forms are available from Joan Burgess.
PLEASE NOTE:  Only the new Application Forms are now being accepted.    Old forms should be destroyed immediately.

Group AGMs
Can all GSLs ensure that they have notified Eric Hayward of the date, place and time of their AGM?  Thank you. haywarderic@yahoo.co.uk

District Secretary

John Young has asked me to remind everyone again that all post should be sent to 14 Wandle Bank, Wimbledon, SW19 1DW

Membership fees
Has your Group paid its membership fee?  3 Groups and one Unit are still outstanding.  Please get your cheque to John Young as soon as possible.

First Aid
The next County First Aid course will be held in Sutton's DHQ, Woodcote Road, Wallington on 7th May.  Cost: £15.
Contact:  Mrs Janet Drinkall   e-mail: jdrinkall@tiscali.co.uk

Badges

A reminder to those Groups who have not yet ordered the Centenary Badges - these are compulsory badges and must be worn by everyone.
Also available are the special '20 years of Beaver Scouts' and '90 years of Cub Scouts'. 

These badges cost £1 each and are not generally stock items, so you must place a special order with your badge secretary.  Samples are available at the District Store if you wish to look before you buy.

District Store
The store will be closed for the two weeks of the Easter holidays and will re-open on Thursday 20th April.
If you need anything urgently, contact the Store Manager, Brian Whalebone.

Census

Training

All at Bow Lane Centre, Bow Lane,Morden.
First Module on date is am. Last Module on date pm. Please check middle Modules with your Local training Manager.
Gilwell Park are running various training events. Full information from www.scouts.org.uk/adulttraining.
More Modules will be added during the year and all will be advertised here in 'Links'.
Anybody can do or revisit any module and is welcome to apply.

Thank you to all those who helped with preparation and the running of the Beaver Activity Afternoon at the beginning of March, the feedback I've had to date is that it was a very successful event for all involved.

The County organised Birthday Celebrations being held at Walton Firs Camp Site has had a change of date !! This is now Saturday 1st July.  Though more details will be issued shortly, the entrance costs will be £7 per head not including transport - if you know your Colony would be interested in attending please let me know.

Adult ratios for Beaver Scout outings have now changed, as issued by HQ - these are now a ratio of 1 Adult for every 6 Beaver Scouts + 1.  However, if you would prefer, and would feel happier, to continue using the previous ratio of 1:4 + 1 please do so.  Do remember that an outing is classed as any activity held away from your normal meeting place !

By the time you get this edition of Links hopefully we will have held our Adventure Day at Frylands. Whilst it was great to have so many wanting to go, leaders not meeting deadlines has made organising the event much more complicated then it should be. Please read carefully all items sent out in future and note the deadlines and addresses for numbers and payments.

District Camp - Please note, therefore, that we have already received deposits for 95 places at District camp and this only leaves another 35 so if you want your Cubs to attend please get monies in to me as soon as possible.

7 Aside Football  - This has been booked for May 14th at Raynes Park High School, full details will be sent out to Packs shortly, please note however that the last date for entering a team will be FRIDAY MAY 5TH.

County Fun Day July 1st - Don't forget to put this date in your diary and that we have been asked to run 5 bases all day and we will need volunteers to cover these. Details in CSL minutes.

See the County Website for the full results of the County Orienteering Competition held on Sunday 27th November 2005.  There were 5 age categories.  Out of the 50 pairs entered W & W had 2 adult pairs, 13 Scout pairs and 4 ES pairs.  At the 14th Wimbledon AGM on 6th March 2006, Ron Wellbrook presented trophies for 3rd place in the U14's, 1st place in the U16's, 3rd place in the U18's and 2nd place in the over 18's.  Well done to all teams taking part.

Also see the County Website for the full results of the Cooking Competition held on the 5th February 2006.  We had 8 teams out of the 26 entered.  A combined team from the 23rd and 20th Mitcham came 1st and had the trophy presented on the day by the County Commissioner.  The 22nd Wimbledon narrowly missed out of the trophies coming 4th.

Finally see the County Website for full results of the Night Exercise held on the 11th/12th March 2006.  We had 7 teams entered out of 38teams.  The highest placed teams were 13th Wimbledon A and the 14th Wimbledon A in joint 4th place.

The Swimming Gala was enjoyed by all the Scouts and their Leaders and look forward to attending the next on the 14th October 2006.  Thanks go to Michèle and her helpers for making it such a success.         

The District Jamboree selection day on the 12th March 2006 was very successful.  We have had 12 young people selected to attend.

There was a District Troop Leaders Meeting on the 29th March held at the 6th/12th HQ, the next one will be on Tuesday 20th June 8pm at the 1st Morden HQ (if the football doesn't get in the way! We can change it if it's a problem.)

We have our next leaders' meeting on Monday 10th April at 8.00pm at the Merton Park HQ, St Mary's Church, Church Path, Merton Park. Will all leaders, assistants & helpers try & make this meeting?

St. George's Day Parade is on Sunday 23rd April. I am sure that full details are elsewhere in this newsletter & have been emailed to all Unit contacts. Please ensure that all Explorers are in the correct colour scarf for the parade. (Scarves (adult length) @ £4.00 each from me). I hope for a very strong Leaders & members turnout.

Congratulations to Andrew Florence, our County Scout Network Administrator, on the award of the Medal of Merit - richly deserved. Andrew has been responsible for building and maintaining our Network database, which among other things allows us to analyse  Census data from a wide range of perspectives. This year total recorded Network membership increased from 125 to 141, and we are taking steps to ensure that, going forward, all Explorers have the opportunity to join the section as soon as it is time for them to 'move on'.

Network members who have not yet renewed their membership this year and wish to do so should send their details and a cheque for £25 made payable to 'GLSW Scout Network' to the undersigned at 13 East Hill Road, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 9HZ. Only membership entitles participation in Scouting activities, and for the Network that means the following events over the coming months :

Middlesex Rugby 7's on April 30
Visit to Godstone Mines on May 30
Evening Sail at Wimbledon Park Lake in June
County Scout Network Conference and 
3-Peaks Challenge in July.

Over the Summer holiday Network members will be venturing to some far-flung places, more especially Lithuania (County Explorer Belt Expedition) and The Seychelles; and there will be time to catch up on these and other activities when we congregate at the Gilwell Reunion in September.

If your Explorer Scout Unit or Scout Group would like to know more about the Scout Network please contact Chris Griffin and Chris Vickers, your Local SNet Co-ordinators, or myself.

Recent Events: 

Sunday, 19th March - Fellowship A.G.M.  Quite a low turnout this year but it was nice to see everyone who came.  Thanks to Jean Gould for providing the refreshments.

If you have not yet paid your membership fee please contact Bill Walden.

Forthcoming Events: 

Sunday, 23rd April - St George's Day Parade.  Help is required for stewarding duties.  The event this year will be held at the Tooting and Mitcham Football Ground in Bishopford Road. There is ample parking at the venue.  If you can help you will need to be at the ground by 12 noon.  Please let Dave Gould know a.s.a.p. if you are available on the day.

Wednesday, 26th April - Beetle Drive & Fish 'n Chip supper - to be held at the Wandle DHQ, 7.30 p.m. start.  We shall be charging £1.00 per head plus cost of the supper.  Please let Linda know
(a) whether you will be coming and (b) let me have your fish order by Friday, 21st April.  Many thanks.

Dates for your Diary:
Please note that the ramble, to be held on Sunday 14th May, will be around the Twickenham area, meeting at Marble Hill, at around 10.30 a.m.  Full details from Rob Brumwell.

Mary White has asked me to pass on her thanks for all the cards and good wishes she has received from Fellowship members, over the past few months. She sounds now as if she is well on her way to a full recovery.

Our best wishes also go to June Waro.

Scouting Plus

This is the new visually arresting weekly e-newsletter from The Scout Association. It will contain updates, features and recent additions to www.scouts.org.uk to ensure you are kept up-to-date with changes in the world of Scouting.

Scouting Plus will eventually replace the updates emails you are currently receiving from the Marketing and Communications Team. To receive Scouting Plus you need to be signed up to the membership database and check that they have the correct email address for you.

Visit www.scouts.org.uk and click sign-up. To allow everyone ample time to sign up to the membership database, they will send out both update emails for the next few months.

Easter Greetings

The schools have already broken up and, for many of you, the first camp of the year is imminent.  After such a cold winter, I hope the weather is kind to you and you have a great time.