Wimbledon and Wandle Scout Council Constitution

Adopted June 2025

Preamble

This is the Constitution of the Wimbledon and Wandle District Scout Council which operates in the Borough of Merton and forms part of the Greater London South West Scout County.

This constitution describes the role, membership and operation of the District Scout Council, and the District Trustee Board.

In the interest of openness, especially for new members of the District Scout Council, the District Scout Council should re-adopt their constitution at each Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Apart from use at the District AGM, this constitution must always be used in the context of the Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules (‘POR’), as amended from time to time.

This constitution fully complies with the document in POR but to avoid the confusion which can be caused by the cross referencing in POR, the information has been included in the text. The only exceptions can be found under items 3, 5 and 6.

Purpose

Our purpose is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.

Registration

The District is a registered member of the Scout Association whose headquarters are at Gilwell House, Gilwell Park, Bury Road, Chingford LONDON E4 7QW. The District registration is maintained by payment of an annual subscription to the Scout Association for each youth member included on the annual census return.

1.      THE DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL

The District Scout Council has a governance role for the District Scout charity and, in particular, makes District Trustee Board appointments other than ex officio and co-opted appointments.

The District Trustee Board is responsible for the governance of the charity.  Although the District Trustee Board is responsible for the charity, it is accountable to the District Scout Council. The District Scout Council has no Trustee responsibilities.

2.      PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENTS

The District Scout Council may appoint a President and one or more Vice Presidents from time to time and for such periods as it may decide.

3.      MEMBERSHIP OF THE DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL

Membership of the District Scout Council shall consist of:

• All adult members with a role in the Scout District:
  • • District Leadership Team
    • District 14-24 Team
    • District Programme Planning Team
    • District Volunteering Development Team
    • District Support Team
    • District Trustee Board

• All adults holding the following appointments from the Scout Groups in the District

• Group Lead Volunteer
• Group Leadership Team
• Group Trustee Board Chair
• Group Trustee Board Treasurer

• all Explorer Scouts;
• all members of the District Scout Network;
• all parents of Explorer Scouts
• appointed and Community members as required
• the County Lead Volunteer
• the County Chair

Further information can be found in POR 16 Teams Table.

4.      MEETINGS OF THE DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL

The District Scout Council shall hold an Annual General Meeting within six months of the end of each financial year.

At each Annual General Meeting the business shall be:

1. to approve minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting
2. to receive from the District Lead Volunteer an overview of the past 12 months of activity in the District
3. to receive and consider the Annual Report of the District Trustee Board, including annual accounts and associated financial statements
4. (if appropriate) to elect or re-elect a District President and/or Vice Presidents
5. If at the end of their previous term of appointment, to appoint a chair of the District Trustee Board
6. If at the end of their previous term of appointment to appoint a Treasurer to the District Trustee Board following recommendations from the selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board.
7. to approve the Appointed and Community members if appropriate
8. to appoint other members of the District Trustee Board following recommendations from the selection process initiated by the District Trustee Board.
9. to appoint representatives to serve on the County Scout Council
10. to elect a suitably qualified auditor or independent examiner, as required
11. to transact any other business which was specified in the agenda for the meeting either at the request of the District Trustee Board or by requisition signed by five members of the District Scout Council and lodged with the District Secretary at least 21 days prior to the meeting.

5.      DISTRICT TRUSTEE BOARD

The District Trustee Board is a team of volunteers who work together, as charity Trustees, to make sure that The Scouts is run safely and legally.  At the heart of their role is a focus on strategy, performance and assurance. Members of the Trustee Board must act collectively as charity Trustees of the Scout District, and in the best interests of its members

Governance roles must be distinct to help manage conflicts of interest. This means that the roles of District Chair and District Treasurer must be kept separate and be done by two different people.

The District Trustee Board must act in the charity’s best interests, acting with reasonable care and skill and take steps to be confident that:

1. a) The charity is:

• well managed
• carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
• complying with the charity’s governing document and the law
• managing the charity’s resources responsibly

1. b) the charity is operating compliant with POR and the local charity regulator, including effective management of each of the Key Policies listed in Chapter 2 of The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules
2. c) young people are meaningfully involved in decision making at all levels
3. d) the District has sufficient resources (funds, people, property and equipment) available to meet the planned work of the District including delivery of the high quality programme and resource requirements of the training programme (see Rule 4.3.7 of The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules)

The District Trustee Board members must themselves collectively:

1. a) develop and maintain a risk register, including putting in place appropriate mitigations
2. b) ensure that the District’s finances are properly managed, including development and maintenance of appropriate budgets to support the work of the District
3. c) maintain and manage:

• a reserves policy for the charity including a plan for use of reserves outside the ‘minimum’
• an investment policy for the charity
• a public benefit statement for the charity

1. d) ensure that people, property and equipment are appropriately insured, and that any property and equipment owned or used by the District is properly protected and maintained
2. e) ensure the appointment and management and operation of any sub Teams, including appointing a Chair to lead the sub Teams.  This should normally be one of the District’s Trustees.
3. f) ensure that effective administration is in place to support the work of the District Trustee Board
4. g) appoint any co-opted members of the District Trustee Board
5. h) ensure transparency of operation, including:

• prepare and approve the Annual Accounts and arrange their examination by an auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer as appropriate and as appointed by the District Scout Council at their AGM
• prepare and approve the District Trustees’ Annual Report which must include the Annual Accounts and include the report from the auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer
• present the approved Trustees’ Annual Report and Annual Accounts to the District Scout Council for their consideration at the District’s AGM
• The District Trustee Board Administrator must ensure that signed copies of the Trustees’ approved annual report and accounts, are sent to the County Trustee Board Administration and County Treasurer within the 14 days following the relevant AGM at which the annual report and accounts were received and considered.

1. i) take responsibility for the District’s adherence to Data Protection Legislation recognising that, dependent on circumstances, it will at different times act as a Data Controller and as a Data Processor individually and collectively maintain confidentiality regarding appropriate District Trustee Board business
2. j) individually and collectively maintain confidentiality regarding appropriate District Trustee Board business
3. k) put in place annually an open and transparent selection process to recommend to the District Scout Council appropriate persons to be appointed members of the District Trustee Board, including Chair and Treasurer.  Vacancies for appointed Trustees only occur at the end of their period of appointment (for example, a Trustee may have been appointed for three years and so does not need to be re-appointed or re-selected after years 1 and 2).
4. l) where staff are employed:

• act as a responsible employer in accordance with the Scouts’ values and relevant legislation
• ensure that effective line management is in place for each employed staff member and that these are clearly established and communicated
• ensure that appropriate specific personnel insurance is in place

The District Trustee Board may create any sub teams it deems necessary to support its governance function.  The District Trustee Board must ensure that for any sub team it appoints:

1. its purpose is governance focused and not operational
2. its members are agreed and approved by the District Trustee Board
3. the District Trustee Board Chair is an ex officio member
4. the District Lead Volunteer is an ex officio member

Sub team members are not District Trustees unless they are already members of the District Trustee Board.

All sub team members must be recorded on the membership system.

To support effective governance and share good practice, the District Chair and Treasurer should create a support network amongst the Group Chairs and Group Treasurers of the District.

6.  MEMBERSHIP OF THE DISTRICT TRUSTEE BOARD

The District Trustee Board should comprise a maximum of 12 Trustees (the total of all ex officio, appointed and co-opted Trustee categories), with a minimum of five Trustees.  The maximum number of Trustees will be agreed by the District Scout Council at its AGM.

Each ex officio, appointed and co-opted member of the District Trustee Board is a charity Trustee of the District as appropriate.

People invited to attend meetings of the District Trustee Board, or with right of attendance, may be present at the meeting but are not charity Trustees and have no voting rights.

Subject to the conflict of interest rules of POR, a Trustee may be a member of more than one Trustee Board.

Certain people are disqualified from being charity trustees by virtue of the Charities Acts.

All Trustees must complete learning as specified in POR.

A District Trustee Board and any sub-commitments should have at least two Trustees aged between their 18th and 25th birthdays.

Each District Trustee Board requires effective administration. The administration may be provided by one or more persons as appropriate to the District.

The selection processes leading to the appointment of District Trustees must include a rigorous and transparent selection process, which includes advertising vacancies widely.

The members of the District Trustee Board are:

1. The District Lead Volunteer and the District Youth Lead are ex officio members of a District Trustee Board. There is only one ex officio Trustee role for a District Lead Volunteer, so where there are joint role holders for District Lead Volunteer, the role holders must decide, in discussion the District Chair, which of them will be the ex officio Trustee.  However, each District Lead Volunteer role holder must be eligible to be a Trustee. There is only one ex officio Trustee role for a District Youth Lead, so where there are joint role holders for District Youth Lead, the role holders must decide, in discussion the District Lead Volunteer and the District Chair, which of them will be the ex officio Trustee.  However, each District Youth Lead role holder must be eligible to be a Trustee.
2. The District Trustee Board must initiate a selection process to propose a District Chair to the District Scout Council for appointment at their AGM.  The vacancies for the role of Chair only occur at the end of their period of appointment (for example, a District Chair may have been appointed for three years and so does not need to be reappointed after years 1 and 2). The proposal from the Trustee Board is received by the Scout Council at their AGM.  The proposal from the Trustee Board does not require seconding by a member of the Scout Council.  The action of the Scout Council is to approve (or not) the proposed name from the Trustee Board.
3. The District Trustee Board must initiate a selection process to propose a District Treasurer to the District Scout Council for appointment at their AGM.  The vacancies for the role of Treasurer only occur at the end of their period of appointment (for example, a District Treasurer may have been appointed for three years and so does not need to be re-appointed after years 1 and 2). The proposal from the Trustee Board is received by the Scout Council at their AGM.   The proposal from the Trustee Board does not require seconding by a member of the Scout Council.  The action of the Scout Council is to approve (or not) the proposed name from the Trustee Board.
4. The appointed members of a District Trustee Board are persons appointed by the District Scout Council at the District’s AGM. This should follow a selection process initiated and overseen by the District Trustee Board.  The vacancies for the role of Trustee only occur at the end of their period of appointment (for example, a District Trustee may have been appointed for three years and so does not need to be re-appointed after years 1 and 2).  The proposal from the Trustee Board is received by the Scout Council at their AGM.  The proposal from the Trustee Board does not require seconding by a member of the Scout Council.  The action of the Scout Council is to approve (or not) the proposed name from the Trustee Board.
5. The co-opted members of a District Trustee Board are persons coopted annually by the District Trustee Board.  They are not appointed by the District Scout Council at its AGM.  The number of co-opted members must not exceed the actual number of appointed Trustees (excluding Chair and Treasurer).
6. The County Chair and the County Commissioner each have the right of attendance at meetings of each of the District Trustee Boards in the Districts in the County.

Trustees may be appointed for 3 years.  This can be renewed a maximum of twice (9 years service).

If a Chair or Treasurer resigns before the next AGM, filling the vacancy as soon as possible should be prioritised. During the time of the vacancy all actions must be taken via a majority vote of all the Trustees. The ex officio member(s) of the Trustee Board must be present at the meeting.

These appointments are short-term, until the next AGM. The Trustees must either:

• appoint a current Trustee to the role, or
• co-opt a Trustee to take the role, in line with provisions in the charity’s constitution for co-opting Trustees.

7.     ​CONDUCT OF MEETINGS

District Scout Council

The District Scout Council meets at their AGM.  It would be unusual for there to be additional meetings of the District Scout Council.

A District Scout Council meeting should normally be convened with at least four weeks’ notice.  A meeting may be convened on shorter or no notice with the agreement of at least three quarters of the members of the District Trustee Board.

District Scout Council meetings are chaired by the District Chair.  If the Chair is unable to be present, the Chair may appoint a delegate to chair a meeting of the District Scout Council subject to such appointment being approved at the start of the meeting by a majority of the District Scout Council members present.

Only District Scout Council members, as defined in item 3 above, may vote in District Scout Council meetings.

The quorum for a District Scout Council meeting is agreed by the District Scout Council at their AGM.

If there is no quorum present at a meeting of the District Scout Council, the meeting must be closed and reconvened at the earliest opportunity.

Decisions are made by a majority of votes cast by those present at the meeting. In the event of an equal number of votes being cast on either side, the Chair does not have a casting vote and the matter is taken not to have been carried.

In order to discharge their responsibilities, the District Scout Council may meet by video conference as well as (or instead of) face to face when agreed by the District Chair.  The District Scout Council must not ‘meet’ using any indirect process, such as email.

At any meeting which is not fully in person, there must be an online poll or other electronic method of counting votes.

All meetings of the District Scout Council, whether face-to-face or otherwise, must be properly recorded and minuted.

District Trustee Board

Meetings of the District Trustee Board should be convened on at least two week’s notice.  Meetings may be convened on shorter or no notice with the agreement of at least half of the members of the District Trustee Board.

District Trustee Board meetings are chaired by the District Chair.  If the District Chair is unable to be present, they may appoint a delegate to chair a meeting of the District Trustee Board subject to such appointment being approved at the start of the meeting by a majority of the members present at the meeting.

Only members of a District Trustee Board may vote in its meetings.

The quorum for a meeting of a District Trustee Board is one third of the Trustees (ex officio plus appointed plus co-opted) plus one.

If there is no quorum present at a meeting of the District Trustee Board, the meeting must be closed and reconvened at the earliest opportunity.

In the case of a sub team of the District Trustee Board, the quorum for each sub team must be set by the District Trustee Board, based on the size of the sub team and the complexity of its task(s).

Decisions are made by a majority of votes cast by those present at the meeting. In the event of an equal number of votes being cast on either side, the Chair does not have a casting vote and the matter is taken not to have been carried.

In order to discharge their responsibilities, the District Trustee Board may meet by telephone or video conference as well as face to face when agreed by the District Chair.  This includes ‘hybrid’ meetings, where some members are present at an agreed meeting place and others join by telephone or video.

Where urgent matters arise between scheduled meetings of the District Trustee Board and if it is not practicable to convene a meeting of the District Trustee Board then an electronic voting method (such as email or WhatsApp) is allowed for decision making of the District Trustee Board when deemed appropriate by the District Chair. In such circumstances at least 75% of the members of the District Trustee Board must approve the decision, and the outcome of the voting must be reported at, and recorded in the minutes of, the next District Trustee Board meeting.

8.  ALTERATIONS TO CONSTITUTION

No alterations shall be made to this Constitution except by resolution of the District Scout Council at a meeting of the District Scout Council at which at least two thirds of the votes cast in person by those entitled to vote are in favour of the proposed change or changes. Particulars of the proposed change or changes must accompany the notice calling the meeting.