88 MANCHESTER SCOUT GROUP AGM 24/5/2001

Annual report

Chairman’s review of the year

• The quinquennial camp at Kandersteg in Switzerland last July was a great success, enjoyed by all. In a break with custom, many of the participants travelled by train rather than by road, which worked remarkably well. Most who went received their International Friendship awards. Later, on 18^th October, a successful evening viewing of the camp video was held in the Lodge.

• Congratulations are due to Charles Dennison on completing his Chief Scout’s Award.

• During the summer, we lost the services of one of our Beaver leaders, Sue Bulleid, who left the area. We thank her for all her work. Since then we have been helped by two students, Caroline and Sam, and we are very grateful for their input.

• For the second time in three years, our bonfire and firework display was cancelled due to flooding of the Toc H rugby ground. Despite several attempts, it has so far proved impossible to sell the display, as we did last time. The consequence of this loss of income will be seen shortly in the accounts.

• As a variant, a very enjoyable Chinese Christmas meal was held at a Chinese restaurant in Cheadle. I encourage parents as well as leaders and committee members to go on these evenings. They are great fun and good value.

• At the start of this year it became necessary to amalgamate the two Cub packs, owing to a shortage of leaders. Following a canvass of parental opinion, we now have a single, very large Cub pack meeting on Thursdays. Both Helen and Alan look after this. At the moment this is working well and we have an external waiting list for entry.

• I am delighted to report the considerable recovery of the Group Scout Leader, following a broken leg sustained in France in February doing things with a snowboard which would have been daft for someone half his age.

• The new Gift Aid scheme is now operational. This will make it simpler for the Group to reclaim the income tax which you have already paid on the subscription. The Treasurer will give you more details shortly. For convenience we would like to hold records on a computer. There is no problem with the Data Protection Act, but we do need your permission to hold such records and have prepared a consent form accordingly.

• Congratulations are in order for our Secretary, Allison, who recently had a little boy. Mother and son are both doing well.

• The Group has entered the electronic age and now has its own website, compiled by Keith, which gives up-to-date information on Group activities. The site also has links to District and County information. Our newsletter, 88 News, is now also being distributed by e-mail on request.

• Finally, I would like to thank, on your behalf, all of the leaders who give so much of their time for the Group. I must also thank the other members of the Executive Committee, including our former Assistant Treasurer, Rob Paton, who now lives outside the area, for all their work throughout the year. I also thank Douglas Anderson for his audit of the Group accounts and Nellie Woodhall for continuing to run the Whist Drives.

D.S. Leitch,

24^th May 2001.

GSL report

Most of the years activities are covered in the group chairman’s and section reports.

Additional to the other reports the group attended the district family camp at Linnet Clough this was over the week end that nationally the scout association celebrated the new millennium by camping, a very wet but enjoyable week end.

I must emphasise the lack of warranted leaders is becoming a major concern and if not rectified will jepodise the future prosperity of the group. Amalgamating the two cub packs resolved the existing leader shortage but has now created a pack too large to allow external entry. Even as it stand the pressure of numbers feeding from Beavers means soon the pack will be 40.

Future changes

After a lot of pressure over the years from the section leaders, culminating in the lack of swapability at Kandersteg, the group is to have a new neckerchief. The order is in and we should have them in 4 weeks. The new necker will be deep red and have a honey boarder, each member will be given one free.

The scout association is undergoing a major review of uniform and programmes. The new uniforms will be available from September and there will be a 2 year period to change over, meaning that most members can keep their existing uniform until they change sections. As the availability of old uniforms is becoming difficult new members can purchase and us one of the group T shirt as an interim solution.

The programme for all section is to change with effect from 2002 the major change is in the scout and venture sections. The new format is: Scouts from 10 to 14, Explores scouts from 14 to 18 and Network scouting from 18 to 25.

It is our intention to start an Explorer section as soon as possible to relieve pressure on the scout section numbers. This is dependant on finding warranted leaders to run the section.

Keith Hampson

(GSL) 24-5-01

Scout Section Report 2000-2001

The past year has seen a number of events completed and the troop is preparing to face the challenges of the future. Last year a very successful Group Camp took place at the Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland. During the hectic two weeks every scout achieved at least one and in most cases far more of the local awards. As a result of this, we were in the rare position of having no Scout not having completed their Scout Award and several of the older scouts completed their Explorer and Pathfinder Awards. The year was rounded off with weekend in Snowdonia, staying at Snowdon Youth Hostel.

Scout Camp this year will be rather shorter as due to the Foot and Mouth restrictions in Cumbria we are only spending the Bank Holiday Weekend but hope to run a second camp later in the year.

For the first time in several years I am pleased to announce that we had one scout, Charles Dennison complete his Chief Scouts Award and I am sure that with the Venture Scouts he will continue to excel.

Troop numbers are at their highest levels for many years and I would like to take the opportunity to thank Keith, John and the Patrol Leaders for their support and assistance over the past year.

M. J. Ney, (Scout Leader).

Cub Scout Report 2000

Again this has been another exciting year for the cubs, taking part in many varied activities and gaining many proficiency badges.

June: Cub camp at Dunham, learning new skills – canoeing, climbing, also the cubs took part in the Car Race Night and also we

completed the Country Code part of the Cub Scout Award.

July: Community Badge part of the Cub Scout Award.

Sept: Preparing for the Olympics – Visited Australia, constructing Sydney Harbour, and competed in the Olympic Games.

Oct: Shirt decorating for the beach party in Australia and they also learnt about First Aid again part of the CSA.

Nov: Entertainers Badge – Theatre making, puppets and putting on a theatre show for the Beavers.

Dec: Christmas Cards, Sand Pictures and visiting the Pantomine to see Aladdin.

Jan: Theme – The Jungle book created collage (see the wall) and learned about the characters.

Feb: Tracking

Mar: Science – Balloon Propulsion, Parachute, Bubbles. Egg Decoration for Easter.

Since the New Year the two packs have combined and the pack has 36 Cub Scouts. Helen and myself would like to thanks all the parents that have offered their support on the rota and all other parents that have help out as well.

Alan Robinson (Cub Scout Leader)

BEAVER REPORT FOR 2000/2001

Once again the beaver colony has had a very busy year. Sue Bulleid left the colony in September and shortly after Carolyn and Sam joined us, initially for a short period only, but I am glad to report they have both decided to stay with us and not return to their previous group.

Activities have been wide and varied as usual. Since Carolyn and Sam joined us you may notice the Beavers ‘artistic’ side coming to the fore.

We still have quite a lengthy waiting list, however as we have now more boys than ever waiting to go up to Cubs before the summer holidays, we should be addressing that problem soon.

Sue Sunderland (Beaver scout Leader)