Author: Editorial Team

Congratulations and well done to Denise Clasby and Sarah Durham of the 11th Freemantle and Rob Greenaway of the 9thShirley Warren and Amy O Keefe of the 26th Swaythling and Clare Bandy of the 7th Basset and Paul Harvey of the 1stAldermoor for gaining their Leadership Training Wood badge.

Congratulations to JJ and Jake for gaining their D of E Bronze award well done to you both.

Well Done to Kris Partridge of the 11th and Kay Wilkinson of the 2nd for five years service. Congratulations to Lin Johnson for her 25 years service award. Lin will be retiring from her role as ADC Beavers at Christmas.

Well done to the 22nd Regents Park for the group’s 75th Birthday celebration. It was a lovely day which the Mayor and Mayoress thoroughly enjoyed.

District AGM

A big thank you to all of those that came along and supported the district team at this year’s District AGM it was lovely to see such a good attendance your support is greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to the 1st Aldermoor and the 13Th Sea Scouts Millbrook for jointly winning the Bert Cooke Trophy. At the AGM we looked back over the year and it was widely recognised that we have lots to be proud of in our scouting.

The focus for next year will be the continued growth of our scouting. At the group AGM’s we passed out a vacancy board to advertise your adult volunteer vacancies. Don’t forget a scout group has a job for everyone. Get everyone involved.
                                                                                             
This picture is of the vacancy board at the 29th. Have you got your vacancy board up yet?

Grow your Own Scout Group, Offer the Big Adventure.

Scouting in Southampton needs to grow. We all now what the problem is it is a lack of volunteers. I have asked Thelma ADC Group Support to help you with getting your group bigger next year.

We will be organising a meeting with you soon to take this initiative forward. Lot’s are happening this coming year about recruitment of adults it is our main focus but we need you to help us with this as well you need to ask anyone and everyone that you meet in your groups or outside scouting to get involved. Scouting has a job for most people.

Get The Out In Scouting

I am really pleased to say that Ian Budd has now been appointed as our Assistant District Commissioner. His responsibility is to encourage and facilitate anything that involves ADVENTURE!!.

Far too often we organise district activities and competitions and you struggle to get a team to represent your group or the lack of interest is disappointing. Ian will be helping you all to get our young people out and about and really enjoy our scouting. Scouting is NOT just a one night a week commitment. To get the very best out of scouting our young people need to have an I want to do that kind of attitude.
Ian will be coming along and talking to you all about how we can get the OUT in SCOUTING.

District Team Structure

Jamboree 2015 – Japan

I am very pleased to say that we have four of our young people who have put their name forward to be considered for the 2015 Jamboree in Japan. They are Owen Budd, Rozy Toomer, Abi Bacon, Kieran Brackley. The selection weekend is to take place from 6 – 8 September at Fernycrofts.  I wish all of our candidates all the very best of luck they will all hopefully be given this wonderful opportunity they are all great scouts.

Wilverley District Camp Site

We have been talking to the Forestry Commission about renewing our license and we have now got permission to purchase and have installed a LPG generator at the site to replace the old Diesel genny. This will be far more efficient and much easier for you all to use. We estimate it will cost approximately 25K to have installed and we intend to have it fitted later this year. That shows very clearly the districts commitment to the site. The next Wilverley Working party will be taking place during the weekend of the 31st August and the 1st September. Please come along and help us that weekend.

This has been a very busy month for us all. I have been to the following events.

• 2nd Shirley Joint Cub and Beaver Camp at Fernycroft
• 26th Swaythling Cub Campers badge weekend at Ferny Croft
• 13th Millbrook Summer Fayre
• 11th Freemantle Cub Camp at Wilverley
• 25th and 14th Joint Beaver and Cub Camp at Wilverley
• Network camp at Wilverley
• District Emlyn Competition at Braggers Wood {well done every one who participated and congratulations to the 1st Aldermoor for coming out as the district winning patrol)
• Cubs David’s Challenge at Wilverley
• The Race for Life in support of cancer research
• Beaver Logger Head Competition at Wilverley

SUMMER IS HERE!! For those of you going to summer camps have a lovely time and please take care. I hope you all get a chance to take a rest from scouting and spend some time with you friends and families in August and I look forward to September when we do it all again.

Yours in Scouting

Colin Floyd, District Commissioner

A combined evening afloat at Priory Road Hard, St. Denys, started with the blessing of the canoes by the City District Chaplain Chris Davies. This was followed by the launch of the canoes for the first time. Our new GSL Paul Renouf performed this with a shower of Lee’s favourite tipple Spitfire Ale, on the bows. The canoes will ensure that Lee’s memory will live on through the next generations of the group who won’t have met him, but will know of the love and respect still held for him. We like to think that somewhere he was smiling at the fun being had by young people on an evening typical of hundreds like it managed by Lee over the years, although not always in such kind weather!

Enter the rest of the article here. This shows on the page for the news item only, and not on the main news page. (clear this text if you don’t need anything other than the summary section above.

Enter the rest of the article here. This shows on the page for the news item only, and not on the main news page. (clear this text if you don’t need anything other than the summary section above.

District AGM Followed by Barbeque

The City Scout District AGM is being held at the 29th Scout Group HQ 44 -50 Brickfield Road, Portswood, SO17 3AE on Thursday 4th July @ 7pm. Please do come along it is important that every group is present, I will be presenting the Bert Cooke Trophy to the group who has done well this year  so that may be your group so I will see you there!! Uniformed members, please wear uniform. 

Jamboree 2015 – Japan

All the details you need on how to apply to go to the Japan 2015 Jamboree our on the district web site. You will find an application form for you to complete and please provide two referees. You can also go to an information evening at the Itchen North Scout HQ Rampart Road on Sunday 30th June 2013 – at Southampton.

You will need to confirm that you are going to the road show by sending an email to hamjapan2015@gmail.com Please state your name and district in the body of the message. They will then send you further details such as the time of the meeting.
If you decide to apply your application form will require my signature, please contact me and I will meet up with you and explain how we will help you fund raise for the camp and the financial support that the District will award you and talk more about the commitment you will need to give.

Grow your Own Scout Group, Offer the Big Adventure

Scouting in Southampton needs to grow. We all now what the problem is it is a lack of volunteers. I have asked Thelma ADC Group Support to help you with getting your group bigger next year. We will be organising a meeting with you soon to take this initiative forward.

To help you with this I have been presenting every group with a GROW YOUR OWN SCOUT GROUP resource box that has a great deal of resources to help you take forward your group and make it stronger and eventually grow to provide more scouting. Please make sure you ask to look inside the box don’t just stick it in a cupboard. We have also given the groups a vacancy board for you to put in your HQ main entrance. This is to be used by you to advertise any jobs that you need done. It could be you need a new GSL or it could be you just need help at a HQ maintenance day. Use those boards well I will be looking out to see what you are advertising.

We have also purchased some advertising banners and flags if you would like to borrow them for a promotional event please contact me.

I have now attended most of our group’s annual group meetings, these are being well attended by Parents and it is pleasing to see that a few Parents are stepping forward to join the supporting committees. Those is great, but please remember that they all need to be given a job it is no good if they just attend meetings and don’t feel they are contributing, please get them fully involved. Please remember that the recruitment of adults into your groups should happen 24/7 365 days a year not just at the AGM. We need lots more adults so keep asking and asking for help.

We will also this summer be attending a number of fairs and shouting load that we need more adults in our groups and it has proved that our web site is a great way of getting adults to come forward and offer to help us. Graham Mike and Lyn continue to do the magic with getting them cleared and working in our groups.

Lot’s are happening this coming year about recruitment of adults it is our main focus but we need you to help us with this as well you need to ask anyone and everyone that you meet in your groups or outside scouting to get involved. Scouting has a job for most people.

Wilverley District Camp Site

The Wilverley consultation is now closed; the conclusion was very clear, you have said you love the place and want to keep it. We are talking to the Forestry Commission about renewing our license and getting their permission to purchase and have supplied a LPG generator at the site to replace the old Diesel genny. This will be far more efficient and much easier for you all to use. We estimate it will cost approximately 20K to have installed and we intend to have it fitted later this year. That shows very clearly the districts commitment to the site.  Further details of the next camp site maintenance day are to follow.

Scout Badge Arrangements

Please remember that if you need any district badges and for all your badge requirements we now have a badge Secretary much more local to us. Itchen North badge secretary now holds badge nights at Rampart Road Bitterne, (just over Northam Bridge) on 2nd July @ 7pm to 8.30pm. Joanne Collins the new badge secretary will also send you badges if you call her on 07894 865276.

Yours in Scouting,

Colin Floyd, District Commissioner,

Mob Tel 07770364711 or colin.floyd@ntlworld.com