Author: Editorial Team

Admittedly the weather hasn’t been good recently, but despite very strong winds, it remained dry until presentation time.  This year there was a special trophy, awarded for the best cricket ball throw (in memory of Mike and Audrey Behan from the 9th who had for so many years run this event for us) and Mike had served on the Sports committee, ever present for meetings and events.

The trophy was donated by Carol Nichols (Secretary) and Doreen Old (Chair) of the Sports Committee and presented (fittingly) to Brandon Goble aged 9 from the 9th by Mike & Audrey’s son Paul, who had helped them for so many years and ran the event with his partner this year and other help.

Results:
1st – 14th Pack
2nd – 22nd Pack

Every Pack had some winners and runners-up.

My sincere thanks to Pat Davies, Pat Rea, Patsy Osborne, George Longhurst, Russell Andrews and his helper, Thelma and all leaders and volunteers who gave their time and efforts in very difficult conditions it was very much appreciated.  Also to Shaun (22nd) for the loan of equipment.

Doreen Old
(Chair) Sports Committee

This will give an increase of an additional 2,408 children in our area who may want to join our scouting. It would not be good if we didn’t forward plan our groups to meet some of that demand. I for one want all children who want to join scouting to be given that opportunity not just a selective few.

So please when I talk about group development it has little to do with the quality of what we offer now it is only about offering what we do to far more young people.

Diamond Jubilee celebrations

Southampton City had the largest contingent in the County attend the Hampshire Scouts Queens jubilee service and parade in Winchester Cathedral.
The event was a huge success and I would like to personally thank all those that came on the coach and represented their groups. You did your group proud.

District Youth Council

Southampton City has been chosen as a pilot district to form our own youth coucil. The aim of the council is to get a bigger voice from the young people in our district and for them to help us shape the scouting for the future. I am plesed to say that Naomi Kench and Fran Upshon have agreed to help lead this initiative with any other young people who are up for the challenge. We will be asking every group to put forward a scout to represent them and also inviting explorers and young leaders to join the council This iniiative will be starting soon so to all you young people please tell me if you would like to get involved. We are also looking to start a hospital group so if that interests you come forward!!

Group Annual General Meetings

I have attended all the group AGM’s and I found the events to be in the main very uplifting and it was great to be given the opportunity to meet the group supporters and the parents of some of the scouts.

I would suggest that if your AGM was a success do the same agasin next year if it was not well supported think of an alternative format that would atracht more parents to come. I find that if you make it a celebration of the year and present awards to the children and offer some food you are more likely to get the parents to come along rather than just provide the business part of the general meeting.

Wilverley

We are holding two Wilverley Maintenance Days this year 14th July and 29th September. I would ask each and every group to come along and help us keep the site to a good standard. Please put those dates in your diaries and promote it amongst everyone in your groups.

I have only received entries from three groups for the wilverley badge competition. The deadline is now been reached so I and the committee will decide soon who has won the competition and the free weekend of camping.

Permission to Camp Forms

If you are planning a summer camp great well done!! But please remember to submit to me your forms giving the full details and just as importantly the list of adults attending the camp. Without my approval you can’t go!! The forms are in the member’s area of the district web site.

Please don’t forget if you need to speak to me with anything your concerned about just give me a call and I am sure I can help you.

Mob Tel 07770364711 or colin.floyd@ntlworld.com

Yours in Scouting

Colin Floyd
District Commissioner
Southampton City Scout District

The District has a very clear five year plan to enhance the scouting in our district. That was formed at our first district development day back in October last year. We have started to work on the key objectives of that plan and we will be helping every group to plan for a better future.

We have introduced a far better district website which is aimed at promoting much more our scouting to the wider community and to improve the communication between us all. The web site needs further work and we are looking for you all to use it to its full potential and to fully promote your groups much more in the coming year.

We have improved the way we recruit, appoint and train and support our leaders and sectional assistants. We now have a much larger appointments committee and we have greatly enhanced the training team. We also now have Thelma as an ADC group support she will be supporting all groups to improve and support you with your development plans next year. I have high hopes that these initiatives will bring many more adults into our groups over the coming year.

We have a greatly improved district camp site at Wilverley and we are spending funds to make it more attractive for you to use and we have a long term project to provide electric to the buildings making it more suitable for you all to hire.

We are in negotiations with the Council to secure most of our scout group headquarters land giving scouting in Southampton a far better security of tenure.

I have tried by being OUT and ABOUT the district to forge close links between groups and the district team and in particular for me to be seen at group events. Can I please thank those of you that have been kind enough to invite me to your activities it is a part of my job that I look forward too and enjoy immensely.

Can I pass on my thanks to you all for being patient with me and for offering me your support and kindness through my first year I am extremely grateful.

The main focus for the next twelve months will be how we can get more adults involved in our scouting.

We must recruit much more and to have a consistent approach to how we welcome adults into our groups and retain them.

Adult recruitment is a job for us all 24/7 365 days of the year.  I would ask you all when was the last time you asked someone to get involved?  For some of you that was recently for some you have never asked. With every adult we can find it gives several young people an opportunity to enjoy the scouting adventure.

The reality is that in Southampton the amount of Children of scouting age is dramatically increasing. To give you some idea the following schools have needed to increase its admission number to meet the demand.

I enjoyed morris dancing because it was very amusing. We had to dance weird but it was great. 

I had a great experience learning how to morris dance and it was a good opportunity to earn my heritage badge.

I enjoyed the music and using the sticks. Some parts were hard and it was really  fun.

It was very complicated with lots of things to remember so we had to practise lots.

We were in groups of four. We embarrassed ourselves by skipping up and down the hall. It was fun though.

Morris dancing is about dancing with colours and sticks.

It was tiring and exhausting. 

We had to choose between a stick of horror or a hankie of Jake.

We got to clash sticks and do a move called bellies. 

We had to do various dances from different places in England that originated in the time of Henry VIII.