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Tim Kidd has taken up the role of UK Chief Commissioner. Read his letter here.

What a great year we have had!! And next year should be even better.

Congratulations to Sarah Durham and Gary Coen for receiving their 10 year Service Award and to Nico Chart for 20 Years’ service – Very well deserved.

Congratulations to Alice Mintoff and Claire Baker on receiving their wood badge.

A big well done and be proud message to Oli Bills, Josh Smith, Catriona Gibbon who have just completed the Queens Scout Award I am looking forward to the presentation evening and the parade and service at Windsor Palace in front of the Queen. Fantastic

I am delighted to welcome Sarah Granger and Rob Wayman as the Assistant District Commissioners for the Cub Section. I am sure that the cub section will go from strength to strength under their leadership.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Remembrance parade at the Cenotaph or at your local churches and to those that helped with the selling of poppies with the Active Support Unit. You did us proud.

The District swimming gala took place and the group award went to the 14^th Scout Group in Highfield congratulations to them. The event was very well attended and was great fun thanks go to all the groups that took part.

The scout Walkabout competition was great fun and a big well done to the Scouts who took part and to all the leaders for the night exercise. The event was won by the 1^st Scout Troop Well done to them.

The new district web site is launched please take a look at it and Oli and I are looking for suggestions I how we can improve it further. The group pages are well worth developing this is a place to promote your group and shout load how good you are. So please send us LOTS of good news stories about what you have been up too in your groups. We have a new district directory and we are looking to get everyone’s details on the website in a secure area rather than producing a paper copy. That will hopefully be launched early next year.

The Compass data membership system is turning back on in January to me and group scout leaders so we need to get the adult records back up to date especially the clearances that are outstanding. When it goes live please would GSL’s check the records are accurate. If you need a hand with that please ask me or Graham and we will show you.

In January the District and the Hampshire Scouting will be starting the process of appointing the next DC. It is a great job and a good opportunity to shape Southampton Scouting for the next five years. I ask you all to consider taking up the challenge.

BUT………. The National Lottery – # Please Not Him

If anyone would like to talk to me about the DC role before they apply and clarify anything, I am always pleased for you to contact me by email or by phone or in person just ask away.

I hope you all and your families have a wonderful Christmas and a joyous new year See you all in 2016.

Yours in Scouting,

Colin Floyd
District Commissioner

Founders Day 2016, our chance to celebrate the birthday of our Founder of Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell, will be held on Friday 19th February 2016 at the Mansel Park Primary School Culver Close in Millbrook.

After the success of last years celebration kindly led by the 29th Scout Group I would like all the other groups and sections Young Leaders, Explorers, Network and Active Support to consider putting themselves forward to lead next years event – This is your chance to shine!

Please contact Colin before by the 5th January if you are up for the challenge!

Girlguiding is looking for seasonal Trainee Activity Instructors, Activity Instructors, General Assistants and Apprentice Activity Instructors for our Training and Activity Centres.

Our Training and Activity Centres are found at Blackland Farm in West Sussex, Foxlease in the New Forest and Waddow Hall in Lancashire.

Each site offers a range of exciting activities, including team challenges, abseiling, canoeing and more.

It’s not just Girlguiding Units that use the Training and Activity Centres, anyone from school groups to corporate teams, family groups and other non-member parties come to use the exciting range of facilities – but it’s you that can make their trip extra special!

So a positive, outgoing and adventurous personality is essential! If you fancy a challenge and would like to spend your summer outdoors, then working at a Training and Activity Centres could be the job for you.

Find out more on the GirlGuiding Website

I hope that everyone has a really good rest from scouting over the summer and that we are all raring to go again. I have to say I managed to get some rest and I look forward to a great year ahead. For those that took the children on camp over the summer well done and thank you for the time you gave for them. I hope you all had a wonderful time.

We have much to look forward over the next year with the 110 years celebration of the Cub section and our district camp next year being the highlight events. Let us make 2015/2016 great fun.

I would like to say a big thank you to Stuart Ganney for his support over the past five years with the scout section he and I have agreed that due to home commitments he will step down from being ADC Scouts. I really hope that Stuart can return to us in a new role when he is able. I am pleased to welcome Andy Clasby to the role of ADC Scouts. Andy is a very experienced scouter who is very well known in the district and he starts his new role with great energy and enthusiasm I am sure everyone welcomes him to the district team. Andy will be assisted by Andy Sager and Luke Hall who take up the positions of district scout leaders. I wish the new team and all of the scout section a great and rewarding time.

A big congratulations go to Hannah and Sophie Lockwood of the 22^nd Scout Group on being awarded their Chief Scout Gold Award. Very well done to you both and the leaders for a great achievement. Also a huge thankyou and congratulations to the following Leaders for the recognition of the service and training of our adult volunteers:

Ant Wilkinson	15 Year Service	2nd
Cheryl Parker	5 Years Service	2nd
Lesley Murphy	5 Years Service	7th
John Edsall	5 Year Service	11th
Michelle Crooks	5 Year Service	11th
Lewis Gallacher	Wood Badge	22nd
Jennifer Oates	10 Year Service	26th
Ben Mc Donagh	Wood Badge	29th
Kerry Budd	15 Years Service	13th
Linda Westerman	5 Year Service	District
Adrian Norton	Wood Badge	25th
Sarah Durham	10 Years Service	11th
Gary Coen	10 Years Service	22nd

Our next district team /GSL meeting will be taking place at Bevious Town School on Wednesday 7^thOctober 2016 at 7pm. Please put this date in your diary and I will send you an invite soon.

Don’t forget to ask for more adult volunteers, we have a Southampton City wide adult recruitment page if you have anyone at all who would like to get involved in our scouting please refer them to southamptonscouts.org.uk that will tell them of a range of different opportunities to join us and our adventure!! We are also looking to recruit more adults to help us with the Tuesday morning maintenance team at Wilverley. If you know of anyone who would like to get involved please ask them to contact me or Laura Dyer the camp Site Manager. We would love to hear from them.

On a personal note I enter my last year of scouting as my term of office ends on the 27^th July 2016. Some of you have been asking when the new DC will be appointed. That is not a matter for me that is the work of the district and Hampshire Scouting. I continue to hope that an appointment will be made soon to help me over the next year and have a good period for me to pass over the reins so that the change is smooth and beneficial.

That’s about it from me for the moment any queries or concerns or better still good news please get in touch.

Yours in Scouting,

Colin Floyd, District Commissioner,

Mob Tel 07770364711 or colin.floyd@ntlworld.com