Introduction

Group Scout Leader's Report 2008-9

In West Moors we have a Scout Group to be proud of, providing challenging, fun activities and opportunities for adventure. This is, as I'm sure you are aware down to the hard work of a dedicated team of leaders who give their time freely because they believe in the value of Scouting. Please do remember to thank them from time to time.

I'm not so involved hands on as I once was but when I've joined the Scouts for rifle shooting, helped out at the Cubs Christmas party, joined the Beaver Scouts on outings, attended Remembrance or St Georges Day Parades, I've been very proud of our young people.

Parents are important to the Scout Group too. As well as supporting your sons and daughters to come along to the myriad of events held, you can help out in valuable ways such as with the maintenance of our meeting place. Paul Tuttiett in particular needs a vote of thanks this year due to all his work helping us to make the hall accessible for disabled young people, their parents and visitors. Nigel Willmot too for fundraising via the gift aid scheme (see p7 for further details) and 100 club. We are very grateful for the help of parents and exec members at our recent maintenance day and am sure that you have been impressed with the exterior new coat of paint and spring (well mid summer) clean. We have other plans for refurbishment over the coming year.

Each year we ask for volunteers to join our executive committee to represent the views of parents in setting fees, promoting the Scout Group in the village, planning for the upkeep of the hall and enlisting the support of other parents when needed. If this is a role that you could help with we would be very keen to hear from you. We are in particular needing to recruit someone who could take minutes (approximately 6 times per year) and write an occasional letter as our Group Secretary.

I am grateful for the support of Peter Evetts and Terry Aggett who act as Chairman and Treasurer respectively in the past year. My nomination for Chairman in the coming year is for Peter to continue his role and ask you to confirm your approval by completing the relevant section of the enclosed form. The role of Group Treasurer is an elected role. Terry is willing to continue and will need your vote to re elect him to the position. Other nominated executive members for the following year are: Barry Bezer, Nigel, and Paul Tuttiett. Vacancies for the following elected positions are:

Group Secretary, Beaver Scout parent rep, Cub Scout parent rep, Scout parent rep.

Please continue to read the various reports within this booklet to gain a full picture of our work. A form is included with this report for your queries, comments, nominations.

Yours in Scouting,

Lynne Anderson, GSL

As you can see from the balance sheet we finished the year with just over £1000 excess of income over expenditure. This was mainly due to the efforts of all the people who organised fund raising events, the business and individuals that made donations and Nigel's efforts in getting the gift aid from the Inland Revenue.

Hopefully with your help next year will be as successful.

My Nomination for Auditer is Mr T. Nazier

T R Aggett

Group treasurer

Group Executive Chairman's report

Last year the Exec has been working hard to secure a meeting place for the Scout Group.

Having spent many years looking at alternative sites around the village to base our Head Quarters it has become clear that all the alternatives sites would either be outside our ability to fund or the land available was not suitable. Therefore the Exec has negotiated with our current Landlords (East Dorset Housing Association) for an extension to our current lease for a further 50 years.

We would hope that over the next year (our current lease runs out in 2012) we will complete the legal documents.

Therefore we are commencing work on improving our current Headquarters. You may have notices we have built a disabled toilet and will be converting the two current cubicles to multi sex toilets. This work will be completed over the next few months. The outside of the building is being painted, with a special paint kindly donated by ECM based in Three Legged Cross industrial estate. All this work has been completed with volunteers from the Group and we thank them all for their hard work.

We will need to recover the floor in the main hall as it has reached the end of its useful live and completely redecorate the interior of the building. Any one that could help should let the Leaders know and we will then communicate when the next working weekend is arranged.

Even though we plan to carry out the decorating ourselves the flooring will need to be professionally carried out. Therefore we will need to raise the funds, so your continued support to our social and fund raising events will be greatly appreciated .

Peter Evetts

1st West Moors Beavers

2008-2009

Over the past year the Beavers have gained many badges, including Faith, Healthy Eating, Safety, Experiment, IT, Imagination and most recently Hikes Away. I am pleased to report that all Beavers going on to Cubs have achieved their six Challenge Badges and been awarded their Chief Scouts Bronze Award.

We visited the Safety Centre, Avon Heath for a Bat walk (very wet soggy day) and pond dipping, also with Ferndown Beavers they learnt to play Squash, we attended the district outings to Adventure Wonderland both summer and winter (we managed to lose Sunshine [Lynne] in the maze!!)

It's great to have two new leaders Chip [Kath] and Chatter [Kyle] as they are very enthusiastic with lots of new ideas and have almost finished their Wood Bead training.

We thank Ringtail [Lisa] for her hard work over the last two years and have said our goodbyes as she has now left us, but we have welcomed Bubbles [Donna].

Hawkeye [Matthew] has gone from a young leader to a helper and is thinking of going into uniform and we thank him for his continued help.

Rusty [James] joins us most weeks when not working and has introduced some great new games and the 'Treasure Box'! which all the Beavers enjoy.

We have 25 Beavers, of which there is only ONE girl, and hopefully some more girls will join us in September.

Thank you to all the Parents for helping on the rota over the last year.

As always thanks to Terry for looking after our money for us, and Steve and John for all the photocopying.

Malak [Liz]

Vikings Cub Pack

The last year has again been a very busy one for us with the Pack, made up now of mainly new Cubs, and standing at 18 boys on the role.

We joined with the District at Buddens farm for a camp at the beginning of May last year surviving a very hot two days, This camp was enjoyed with a great variety of activities on offer to all.

We have attended all the District events, and our Cubs have enjoyed participating in swimming, indoor games and handicraft meeting up with other Packs from the district..

We have undertaken a lot of badge work during the year and the Cubs have achieved the following :

Emergency Aid : 1, Sports Enthusiast : 1, Swimming : 5, Fitness Challenge : 1,

Outdoor Challenge : 8, Athletes : 8, Camper : 10, Nights Away : 10 : Book Reader : 1

Animal Lover : 1, Cyclist : 4, Artist : 3, Home Help : 6, Martial Arts : 1 Hobbies ; 1, Collector ; 1,

Music : 2, Chief Scouts Silver Award : 6 .

Our plans for the future include a Pack camp at the end of May 2010. Other activities planned are for an evening in the Avon Park trail laying, map reading etc., an evening at Moors Valley with a weekend Group camp planned for October.

I thank all of our Parents, the District Team and Group Executive for their support during the year.

I must also thank Liz and Nic for all of their hard work during this year on behalf of the Pack.

John M Milward

Cub Scout Leader

1st West Moors Scout Troop
Annual Report 2008/09 The troop currently has 24 scouts who regularly attend troop meetings. We currently have 4 young ladies in the troop.

We have based our programme over the past year on and around the traditional skills within scouting including map and compass, knotting and pioneering, cooking, knife and axe.

The ever popular Pinewood Racers were part of our spring programme together with the making and firing of pop guns. Sorry mum's if the came home and started using your hairspray and blowing up the toilet rolls!

We have been working on our Outdoor Challenge, Fitness Challenge, Chef's, Model Makers, Crafts, Cyclist and Athletes Badges.

Other Troop activities have included:

Bridge Building
Cap-Handi
Beach BBQ
Mini Olympics
Treasure Hunt
Casino Night
Film Night
Yule Logs
Wide Games

Members of the troop participated in the following District Events;

Patrol Leader Training Camp
Rifle Shooting
Medieval Experience Camp
Skills Day, Wimborne St.Giles
Canoeing and Rafting
St.George's Day
Archery
Swimming Gala

Almost a year ago Patrick moved away to pastures new but has stayed in contact and whenever possible he comes along to assist us.

Kath, one of our Beaver Leaders has also been assisting, help that is most appreciated.

Jonathan has been appointed District Scout Leader a role that he performs well.

Many thanks to Jonathan, Nick, Kath and Patrick for their assistance each week and to all the support given to us by Leaders and Exec members.

Almost a year ago Patrick moved away to pastures new but has stayed in contact and whenever possible he comes along to assist us.

Kath one of our Beaver Leaders has also been assisting, help that is most appreciated.

Jonathan has been appointed District Scout Leader a role that he performs well.

Many thanks to Jonathan, Nick, Kath and Patrick for their assistance each week and to all the support given to us by Leaders and Exec members.

Steve Leach

Scout Leader

Did you know about our 100-1 club draw?

As part of our Group's fund raising activities we run a 100-1 club draw each month. For only £1 per month for each number you can help support our Scout Group and be in with a chance of winning one of our cash prizes.

Every month we pay three prizes.

These are taken from half of the 100-1 club income; the remaining half goes toward the running costs for the group.

Should you wish to join please contact one of the leaders for an application form.

GOOD LUCK!

Registered Charity: 285736 | East Dorset small lotteries registration no: LO0065

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION

The Subscription for April 2009 to March 2010 will again be £96. The costs are made up of two parts.

1) Annual Membership of the National Scout Association (which includes insurance).

2) The Group charge, which funds the facilities and the materials required to run each week.

Your Payment can be made either:

Annually (£96 per child) in April 09

or

At the start of each term (£32 per child)

April '09, September '09 and January '10.

GIFT AID

The Scout Group is able to claim Gift Aid on your payment of subs. We are able to reclaim any income tax you have paid on the value of the subs. Last year we were able to reclaim over £700 of your taxes back form HM Customs and Revenues. This does not cost you anything and will not affect your income tax allowances. If you are a UK Tax payer please complete the Gift Aid form, which will be given to you.

A Date for Your Diary!

1st West Moors "24 hr" Group
Camp 2009
Saturday 10th October, 2pm -
Sunday 11th October 2pm

Here's an opportunity to join us at camp and see what we get up to!

We have booked the Pack HolidayCentre and field at Butchers Coppice Campsite, Holloway Avenue / Duck Lane, Bournemouth for these dates and would like young people and if possible their families to join us.

We will run activities on a Wild West Theme (including shooting, archery, climbing, craft and experience Baloo's tepee) and later, after a sing song around the campfire there'll be a pow wow for mums, dads and leaders.

Cost-£15 per person to include;

All activities, Saturday evening meal,supper, Sunday breakfast and lunch.

Caravans or family tents welcome.

Children who are not members of the Group will be more than welcome to join us but will remain the responsibility of their parents at all times.

Thank you

STOP PRESS!

1st West Moors Scout Group
Golden Jubilee Celebrations 2010
Proposed calendar of events.

Spring Term

Family social event (March)

Summer Term

Fundraising event and BBQ (June)

Goose 2010 Camp (August)

Autumn Term (Sepetember)

Service of Thanksgiving for fifty years of Scouting in West Moors
followed by a celebratory tea party for current and former members.

If you would like to help to organise or help at one of these events, please speak to Lynne, Steve, John or Liz