Are the Leaders paid?
Everyone involved with the Group does so on a volunteer basis meaning that no one is paid. We are always on the look out for more people to get involved to help spread the load put onto our amazing existing volunteers. You don’t have to give up a huge amount of time or volunteer regularly. If you can only say I can do an hour a month on a random day then we will be able to find a way you can help.
Do we need Parent/Adult Helpers for meeting or events?
We are a volunteering organisation and no one within our group gets paid to be there so it is only through people donating time and effort, we can provide the opportunities to the Young People. As part of the Squirrel, Beaver and Cub sections there is a parent rota in place to provide extra help to support the leadership team. However, if you feel you could help on a specific night in any section feel free to ask to come along and help, we are always wanting new and extra help.
If you have a trade or skill that you feel would help the Young People gain further life skills and are willing to come along and help, please let us know. Or if you would like to help with Maintenance or Fundraising, please also talk to us.
If you have any questions about this you can ask your Section Team, the Group Lead Volunteer (glv@bosscouts.org.uk).
Do we need to bring refreshments?
We ask that you bring a drink along to the meeting a sealable bottle, ideally that is named. This can be water or squash however no fizzy drinks are allowed. You will be given opportunities during the meeting to take regular drinks.
How and when do you get invested into the Scouting?
Your Young Person will be invested into their section once they have had a few weeks to settle in, when the Young Person is invested is up to the leader. In preparation for this ceremony, that Parents/Guardians are welcome to attend, we ask the Young Person to learn the Promise and Law. When they are invested, they will be given their Scarf and Woggle, however we do require that you purchase their Uniform beforehand this can be from the scout store online.
How do I keep my contact details up to date?
Make sure you update OSM if you’ve recently moved, changed your phone number or we need to know about any special requirements you child may have. It’s important that we know so we can make sure we all enjoy our Scouting in a safe way.
How much is subs?
Subs are charged at £18.00 a month which is due on the 1st of every month and is paid 12 months of the year. For new members of the Group the first month of subs is free, we then expect payment on the 1st of every month. For example, if you start in September we would except payment on the 1st October. The subs are used for Capitation and Insurance for each child, upkeep of the hut and materials used each week. There maybe trips or occasions where there will be an added cost which we shall inform you about prior to the event.
We charge Subs through OSM so you when you get an email asking to setup a direct debit soon to pay subs for the next month. When you move up a sections you will need to setup a new direct debit however the payment will be due as soon as you start.
What are our Group T Shirts and Hoodies
We also have our own Group T-Shirts and hoodies which can be worn on Scouting events when formal uniform is not required. There is no requirement to own or purchase one of our T-Shirts or Hoodies and are not uniform. Please see our Shop for more information or ask a leader to see a sample.
What are the General Requirements for the Meetings/Events
We understand that everyone isn’t going to be able to attend every meeting. There are two ways to let us know that your Young Person won’t be able to attend either via OSM or Emailing us. If after 3 weeks of absence without hearing from you, we will send an email to ask if you still wish to attend and if after the 4th week if no communications are received then we will remove you from the section and offer your place to someone else.
There is the exception that every young person that is being dropped off or picked up from a meeting or an event, an adult must bring them to the leadership team and confirm they are happy for them to be left or to go. Once the young person becomes a scout or a young leader, the rules are relaxed around the need for them to be brought to the event/meeting by an adult.
What is the Scouting Uniform?
Scouting is a uniform organisation; the Squirrel uniform is a Squirrel Jumper and Group Scarf; the Beaver uniform is a Beaver Jumper and Group Scarf; Cub uniform is a Cub Jumper and Group Scarf and Scouts is a Scout Shirt and Group Scarf. We as the Group provide the first Scarf and woggle but you have to purchase the jumper/shirt which you can order one from the Scout Shop online. We do have a small selection of second hand uniform that you can purchase for a donation. If any part of the uniform is lost, we require that you pay for the replacements including Scarf/Woggle/Badges. All replacement Scarfs, Woggle and Badges are purchased from the Group.
What to wear to a Meeting?
Your Young Person just needs to wear normal clothes that they can get mucky and play in. Please can you bring a coat and jumper in case we go outside at our hut which may be any week. However, they cannot wear open toe shoes to any section meeting or event. Clothing with Inappropriate and/or football slogans are also not allowed, if your Young Person does arrive with inappropriate clothing or incorrect footwear they will be asked to leave.
What’s OSM?
We use a system called Online Scout Manager (OSM) the system is used by a lot of Scout Groups across the District and County and the UK. The system allows us to securely store your young persons personal information, the necessary health and well being information, emergency contact information. We also use the system to store the badge progress, the termly program and it also allows us to setup events and collect payment through it. We require that you check and update this information regularly.
