Leatherhead District Scout Council

­PRESIDENT David King DISTRICT­COMMISSIONER Malcolm McKee DEPUTY­DISTRICT­COMMISSIONERS Stuart Kidd Fiona Page ASSISTANT­DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS Beaver Scouts Stuart Kidd Cub Scouts David Brain Scouts Andy Marlow Operations Fiona Page DISTRICT­EXPLORER­SCOUT­COMMISSIONER Julie Bird DISTRICT­BEAvER­SCOUT­LEADERS Emily Brown Francesca Reynolds Caroline Uncles DISTRICT­SCOUT­LEADERS­ Samuel Baker Alison Anderson DISTRICT­EXPLORER­SCOUT­LEADER Parag Patel DISTRICT­YOUTh­COMMISSIONER Elizabeth Page DISTRICT­ChAPLAIN Sue Lawrence ADMINISTRATORS CHAIR Benita Middleton TREASURER Sue Wall SECRETARY Stephen Moss APPOINTMENTS CHAIRMAN Richard Holmes APPOINTMENTS SECRETARY Eric Harlow QUARTERMASTER Oliver Thornton SCOUTLOOK EDITOR Jenny Harlow MEDIA MANAGER Adam Plowden SASU MANAGER Avril Lobjoit BADGE SECRETARY David Wall SCOUT SHOP MANAGER Christine Davis BOIDIER HURST CHAIRMAN Colin Thomas EXECUTIvE­COMMITTEE David King Benita Middleton Sue Wall Malcolm McKee Lizzie Page Stephen Moss Avril Lobjoit Jenny Harlow Eric Harlow Julie Bird

Many thanks to all contributors of the cover pictures © MMXIX Leatherhead & District Scout Council. Layout and printing Jones’ Creative Services of Leatherhead - KEEP UP!...KEEP ON SCOUTING! www.jonescreative.co.uk District Commissioner’s Report I am delighted to submit my third report as District Commissioner of Leatherhead District. It is a district which is delivering fantastic programmes to a large number of young people, which is highly visible in the communities it serves, and has fantastically skilled and committed volunteers. It is also recognised as contributing positively to Scouting at county level by supporting county events with key media team members and event support staff, as well as delivering training courses in rare skill-sets. Helping me to discharge my accountabilities I have a great team of senior uniformed volunteers, each group has a committed and skilled Group Scout Leader, and I am fortunate to be working with a fantastic team of Assistant District Commissioners and District Scouters who run our operations, organise District-level events and assist in the delivery of programme at section level, as well as an active and engaged District Explorer Scout Commissioner, and District Youth Commissioner. This is also a time to pay tribute to members of the District Executive Committee who have managed the District’s affairs with skill and dedication for many years. This team is expertly led by Benita Middleton in her role as Chairman and I would like to personally thank her for her advice and support. Stephen Moss, our secretary, has made a superb contribution to the smooth running of the district and in particular organising the AGM and putting together this report. I would also like to recognise that the hardest job in the executive is the Treasurer, and would like to thank Sue Wall for her diligence and all of her help in a year in which we have continued to bring budgets and finances across the district under control. We remain committed to the development plan that I have agreed with the County Commissioner including growing the district, investing in premises, improving the processes for appointing new volunteers, and revamping district events. Each of the section teams has been working hard to offer high quality experiences and some notable examples have been a district- wide beaver camp, the cub fishing competition, and the Wayfinder competition at Scout level. Also this year we will be offering a district-wide explorer overnight incident hike - with the opportunity to win the coveted “golden flip-flop”. It is great to see our significant explorer population working together to plan and deliver what promises to be an awesome event. The World Scout Jamboree represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young people in Scouting and the 7 young people we selected and supported in their jamboree journey have recently returned from the USA and are fizzing with excitement and possibility, eager to share their stories, volunteer their time and pass on what they have learned to the next generation. The inspiration and commitment that the jamboree gives the young people pays us back many times over for our initial support. I am truly proud of what we achieve in Leatherhead District, and this is absolutely down to the volunteers that make it happen day after day, week after week. To all of you, from me, a heartfelt thanks for everything you do.

Malcolm McKee - District Commissioner District Chairman’s Report On behalf of all the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and their parents or carers I would like to thank all leaders, section assistants and group executive members for all their efforts in providing exceptionally high quality Scouting across the district throughout the past year. Headquarters and County speak about Scouting providing #Skills for Life. We are very lucky in Leatherhead District to have numbers of well-qualified leaders, with more joining all the time, who provide varied and exciting programmes for the young people giving them the opportunity as they move through the sections to develop skills for life in the “real world”. Scouting allows young people to learn how to assess risk for themselves and to plan and organise meetings or trips/camps for themselves so learning how to be independent and to budget whilst giving them self-confidence. All very important life skills. Numbers in the District have shown a slight increase in numbers of young people over the last year which is against the trend in Surrey which overall showed a decrease in numbers. Most groups have a waiting list and for Scouting to be available for more boys and girls then new younger sections are needed. Numbers in the Scout section are lower but the Explorer numbers are growing rapidly. Leatherhead District funds are supplemented each year by monies from badge sales and the Scout Shop. We would like to thank the new team of Christine Davis & Fiona Bacon who have taken on the role of running the District Scout Shop and are introducing new methods of payment and placing orders. The District continues to support attendance at both County & District events with financial contributions, and also provides the District ADCs with funds to run District events. We have also taken on funding OSM for all Groups/sections and also Group websites including upgrades to include the new branding. This allows the District to present a uniform on-line presence. There are also bursaries available for leaders wishing to complete training for specific activity permits. Boidier Hurst Scout Camp Site, jointly owned by Epsom & Ewell and Leatherhead Districts is continually being improved and developed by a dedicated service crew which could benefit from more support from Leatherhead. It is a superb resource available for use at weekends and for evening meetings March – November each year at no charge to the sections. The District levy is paid for from District funds. Scoutlook is our District quarterly “magazine” ably produced by Jenny Harlow and has been growing and growing. It is a great showcase for all the marvellous things our Scout groups and sections get up to. It is only as good as the contributions received and I would like to thank all leaders who have contributed and Jenny for compiling such a great advert for Scouting. Finally I would like to thank the executive committee members for all their hard work throughout the year and to remind Group Executives that we are here to help. Benita Middleton – District Chair

Leatherhead 1 District Explorers

Census

Ashtead 82 Explorers

Bookham 29 Explorers

Fetcham 14 Explorers

Leatherhead 12 Explorers

PESU 10 Explorers

Ashtead – Numbers have grown to 82 on the January census and have are now levelling out at around 75. They have opened the Unit on a second night so that they can be split to help manage numbers. The Unit has found additional support from the other Units but continues to look for additional Leaders. 5 Ashtead Explorers are going to the Jamboree this summer. Summer 2018 was spent touring Italy staying in Youth Hostels and travelling by train. We have just had our annual Chill Out Camp at Walton Firs and we also attended Gilwell 24 and Theme Park Camp, both national Explorer camps in 2018 and will be going again this year. Awards have been gained by several Explorers.

1st Bookham – Held a very successful presentation evening attended by one of the County Team. One of the Explorers was presented with their Queens Scout Award. They are running a great programme and they are continuing to have good attendance. One of the Explorers will be attending the Jamboree this Summer. Summer Camp was in Cornwall which included leadership expeditions, fishing trips, speedboats, a visits to Minack Theatre, Land’s End and St Michael’s Mount. A first was the Segway! Easter was spent in Brecon Beacons with crystal blue sky! They took part in expeditions and visited the climbing centre. October was a camp in Kent with hiking and go-carts. They recently had a speaker who was a body guard to Princess Di, William and Princess Margaret.

1st Fetcham – Martin, Dave and Nick are now in place as Leaders for 1st Fetcham Explorers. They are meeting on alternate weeks for an initial phase and numbers have started to grow. They have done various activities including a visit to the local Indian Restaurant to see how curries are made.

1st Leatherhead – With the departure of Kim as ESL, Will Porter has taken over the role, he has completed his Wood Badge training. The District will be supporting him on a Monday night for the foreseeable future until we have been able to recruit additional Leaders. Last year they took part in Norjam, an international camp based in the UK. They have been able to share activities at Ashtead and have now done Archery and Climbing. Human Hungary Hippos was a great way to get the new look Unit started .

PESU –Rik and Luke have taken over the running of the Unit and have introduced a varied programme of activities. They have revamped their logo and have now got their own scarves and hoodies. The Unit is starting to grow in numbers and has an Explorer going to the Jamboree. They also took part in Gilwell 24 and Theme Park Camp. The evenings have included “Masterchef”, Archery, Lazerquest and bowling.

All Units now have partnership agreements with their Groups and all have a leader in place. We have also had District Explorer meetings and we are now able to share resources. Geoff has taken on the role of coordinating the QSA before final sign off by Martin. We are busy planning our Golden Flip Flop Challenge later this year.

Young Leaders – The YL training is taking shape and we have set up a District register of YL’s on OSM. A team of leaders has been put together to help deliver the training, we are always happy to welcome additional help so we can spread the load and deliver more frequent sessions. We are planning a YL social in July to begin the role out.

Julie Bird – District Explorer Scout Commissioner 2 Leatherhead District Scouts

Here is a roundup of the year in Scouting.

Summer 2018 Was a great summer for Scouting in the District. Lots of the Troops ventured out and about for summer camp including Kix, the Surrey Scouts expedition to Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland. Scouts and Leaders experienced their first camp outside the UK and for some, their first trip abroad without their parents. The district have agreed when this trip next takes place we will look to take even more Scouts and aim to fill 2 coaches of Leatherhead Contingent!

PLANET is our PL and APL training weekend in September. Scouts took part in various exercises to test their leadership and organisation skills. This weekend was particularly challenging because of the weather however the Scouts who took part hopefully appreciated how difficult it can be to be a leader and how plans need to change.

This year’s District Expedition Challenge was the biggest and most successful yet, with 35 Scouts taking part over the weekend! Teams of Scouts planned their routes between the starting point; Newdigate, all the way to Boidierhurst campsite where they would be camping for the night. They also had to plan their food for the two days (cooking on trangia or over fire) and repack their bags with the camping equipment. Scouts that took part gained their expedition challenge badge after two days of walking, In some cases this was enough for them to finish of their Chief Scout Gold Award. The Highest award in the Scout section.

The District Scout Wayfinder Competition camp was at the beginning of May. This camp should not be seen as a camp that needs to be won, or a camp that if you feel you are not “good enough” you should not enter. It is designed to help Scouts understand where their skill levels are and what skills they might want to go away and learn more about. Every Scout that has taken part should have gone away from the weekend not only enjoying the weekend but understanding what skills they might want to brush up on. 3rd Bookham took home the crown this year? Who will challenge them next year?

We rounded off this year with Scouts from around the district visited the famous home of codebreaking at Bletchley Park, 75 years since the D-Day Invasion. The day began with visiting the museum, followed by a codebreaking masterclass that the Scouts really enjoyed. They even got to use an original Enigma machine! The Scouts enjoyed a guided tour of the grounds and I would highly recommend a visit.

Also this year, We have had the opening of a second Scout troop in Effingham. This troop has a set of Scouts that are bussed in from St Teresa’s school each week. This is great for the Group as it brings in a new stream of young people that previously would not have not access to Scouting.

As ADC Scouts I get the honour of going around the district and chatting to all the Scouts that have achieved their Chief Scout Gold Award. The Chief Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Scout can achieve. I have handed out 17 this year and I hope I can hand out more than that next year.

Andrew Marlow – Assistant District Commissioner (Scouts)

3 Leatherhead District Cub Scouts

We have 11 Packs in the District, and are extremely fortunate that their Leaders all work so hard to provide active, challenging and enjoyable programmes both outdoors and in, including of course, camps – in many cases two a year - and to support this we run a range of activities at District and County level. We had two new Akelas this year: Adrienne Jones took over at 1st Bookham Oak (Justine Devereux having retired after 8 years) and Chris Brown took over at 1st Effingham (as Helen Watkinson became GSL). Many thanks to those who have moved on, and best wishes to those taking over!

1st Bookham Ash ran a Scrapheap Challenge in the autumn which proved as popular as ever as the Cubs demonstrated their ingenuity and imagination – and had loads of fun tramping all over the leftover scrap to compact it at the end.

A quiz was again organised across the county for the Cubs. Winning sixes from the participating packs (almost all of them!) entered our District heat and the team from 1st Fetcham Centenary Pack went on to represent us creditably at the County final.

In March we had a fantastic District outing to the RAF museum in London which everyone enjoyed immensely despite the rather mixed weather. As well as going around (and, where permitted, climbing over and going in) and/or operating (mechanically and/or electronically) all the exhibitions, we all had an exciting flight with the Red Arrows in the 4D cinema; the cinema wasn’t that big, requiring so many sessions for us that I was beginning to wonder if some paranoid bank software would lock my credit card up; fortunately, it didn’t. Over 150 from all the Packs in the District went, completely filling three coaches. Both Cubs and adults had a great time, the Cubs made serious inroads into the Air Activity badge and some Dads were threatening to go back again on their own!

A team from 1st Bookham Oak represented us at the County cooking final, coming a very creditable second; well, I guess we need to let the other Districts win occasionally.

The ever-popular Badge Day, where Cubs can pass up to three badges, was organised by 1st Ashtead with their customary efficiency, supported by leaders and parents from across the District. Numbers were up on the previous year with over 180 badges successfully achieved.

It having proven to be so popular, we again had a fishing competition, organised by Emily Brown and her father and ably arranged by Leatherhead & District Angling Society, and assorted teams of experienced and novice anglers competed, clearly enjoying themselves in what must be the quietest District Cub activity ever!

It’s been a great privilege over the year working with so many dedicated and active Leaders, Assistants and other helpers, all determined to make sure that Cub Scouting in Leatherhead is a great experience for all the boys and girls who join, and that they take away something worthwhile for the rest of their lives. My heartfelt thanks to you all – and a second helping of gratitude to those who ran one (or more!) of the District events through the year.

David Brain - Assistant District Commissioner (Cub Scouts) 4 Leatherhead Beavers

New Colony

On 10th September 2018 a new colony was opened at 1st Leatherhead under the excellent leadership of Emily Brown. The expansion has given around 40 new young people to join the Scouting adventure this has been possible with a new partnership between 1st Leatherhead and 1st Ashtead.

Bazzaz

In 2018 we took 3 coaches of beavers to Bazzaz. This is a county funday for Beavers and now rainbows. Many of the Districts Beavers enjoyed a fun day of games, play and Scouting in glorious sunshine hosted by the Agricultural college at Merrist Wood. Many thanks to all the leaders that supported this fantastic event and the leaders that provided their assistance on the day.

Scrap heap Challenge

In October last year 1st Leatherhead HQ hosted the first Beavers scrap heap challenge. 3 Groups, 6 colonies took part and was judged by the DC who pick the best entries not knowing who had created them this lead to a joint win for 3rd Bookham Gold beavers and Oak colony from 1st Leatherhead.

Beaver Badge Day

This inaugural day was again well supported members from 5 groups, 6 colonies attended and many Beavers successfully had many badges completed and validated including Cyclist, musician and sports badges. Many thanks to Caroline, Francesca, Emily and Debs for the support on the day. Thank you to 1st Effingham for hosting.

2019/20

I hope to expand on these recent events over the coming 12 months. I will be offering these District events as annual opportunities but will be offering a District Beaver camp in July with a magic theme which is already in high demand from 10 of the districts 12 colonies but hopefully more events for the Districts beavers, including water events.

Thank you to all there section Leaders, their GSL’s, assistants and supporters for always making me welcome when I visit, providing me with programmes, ideas and your participation as part of a wider District team. Finally, Thank you to Emily Simlins Brown for her continued and ongoing support. 5 1st Ashtead (Pelham) Scout Group

It gives me great pleasure to submit my annual report for 2019 as Group Scout Leader of 1st Ashtead Scout Group. This is my eighth annual report in this role and my penultimate one as I will be handing over the reins of 1st Ashtead to a new Group Scout Leader in 2020. This has been a year in which we have continued to deliver against our twin goals of increasing the numbers of young people involved in our programmes, and the quality of the programmes we deliver. More young people than ever are enjoying Scouting within our own headquarters. In particular, our explorer unit has grown by 30 members and now splits across two nights. We have also partnered with 1st Leatherhead to open a new beaver colony at their headquarters - offering Scouting to 25 more young people. On delivery of the outdoor activities which are at the core of our programme we have continued to go from strength to strength. Our new storage sheds for canoeing and kayaking have made a massive difference in the ease with which we can deliver paddle sports to groups of up to 30 young people at one time. My heartfelt thanks to sponsors, donors and to our committee for delivering this amazing facility. And it is absolutely being used, an average of three nights per week for the summer term and more than 40 separate paddling sessions. We currently have five active permit holders for kayaking and canoeing and are training a group of more than 12 leaders across the district with an aim to obtaining more permits. Our climbing wall is also being more frequently used than before, and this is also a result of adult training and a new group of eight permit holders across the district. We also continue to be a centre of excellence in delivering bush craft and survival skills, and this year lead our ninth annual training course for leaders across Surrey. At this stage it only remains for me to pay tribute to the amazing team of leaders and committee we have at 1st Ashtead. The sheer talent and commitment from the whole team is brilliant, and we have developed a culture of just getting on and delivering that is hugely refreshing in any organisation and a very rare thing in a Scout group. .

Malcolm McKee - Group Scout Leader

1st Bookham Scout Group

The young people of Bookham continue to enjoy Scouting through a dedicated, experienced, stable team of leaders. There have only been a few changed to the team this year. Justine Devereux decided that it was time for a change and become ASBL with the Heron Colony team, whilst Adrienne Jones stepped up to become Oak Pack’s Akela. We are always delighted when our former Scouts become leaders and this year the Greville Scout Troop team has been strengthened by four former Scouts who are now Young Leaders. The Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers have enjoyed a wide range of activities from camping to cooking. The Sections also enjoyed taking part in the variety of events offered by the District and County including the annual St George’s Day event. Campfire Carols was thoroughly enjoyed in December and the hall is booked for this year. The leaders continue to be supported by the Executive Committee under the chairmanship of Chris Sheppard, aided by Treasurer, Adrian Barton, Membership Secretary John Dennett and Ros Allen. The Group continues to search for a Secretary. Under the chairmanship of Geoff Tranter the Headquarters, shared with 3rd Bookham, continues to be a Scouting Centre that is the envy of many other Scout Groups across the country. The dedication of John Humphreys ensures that the hall continues to be self-funding due to the number of regular week day and weekend bookings. The hall now has a defibrillator, and recently acquired a range cooker. The Centre was given a tidy up and clean by a working party of leaders and parents earlier this year. Thank you to all the Leaders, Assistants, Young Leaders, Executive Committee and helpers who continue to run great activities and put in many hours to ensure excellent Scouting for the young people of Bookham and we look forward to many more successful years of activities. Christine Whale - Group Scout Leader

6 3rd Bookham Scout Group

We have all been very this busy year, recruiting and taking part in lots of great activities. This cannot happen without all the Leaders, Exec and the support from the parents to make great experiences for all our members. A lot of our Explorers are young leaders either in our group or other local groups. Hopefully they will decide to stay on at 18 and become leaders. We continue to be seen a lot in the community again this year which I feel is very important and want to continue. We are very active on Facebook, showing Bookham what all the sections get up to and using it for recruiting, which is working really well. We are recruiting more members from outside of Scouting which is great. Beavers have been working hard on badges including Builder, Gardener, Hikes, Nights Away, Book Reader and the challenge badges. Seven beavers gained their Bronze Awards. They took part in Remembrance Parade, Beavers Go Wild and lots of other exciting activities. Our Cub Pack is growing rapidly, we have also gained more leaders to help. The pack have camped at Gilwell with 7th Bristol and 1st Great Notley. At PACCAR Elements camp they won best dressed site and dressed up as pirates. They have been working on Road Safety, Air Activities, Local Knowledge, First Aid Badges plus others. Scouts have also been busy doing lots of camps, from local campsites to Kandersteg. They have been taking part in pioneering, bush craft, fire lighting, internet safety and working on their Astronautics and Mechanics badges. They have taken part in District events and had a joint meeting with 1st Molesey taking part in Navigation and Target Sports day. We look forward to an active and productive year ahead, making great memories for all our members. Karen Wheeler – Group Scout Leader 1st Effingham Scout Group We were very lucky to be offered several donations of equipment over the last year for which we are extremely appreciative. The young people are very happy to be using the canoe. Our District Commissioner was very supportive in getting the canoe water ready. The canoe has been used on several occasions already. Beavers Our Beaver colony has been up to from a very full and varied programme, put together by Francesca and the Beaver assistant leaders. Our colony had a new member who is extremely special, Barry the Beaver has had many trips home with our Beavers and made it to several of the camps, he can be seen in the photos from Beavers Go Wild. The Beavers have enjoyed several camps. There was a joint Beaver and Cub hike camp ending at Ranmore Common campsite. Visiting Polesden Lacy House on the way. At Beavers ‘GoWild’ they made woggles, assisted the fire team with the water hose, sang songs around the campfire, to name a few of the activities. Cubs Before their Joint Hike with the Beavers the Cubs learnt about filtration to ensure that the water drank was suitable, they made Biltong using a de-hydration machine and learnt about the best fires to build for warmth or cooking on. They also practiced putting up and taking down the patrol tents. Later on they learnt about lashing and practiced knots for Shelter building and also emergency shelters, the question was asked how many Cubs you could get into an 8 person emergency shelter they fitted all “23” At St George’s Day Parade Benjamin was presented with his Chief Scout Silver Award. The highest award for a Cub to achieve. Scouts Our Scouts have been very busy. They have taken part in several expeditions, camps and skills events. They’ve learnt about knife, axe and saw safety. How to grade and store wood for camp fire. They have wired a plug, done some plumbing, bike maintenance, pioneering projects to name a few activities. Helen Watkinson - Group Scout Leader

7 1st Fetcham Scout Group

1st Fetcham Scout Group continues to prosper. As always, our Leaders and helpers have put a great deal of hard work and effort into providing our young people with full and active programmes for all the sections. Activities during this year have included all the usual Scouting activities along with a Beaver trip to Brooklands museum and a flight on Concorde as part of their air activities badge, our C.A.O.S. Group family camp, Cub Camps, District Beaver and Cub badge days, various District events, a bat walk at Polesden Lacey, Summer Camps, Gardening activities in conjunction with Squires garden centre, Expeditions and Scout Flying Experiences. Achievements during the year have included a good number of Chief Scouts Awards at all levels. A mammoth haul of certificates, medals and trophies for a variety of shooting events including Surrey County Individual air rifle championships, the District Shooting competition and National events and a District Cub Cross Country medal Leaders who have joined us during the year are Caroline Uncles (BSL for Hawks Colony) who transferred to us from 52nd Plymouth, Debra Parker (BSL for Bocketts Colony), Joanne Lloyd-Aziz (ABSL for Norbury Colony), Emma McCready (ACSL – Downs Pack), Gabriel Kern and Laura Souch (Section assistants for Scouts) Community events for the Group and the wider community have included the annual Fetcham Festival, a St Georges Day Event, various events at Squires garden centre, St Mary’s churchyard working parties, Remembrance Day, a Community Panto, ‘Crafternoon’ tea events, Pop up restaurant for Valentines, helping the wider community with external events ie, firework marshalling and marquees for events. On a wider community level we have linked with some Scouts in The Gambia and donated various badges to them. The project to build a new meeting place for Scouts in Fetcham is nearing reality. The aim is to start building in the spring of 2020. Along with the youngsters, all the adults have had just as much fun and are rightly proud of 1st Fetcham’s achievements this year. I would like to say a big thank you to all of the Leaders, Young leaders, Executive Committee members, Project HQ team and all our supporters who have helped the Group during the year. No matter how great or small your contribution has been it has been much appreciated. Anita Chamberlain – Group Scout Leader 1st Leatherhead Scout Group

In 2018 1st Leatherhead went through some big changes some were very positive and some not so as a result of the less positive the group was unfortunately was left without a leadership team. In November I was asked by the DC to become GSL and take over on a temporary basis and make sure of one thing, that the Scouting was secure both now and moving forward. I would like to thank Emily, Sue at Beavers Jacqui now Mike at Cubs and Tom at Scouts who have lead their Leaders and supporters through this time. Their efforts in continuing the journey of the young people in Scouting have been resolute not only that they have worked hard with me in maintaining Scouting and bring growth to the group. I would also like to thank all the non-Scouters Katie, Steve and Anna who have stepped up and provided support not only to myself but to the whole Scouting team. Not only have they helped to make sure the Scouters have what they need but also see the group in to a new era of growth giving 1st Leatherhead better foundation on which to continue. Beavers 6 to 8 years 1st Leatherhead now has 2 colonies, Oak the existing Monday colony and Chestnut which now offers a second Beaver provision on a Tuesday. In partnership with 1st Ashtead the group has been able to give a Scouting opportunity to almost 40 new beavers aged 6 to 8 since September 2018. Both colonies have been on new adventures and making friends by having a joint sleepover at 3rd Bookham and taking part in events like Beavers go wild at Bentley Copes and district events such as Beaver Badge day and the Scrapheap Challenge in October. Cubs 8 to 10 years The cub pack is under new leadership as Mike Tester has offered to become the new Akela. Mike is taking over from Jacqui Ball who after many years of fantastic service has decided to retire from being section leader. Cubs have also been on their adventure including a visit to The RAF museum in Hendon and very soon will be heading off to a weekend camp.

8 Scouts 10 to 14 years After the departure of the Scout & Group Scout Leader, Tom Simons has not only stepped up but also has made the Scouts section even better. He has led the Scout section team and looked to improve the all-round Scouting experience that the young people can get by being members of 1st Leatherhead Scouts. Scouts have a great 2019/20 to look forward to adding to their recent Frost camp and weekend camps at Boidier Hurst including their adventures at the District Wayfinder competition. 2019/20 There is a plan for a group camp and with many group, district and county events 1st Leatherhead lots to look forward to. The group has a better digital footprint via social media this has already proved to bring growth and wider presence in the community. The group’s biggest challenge will be adult recruitment unfortunately a common problem in Scouting. Finally I would reiterate my thanks to all the Scouters and non-Scouters at 1st Leatherhead who despite difficult circumstances have helped make sure that 1st Leatherhead Scouting not only continued but they have helped to make it a fantastic and improving experience for its members. I would also like to thank my district team colleagues and members of the district exec for the support they have given to 1st Leatherhead. Stuart Kidd – Group Scout Leader Air Activities Report

This year Leatherhead District Cubs visited the RAF Museum at Hendon. Beaver Scouts had a day at Brooklands Museum. The new aircraft “Factory” kept them busy making aluminium planes. Then they had a “flight” on Concorde. 20 Scouts from Leatherhead flew from Redhill aerodrome on air experience flights. They had controls of the aircraft, a 4-seater Piper Cherokee, explained as well as information on air-traffic control. They all managed to circle over Leatherhead.

John Bourne – District Air Activity Advisor

Concorde

Flight deck of a VC10 Hendon Museum under Avro Lancaster

9 Boidier Hurst Scout Campsite Report

The year was marred by two break-ins at the campsite. This is a common problem unfortunately, with other similar establishments locally suffering the same intrusion. Our answer to this has been many hours fortifying what we have, ensuring that it will be extremely difficult for anyone contemplating another assault. Many thanks to those individuals who have been key in assisting us with welding and alarm fitting to do everything possible to prevent this happening again. We have also made arrangements with the Police to allow dog training on site. This occurs when the site is empty and at odd times which will hopefully be another visual deterrent. We are always pleased to receive comments about the campsite. At the end of the year a survey was circulated and I understand that the districts have received feedback directly from the District Commissioners on comments made. In summary, there are some things we cannot change due to resources and practicality for instance, the access track generally and the challenge of the potholes. Boidier Hurst is not a commercial operation although it does seem like it sometimes with the amount of administration and issues arising from the average of 200 bookings each year. We do our best for you with the resources we have. Thank you to those who took the time to fill in the survey, the committee will consider all comments made and will look to instigate improvements where it can. As part of the survey, it was pleasing to receive so many very positive comments on the condition of the site. The next time you camp and pitch your tent on the grass at Boidier Hurst, think of the woodland area at Bentley Copse where no grass grows and ponder why there is such a difference between the two. Over the last five years we have tried to work more with the campsite and its history as a commercial woodland selectively coppicing and clearing back edge-growth to ensure we keep the grass growing and the wood re-generating. The two photos below taken 3 years apart show the crew coppicing the sweet chestnut on the field edge and constructing and placing the small branches as dry hedging. The second photo shows how quickly the trees have regenerated to provide an attractive low green screen to site 10 and 11 maintaining secluded camping areas. We have surveyed all of the large trees we have so that we can regularly inspect them for signs of disease or die-back to keep campers safe. We have 100 trees of 400mm diameter and above in amongst the coppiced sweet chestnut. The woodland is a source of useable timber for the campsite and we hope to be undertaking some more improvements in the future

10 with this valuable resource. The service crew tackled the refurbishment of the toilet block over the closed season. Again, a lot of work went into replacing the ceiling lights, painting and general repairs. Hopefully, when you compare these facilities to other campsites, you will consider them a reasonable provision and fit for purpose. A new camper cleaning regime has been implemented, the benefits of which can be seen already. We do employ contract cleaners to thoroughly clean the buildings from time to time, however it is too expensive to arrange this every week so the sharing of cleaning duties between groups remains a key part of using Boidier Hurst and a way in which we can keep camping fees and low. Whilst on the subject of the service crew, we have a small team who volunteer throughout the year; both at weekends, and for some that are available during the week, one Thursday a month. The current crew comprises a diverse mix of age, experience and skill, but everyone brings one thing to the team – enthusiasm. The work undertaken by the Thursday crew is predominantly grass cutting in season when the site is dry. At the weekends, and during the closed season November-March, major projects are carried out to develop the character of the site, tree management, repairing and improving the access tracks, refurbishing the buildings, fencing and fire altar building takes place. Membership of the crew does not entail a regular or significant commitment of time, every little helps, and by increasing the pool of volunteers willing to get involved, this reduces the strain put on a smaller team to keep up with the volume of work required to maintain the site at its current level. If you think that you might enjoy some fresh air, a cup of tea or coffee, and perhaps a little bit of work with some like-minded people, please get in touch directly or via the website to get involved, we would be very pleased to have your help. Use of Boidier Hurst for the camping season 2018 over (2017) is as follows; Scouts / Guides 4,911 (4,502), D of E and other youth groups 2,376 (2,265). Total camper nights 7,287 (6,932). Year on year use hovers around 7,000 camper nights via those 200 bookings a year already mentioned. This is a comfortable number that allows access for the districts to camping when required and does not overload the site facilities. We don’t advertise ourselves, we don’t really need to. This turnover allows the campsite to be adequately managed and not subject to the commercial treadmill of always increasing turnover, think of that grass again. Finally, a big thank you to the committee members, our auditor and keyholders for all their hard work over the year. Thank you also to the duty wardens throughout the season and the Service Crew for giving up so much time for the benefit of campsite users - the site could not operate without you all. Colin Thomas - Chairman of Boidier Hurst Campsite Management Committee

11 12 13 District Badge Secretary’s report

This last year the District has distributed over 9000 badges in total and I have been able to donate £400 to the District funds. It is worth a mention that the Scout section has not maintained the previous year’s increase in badges. Below I have listed the badges earned by each section. I have not listed the various misc. badges which together make up the total issued of 9035.

David Wall - District Badge Secretary

BADGES ISSUED 2019 2018 2017

Beaver Scouts 2527 1719 1258 Cub Scouts 1353 1501 1835 Scouts 468 1106 641 World Membership 497 407 284 County Badges 505 440 310 District Badges 497 453 307 Stage Badges (All Sections) 2381 1796 2539 Joining in Badges (year badges) 585 694 477 Leadership Stripes - 338 188 Duke of Edinburgh (all stages) - 20 - Misc. Badges 222 105 93 TOTAL 9035 8579 8042

Growing Media for a Growing District

I am extremely pleased to write this report about how media across the district has positively impacted our inward and outward perception on our surrounding (and wider) communities. Successful, professional media content creation and wide distribution has allowed Leatherhead District Scouts to stand out; demonstrating the Skills For Life both young people and adults get out of Scouting. This media is also documenting growth, success, and how progressive we are as a District too. Events such as District Camp, St George’s Day, international expeditions, competitions, camps and section nights have been photographed/filmed and published. The new branding was adopted from the early stages, and media training has been provided to give leaders and volunteers insight into ensuring content is ‘on brand’, engaging and reflects Skills For Life. Internal media such as adverts, posters and graphics have been used to encourage the young people to take part in District level events, as well as distribute need to know information in a creative and eye catching way. As more District members become connected online, it’s never been easier to share this information, and likewise share photos and videos so together we can shout about all of the incredible activities, trips and achievements that take place. Before I began to look after the media content creation and publishing, the District had no distinct media plan or outward channels apart from Scoutlook. It gives me great pride to capturing and share all of the great things we do as a District to the wider world, long may it continue. Adam Plowden - District Media Manager 14 Leatherhead District Scout Census

3 1 s t J Leatherheadanuary 20 1District9 Scouts Census

2018 2019 !"#$%& MALE FEMALE TOTAL MALE FEMALE TOTAL YOUTH MEMBERSHIP

'( Beaver Scouts 204 32 236 190 41 231 )* Cub Scouts 220 45 265 229 49 278 '+ Scouts 205 43 248 203 41 244 ,- Explorer Scouts 75 29 104 69 62 131 , Network Members 10 0 10 12 0 12

TOTAL YOUTH !! MEMBERSHIP 717 149 863 703 193 896

LEADERSHIP

'. Section Leaders 58 42 100 55 37 92 )( Section Assistants 22 25 47 35 27 62 ', Group Scout Leaders 3710268 / District Advisors 0000 00 / District Scouters 0000 00 '* District Commissioners 2241 01

" TOTAL LEADERSHIP 85 6 161 93 70 163

ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT

')+ Group Execs 22 16 38 16 8 24 ') District Office Bearers 3473 36 '). Active Support 24 9 33 9 6 15 Individual & Associate *) Members 527221638

TOTAL ORGANISATIONAL #" SUPPORT 54 31 85 50 33 83

!! TOTAL MEMBERSHIP 853 256 1109 846 296 1142 !$

15 LEATHERHEAD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Held at 1st Ashtead HQ Held on Wednesday 19th September 2018

The President, David King called upon David Wall to lead the meeting in prayer.

The President welcomed all guests and leaders including the County Commissioner Joe Rogerson

The Secretary announced that he had received six apologies for absence

1. The Minutes of AGM on 20th September 2017 had been circulated before the meeting. There were no matters arising and the meeting approved the Minutes.

2. Annual Report & Accounts The President invited the DC Mr Malcolm McKee to present the Annual Report and accounts to the meeting. The DC reported on the good position of Leatherhead District in the County in delivering good quality Scouting, strong District teams and increasing members. He said Leatherhead could always relied on to support County events and in particular singled out the successful organisation of the Surrey AGM hosted this year in the District. The DC stressed the success was down to teamwork and thanked all his District teams for their hard work. Sue Wall, the Treasurer, reported that the Group and Section Accounts were all in good order and presented the Examined Accounts to the meeting. The Treasurer thanked Mr Richard Scrase, for examining the Accounts. The written report contains all the most important events during the year in regard to finance. There were no questions and the meeting approved the accounts.

3. District Chair The President asked the DC, Mr Malcolm McKee to present the nomination for the District Chair. The DC proposed to re-appoint Dr Benita Middleton. The meeting approved this appointment.

Dr Middleton thanked Howard Hills for his time as District Training Manager and announced she as going to present him with a digital photo frame and a bottle of whisky. 4. District Secretary The District Chair proposed the re-election of Stephen Moss as District Secretary. This was seconded by Christine Whale and approved by the meeting.

5. District Treasurer The District Chair proposed the re-election of Sue Wall as Treasurer. This was seconded by Sarah Biglin and approved by the meeting.

6. Nominations for Executive Committee There were no new members to announce. The new Chair and the existing committee will strive to recruit new members in the future.

16 7. Election of members of the Executive Committee The District Chairman, District Commissioner, District Secretary, District Treasurer and S A S U Manager are Ex Officio members of this committee

8. Quorum for Meetings The President proposed that the quorum for meetings be four members. The meeting approved this.

9. Election of a Scout Leader to the County Scout Council The District Commissioner proposed Mr Samuel Baker to join the County Scout Council, and Kathy Riddell seconded this.

10. Election of Boidier Hurst Management Committee The DC nominated Mr Ian Watkinson, Mr Oliver Thornton and Mr John Humphries for election to serve on the Boidier Hurst Management Committee for the coming year. These were proposed by Stephen Moss and seconded by David Wall. The meeting approved these appointments.

11. Appointment of Honorary Examiner of Accounts The President proposed the appointment of Mr Richard Scrase as Honorary Examiner of Accounts. The meeting approved this appointment.

12. Any other business There was no other business

13. Presentations The District Commissioner then made the following Service Awards. Emily Brown 5 Years Tom Simons 10 years Benita Middleton 25 years Les Lobjoit 40 years

The Chater Trophy was awarded to 1st Leatherhead Scouts for their good quality Scouting and general improvement.

14. County Commissioner Joe Rogerson started by praising David Wall’s choice of prayer citing Baden Powell and the relevance to today’s Scouting. He praised the District on the quality of it’s Scouting, Leaders and retention of members. He thanked Leatherhead for attending County events and for leading the way. The President thanked everybody for attending and 1st Leatherhead for the use of their premises and to Avril Lobjoit who had arranged the catering.

The meeting finished with a talk by Sam Baker about his recent trip to Kandersteg with 20 Scouts and played a video to accompany this. There was also a video from this year’s District camp.

The formal meeting ended at 20.40 and members then enjoyed refreshments and chat. .

17 LEATHERHEAD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1st Ashtead Headquarters. Wednesday 25th September 2019 at 8:00pm

Members of the District Scout Council and all who are connected with, or are interested in the Scout Movement in Leatherhead are cordially invited to attend but only members of the District Scout Council are entitled to vote (for composition of District Scout Council see below).

AGENDA

1. To consider the minutes of the Annual General Meeting for 2017/18 held on 19th September 2018.

2. To receive the Annual Report and Accounts for 2018/19

3. To receive the District Commissioner’s nomination for District Chairman for 2019/20

4. To elect the District Secretary.

5. To elect the District Treasurer.

6. To receive the District Commissioner’s nominations for membership of the District Executive Committee 2019/20.

7. To elect members of the District Scout Council to the District Executive Committee for 2019/20.

8. To accept the Resolution of a quorum for meetings.

9. To receive the District Commissioner’s nominations for representatives of the District Scout Council to serve on the Boidier Hurst Management Committee.

10. To appoint an Honorary Examiner of the Accounts for 2019/20.

11. To consider any other business deemed appropriate by the Chairman of the meeting.

12. Presentations.

13. Deputy County Commissioner - Mr Philip Currie

14. Presentation by Jamboree Participants

Membership of the District Scout Council – Commissioners, District & Group Active Support Managers, Scouters, Administrators, Section Assistants, Skills Instructors, Advisors, all Explorer Scouts, District Scout Network, Representative of Troop Leadership Forums, Members of the Scout Activity Support Unit, all parents of Explorer Scouts and persons elected or reselected annually by the District Scout Council. The County Commissioner and County Chairman are Ex-officio members

18 Leatherhead Trustees’ Statement of the Aims and Objectives and of Public Private Benefit. The objectives of the Leatherhead District are as a Scout District of the Scout Association and are as set down in the “Policy Rules and Organisation” of the Association.

The purpose of the Scout Association is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local national and international communities. The method of achieving this is by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training, based on the Scout promise and Law and guided by adult leadership.

Each Scout Group, Explorer Section, Network Section and Scout Active Support Unit is responsible for the collection and payment of Headquarters Membership Subscriptions and any County and District Subscriptions in order to meet the costs of organising and administering the Association and these do not unduly restrict membership.

Two key principles demonstrate that Scouting’s aims are for the public benefit and that through the Scout method young people develop towards their full potential and that there is a clear link between the benefits for young people and the purpose of Scouting. The safety of young people is taken very seriously and the benefits Scouting activities provide outweigh the risks. Any private benefits from Scouting are incidental, other than to those as a beneficiary.

The Groups

­­­­­1ST ASHTEAD (PELHAM) ­­­­­Group­Scout­Leader­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Malcolm­McKee ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­[email protected] 1ST BOOKHAM ­­­­­Group­Scout­Leader­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Christine­Whale ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­[email protected]

3RD BOOKHAM ­­­­­Group­Scout­Leader­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Karen­Wheeler ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­[email protected]

1ST EFFINGHAM ­­­­­Group­Scout­Leader­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­helen­Watkinson ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­[email protected]

1ST FETCHAM ­­­­­Group­Scout­Leader­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Anita­Chamberlain ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­[email protected]

1ST LEATHERHEAD Group­Scout­Leader­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­harriet­Trendell ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­[email protected] ­­­­­

District Treasurer’s Report

I would like to start my report by thanking Richard Scrase for examining the accounts for us again this year. It is a tedious task and one which he completed cheerfully and without complaining. The District are very fortunate in having Richard to examine the accounts. He is very thorough and perceptive which offers great reassurance that all is well within the many strands that make up the District Accounts. During the year we have added to the District assets with two Gala tents and a digital projector. Most groups take advantage of events organised by County and the District offer financial support for all these events. The amount of transactions through the District bank account has almost doubled on last year. This was partly due to District Camp but also, I am pleased to report, the ADCs are relying more on the District Executive for support in managing the finance of events. The donation of £2,500 from the Scout Shop has helped considerably. Sue Wall - District Treasurer

19 Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the LEATHERHEAD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL For the year to 31st March 2019

Page 1 LEATHERHEAD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL Receipts and Payments Accounts - Summary For the year to 31st March 2019

Page 2 LEATHERHEAD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL Receipts and Payments Account For the year to 31st March 2019

Page 3 22 LEATHERHEAD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL Trading Account For the year to 31st March 2019

Page 4

23 LEATHERHEAD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL Cash Balance as at 31st March 2019

Page 5 24 LEATHERHEAD DISTRICT SCOUT COUNCIL Bank Balance For the year to 31st March 2019

Page 6 25 This Annual Report was artworked and printed by Dick Jones - Jones' Creative Services Limited of Leatherhead www.jonescreative.co.uk For Leatherhead District Scout Council KEEP ON SCOUTING!

Leatherhead