7th Lichfield Scout Group Information
Where do we meet?
Our Scout HQ is in Ash Grove, Lichfield, WS13 6ET
[+ click the image above for a larger version]
How do I join the group?
In the first instance you should contact Cath Babington on 01543 251089 or email waitinglist@7thlichfield.org.uk.
Should my child be in Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs or Scouts?
Squirrels is open to Boys and Girls of age 4 to 6
Beavers is open to Boys and Girls of age 6 to 8
Cubs is open to Boys and Girls of age 8 to 10.5
Scouts is open to Boys and Girls of age 10.5 to 14
What can I do if the waiting list is full?
7th Lichfield is a very popular and successful Scout Group and as such, places in the Group are in high demand. Unfortunately you may have to wait in turn for a place to become available. To ensure a fair system for all, places are offered strictly in the order in which they were placed on the waiting list.
Please mention if you are interested in becoming involved in the leadership of the group. We can always find a place for children who's parents are prepared to help out.
How is 7th Lichfield Scout Group structured?
At 7th Lichfield Scout Group we cater for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. A group of Squirrels is referred to as a Drey, Beavers is referred to as a 'Colony', a group of Cubs is referred to as a 'Pack' and a group of Scouts is referred to as a 'Troop'. Each of these is also referred to as a 'Section' and each has a section name as listed below. Because we have such a large membership we have more than one section at each level.
Chestnut Squirrels Drey - Saturday morning
Garrick Beaver Colony - Monday evening
The Group Scout Leader leads the Scout Group and has a team of key people to help.
The uniformed Section Leaders each lead their team of assistants and helpers together with the young people in their section. Together they are responsible for the delivery of the programme for the young people who are members.
The 'business' side of the group is managed by a body called the 'Scout Operational Executive (SOE)' which is led by the Group Chairman. More information on the SOE is available further through this document. We also have a Trustee Board who look after the formal Charity goverance.
What are the contact details of the group leadership?
Please see here
Where do I buy Neckerchiefs/Uniforms?
The official uniform for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts is available from ‘The Uniform Shop’ on the corner of Lombard Street in Lichfield and also Buxton and Bonnet in the Three Spires Precinct. Uniform neckers (the scarf) are available from your leader for £2.50. Don't buy the neckerchief from the shops in town as they do not have the right colour.
Where do the badges go on my uniform?
Please see the following pictures: [+ click the images below for larger versions]
Beavers
PDF Download: http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/beaver/badges/bsuniform.pdf
Cubs
PDF Download: http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/cub/badges/csuniform.pdf
Scouts
PDF Download: http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/scout/badges/suniform.pdf
Where can I find out more information about badge work?
Squirrels -
Beavers - http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/beaver/badges/
Cubs - http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/cub/badges/
Scouts - http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/scout/badges/
What are the Scouting Terms?
We follow the same term dates and holidays as defined by the county schools:
January to Easter is the Spring Term
Easter to July is the Summer Term
September to Christmas is the Autumn Term
We also break for half term during the same weeks as the local schools.
Beavers and Cubs do not attend during school summer, Easter and Christmas holidays. Scouts continue to attend throughout the summer holiday and the Easter holiday but do not attend during the Christmas holiday.
How do I pay for subscriptions, camps and events?
At 7th Lichfield our subscriptions are paid every half-term by direct debit using the Online Scout Manager (OSM) system. When you become eligible to pay subs you will receive an email which will include instructions on how to access OSM and set up your payments.
Subs are paid on the first Monday of each half term; this means there are six subs payments per year. We do not wish for any child not to attend because of financial difficulties, so it is important you contact the Membership Secretary (membership@7thlichfield.org.uk) immediately if subs become overdue so we can make appropriate arrangements.
Other payments for things like Camps and Events are also paid for by direct debit via Online Scout Manager. When you sign up for your first event or camp OSM will ask you to ‘subscribe’. This will setup a new direct debit which will be used for all future camps and events, until you move sections.
Why do I need to have 2 Direct Debits?
This is just a feature of the way that Online Scout Manager works. You will need 1 direct debit to pay for regular subscription payments and a second direct debit to pay for camps and events. The subscription direct debit will remain in place for the whole time that you are with the group. Whereas the camp and events direct debit is specific to your current section. When you move sections (e.g. from Squirrels to Beavers) this direct debit will be cancelled and you will be prompted to set up a new one when you sign up for a camp or event in your new section.
When do I start paying Subscriptions?
You begin paying subscriptions from your first session in the Scout Group although you probably won't be set up on the system for a week or two following this. The Scout Group collects its subs payments via a system called Online Scout Manager (OSM). You will recieve an email from the Scout Group via OSM with instructions on how to set up your subs payments within a couple of weeks of joining the Group. Any questions regarding the payment of subs should be directed to the Membership Secretary by email to membership@7thlichfield.org.uk.
What are my subscriptions used for?
You pay your subscriptions per half term. Part of this stays with your child's section and goes towards paying for sectional activities and supplies such as crafts/activity materials, badges, and outings. The remaining goes into Group funds and is used to pay for the public liability insurance and the running costs of the hut such as electricity, water, ground rent, and maintenance. In addition to covering the running costs, the Group will usually fund the purchase of larger pieces of equipment, training for leaders and various other expenses.
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a valuable source of Group funds. When you are registered for Gift Aid the Group will receive an extra 25p from the Inland Revenue for every £1 of your subs payment. So for a £27 subs payment, we receive an extra £6.75 and this provides a substantial boost to our funds.
All UK resident taxpayers are eligible for Gift Aid. You will receive a Gift Aid Form along with your subs pack at the end of your child's first term. Please help us by filling this form out and returning it to the Treasurer.
What happens when it is time for my child to move up to the next section?
Your leader will speak to you about this during the term prior to your child’s progression to their next section.
There is no fixed pattern to which Beaver Colony, Cub Pack or Scout Troop your child will move up to, it depends very much on availability at the time. We do need to balance the numbers between the three sections so occasionally we may only have availability within one or two of the sections and not the other. All sections accept girls and boys.
What happens when my child reaches 14?
At the age of 14 your child is eligible to move up to Explorer Scouts. Explorers are run at a district level and have their HQ in Beacon Park, Lichfield.
What does the Scout Group expect of parents?
Scouting is run by volunteers, and all money for equipment and its maintenance is raised through fundraising, or by obtaining grants. To help us succeed with this, we ask every family within the Group to help at just one of the Group's fundraising events during the year, and to support our fundraising events where possible. Please indicate on the enclosed form which fundraising events you would prefer to help with.
Parents may be asked to help out at their child’s meeting on a rota basis, and to offer their help when needed to undertake activities held outside the hut. Outings require an increased ratio of adults to children for safety and to comply with insurance requirements therefore, if there are not enough helpers, the outing cannot go ahead.
A Note About Parking
Our HQ is located on the end of a quiet residential street. At the start and end of section nights it can become very busy and congested on Ash Grove and there is large potential for incidents. Please note that you must be very careful when parking not to obstruct the drives of our neighbours. We work hard to maintain good relations with our neighbours and parking incidents can quickly cause issues with our neighbours. When reversing your vehicle in Ash Grove please do so in a very careful manner. There will be young children rushing to their cars, often in the dark and, again, the potential for accidents it great. Finally, it is important to watch your speed on Ash Grove. Local children will play in the road and we don't want to be responsible for an accident. If possible, consider parking further up Ash Grove where it is not so congested.
When and why must I be DBS checked?
To help safeguard the young people we must DBS check any new parents who help with running the sections. This ensures peace of mind when parents help with transport, camps, rotas, fundraising etc. In addition, any adults who book on to Family Camp must hold a valid Scout Association DBS approval certificate.
The DBS application is now completely paperless. You can begin the DBS application process by sending an email to dbs@7thlichfield.org.uk. You will be entered for DBS approval automatically if you book on to Family Camp.
You can find all the detail of how we run the 7th Lichfield DBS Process.
What do I do if my child has a medical condition you should know about?
You must inform us if your child has any sort of medical condition that may become relevant to his/her time in the Scout Group. You can enter details of the condition on the registration form or you can tell your section leader directly if you would rather. Either way, this information will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Please don't try to hide the condition, it may do more harm than good. We strongly believe in equal opportunity for all children and guarantee that your child's condition will not negatively affect the way in which they are treated within the Scout Group.
What do we do in the community?
We are affiliated with St. Michael's Church, Greenhill. All children are invited to the family church service, in uniform, on the second Sunday of each month at St Michael’s Church, Greenhill. We meet at 9.45 and the service finishes at about 11’oclock. There is usually a leader present at the family service who will be able to supervise your children, however that is not always the case. Therefore please assume that your children will be under your own supervision for the service unless you are advised otherwise.
In addition, we take part in two annual parades. The first is the St. Georges Day parade in late April. All children are expected to attend this parade which runs from the Municipal Police building to the Cathedral. The second parade follows the same route and is held on Remembrance Sunday. Your leaders will provide you with further details regarding these parades nearer the time.
Communications and Internet
Communications from your section leaders will generally be electronic. All sections have access to 'Online Scout Manager' and you will be registered on this system as you join the Group. There will also be occasional paper based communications.
E-mail is a fast and cost effective way of communicating information throughout the group. All communications from the Group Executive are now carried out via email so it is very important that you provide your leader with your email address at the earliest opportunity.
The group has its own website at www.7thlichfield.org.uk Information about Group events and fundraising activities, along with other helpful information can be found on it. We would like you to encourage your child to contribute an occasional article about their scouting experiences. The website has an extensive photo gallery and pages where you can volunteer your help for some of our fundraising events.