Hand-over begins!

At its meeting on Tuesday 17 September, the County Executive approved the appointment of Alison Haigh as the new County Treasurer with immediate effect. A former Assistant Scout Leader in Ingleborough District, Alison returns to Scouting in this most important of roles and will also be a Trustee for North Yorkshire County Scout Council. She now begins to receive a handover of Treasurer responsibilities from Rose Codling who stood down at this year’s County AGM after 8 successful years managing the County’s accounts. We are sure that members across the County will welcome Alison to her new role.

PS: News on the proposed County Subscription  for 2020 will follow shortly.

Welcome Alison to the County Executive Team - and 'thank you' for taking on this important role.

Are YOU interested?

This from John Ives, Our A.C.C. (Creative Activities):

We are looking to organise a Making Music day on 1 March 2020 for any young people in the Scout and Guide Counties who can play any instrument. The young people will be invited to express an interest in the event giving details of the instrument they play and the level they have currently achieved. The intention would be to work with them and then put together a short performance at the end of the day. Hopefully from this day other events might develop.

In preparation for this we need to assemble a group of adults and Young Leaders who have musical experience. If you are interested and would like to discuss this further please get in touch.

JOHN A IVES
ASSISTANT COUNTY COMMISSIONER CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
E; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
M; 07885 824229

Have you musical experience and are able to help?

Did YOU know we have one?

The Scout County has a Mobile Display Unit which can be used at events to publicise Scouting and can be borrowed by Districts or Groups. The Unit comprises a four wheel box trailer complete with: 3 video screens, laptop, DVD player and amplifier. It also has a Canopy, a Petrol Generator and fuel tank, a Wheel Clamp and Promotional leaflets, Flag, & Banners

It is the borrower’s responsibility to collect and return the Unit (and to staff it at the event) and it can be booked through the DCC (People Growth), LINDA CARTWRIGHT whose contact is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A full ‘tour’ of the MDU is available on pick up if required but it is the borrower’s responsibility to ensure the following:
1. The towing vehicle is adequate for the task
2. The driver is competent and qualified to tow
3. The driver has adequate insurance cover
4. The borrower should also make themselves familiar with the County Trailer Policy
5. If you are unable to tow, the Unit can be towed to/from the required location subject to mileage expenses. Again, please submit any enquiries via Linda at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Have a look at the "Activities" Tab on this website for more info!

Info about County Membership Fees for 2020 to follow soon...

Gilwell have announced that the UK membership fee for next year will be £29 per youth member under the age of 18. As usual, there will be a 50p discount per member for prompt payment.

In doing so, they advise us: "We have kept the £1 increase to the fee as low as possible by making extra income from other activities. Fundraising and corporate partnerships help us to keep fees down, as well as our commercial activities, which range from providing conference facilities and Scout Adventure Centres to our Scout Store and Unity Insurance. This allows us to keep investing in safeguarding our members, supporting our volunteers and developing tools and resources that help give young people skills for life."

The North Yorkshire County Scout Membership Fee for 2020 will be agreed at the Scout County Executive Committee Meeting on 17 September 2019.

District Commissioners will then be advised of the 2020 membership fees and the County deadlines for payment, so that 2020 total fees can be considered by District Executive Committees.

Advanced notice ALWAYS helps us to plan ahead!

We are delighted to announce that we start the new term with these sixteen Awards!

The Silver Acorn

DAVID EVANS

Explorer Scout Leader, Extreme Explorers (46^th Scarborough) - Scarborough & District

The Bar to the Award for Merit

MERERID HUNT

Joint-District Commissioner - Ryedale District

The Award for Merit

CLAIRE CARTER

Beaver Scout Leader, 1^st Vale of Pickering Scout Group - Ryedale District

ANNE COX

Former District Commissioner & District Occasional Helper - Ingleborough District

JOHN FLINTOFT

District Section Leader, Vale of Pickering Explorer Scout Unit - Ryedale District

DAVID HOWARTH

Group Section Assistant & Administrator, 2^nd Haxby & Wigginton Scout Group - York Minster District

SHAUN MORTIMER

District & Snowball Active Support Member - York Minster District

MARGARET MYERS

Beaver Scout Leader, 1^st Norton Scout Group - Ryedale District

SEAN POWDRELL

Scout Leader, Clifton Methodist Scout Group - York Minster District

CATHERINE REED

Assistant Cub Scout Leader, 1^st Malton Scout Group - Ryedale District

PHILIP SCURRAH

Scout Leader, 10^th Harrogate (St Wilfrids) Scout Group - Harrogate & Nidderdale District

JOHN STOTT

District Secretary - Ryedale District

BARBARA TAYLOR

Assistant Group Scout Leader, 1^st Vale of Pickering Scout Group - Ryedale District

The Chief Scout’s Commendation for Good Service

JANIE CHAPELOW

Cub Scout Leader, 1^st Strensall (Robert Wilkinson) Scout Group - York Minster District

PHILIP METCALFE

Beaver Scout Leader, Derwent Valley Scout Group - Scarborough & District

SIMON PITTS

Assistant Scout Leader, Hillside Scout Group - Ripon & District

Congratulations to each and everyone of them from everyone in the County

Do YOU keep an Accident Book?

This, now, by kind permission of the Ingleborough District Monthly Newsletter:

Every Scout Group needs an accident book to record all the mishaps that occur. That way, it is easy to spot common problems and safety issues, as well as keeping notes of any incident, should you need to refer back to them.

The 2018 Data Protection Act requires you to make sure that the personal and medical details of members are not accessible to others by having detachable pages so that incidents are recorded but then the entry is removed from the book and stored securely for future reference.

Don’t forget that if any Scout Association member has been involved in an incident which required medical intervention, be it a visit to a doctor, dentist, nurse or hospital, or if any of the emergency services have been called, it must be reported immediately as the Scout Information Centre (0845 300 1818) has to be informed in order to log the incident for insurance purposes. Usually this is done via the GSL or DC so that the Group or District Team can offer support and guidance.

Don’t forget to record and act on accidental near misses that happen during Scouting activities! These could include simple incidents such as Scouts tripping over a raised piece of flooring when playing games, objects frequently dropping off a shelf in a Cub cupboard, leaders having to avoid eye injury from poles with spikes sticking out at head height, Beavers scratching their legs on a damaged waste paper bin, Explorers catching their fingers on broken seats while setting up a hall, etc.

Recognising a pattern of potential hazards could help to prevent a real accident happening!

Can you recognise potential Hazards?

Updated Welcome Pack upon Registration on eDofE

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme has announced that from 1 September 2019 the way new participants receive their Welcome Packs will change. Whilst the registration process remains the same, our young members will now receive newly updated Welcome Packs directly to their homes when they register their address on eDofE.

No Welcome Packs will be despatched from the County Office after that date.

The current registration form for all levels of the Award can be downloaded from the County website. https://nys.org.uk/index.php/help-and-support/county-policies-and-guidance. (Look in the Activities section)

Please let everyone concerned know of this change!

County Cub Quiz 2019

Important information to help leaders deliver the Pack Round for this year’s quiz, along with advice from the Assistant County Commissioner (Cub Scouts), Christine Turner, has recently been emailed to all Group Scout Leaders across the County, with a request to pass this on to their Cub Section Leaders.

All the information that leaders need for the Pack Round has been made readily available and the District Round will be circulated to Assistant District Commissioners (Cub Scouts) / District Cub Scout Leaders in the first week of September.

This year’s County Cub Quiz Final will take place at Hillside Scout Group HQ, Knayton, Thirsk, YO7 4AT, on the afternoon of Sunday 24 November, with 2 Cub Packs from each District qualifying for the final.

Please ensure EVERY Cub Scout knows about it!