Don't worry - we'll be back soon!

The North Yorkshire County Scout Office is CLOSED from the 10th to the 21st August inclusive (and that is both the Thirsk HQ AND the "At Home" Branch!!) - We will re-open on Monday 24th August 2020. 

David and Iris, and the whole County Team, wish ALL our Scouting Members and their families a very HAPPY SUMMER HOLIDAY whatever you are doing.

Note: you can contact the County Commissioner via his email address for any urgent matter.

We hope the sun shines on us ALL!

This from the County Commissioner, Mark Edwards: 

Dear Team North Yorkshire,

I hope that you are all enjoying a bit of rest.

It was great to see so many pictures on your Group sites of people taking part in our World Scout Scarf Day on 1st August. Well done everyone!

I have seen a few risk assessments coming through the system and would like to thank all the District Teams who are approving these for the work they are doing to ensure that the assessments cover all aspects. It appears it is mainly older sections that are having a few meet ups at the moment and I hope that those that are meeting have a good time. I would love to know how they have gone and any lessons you might have learnt so that we can share any good practice. Just email me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

But to help all leaders in the weeks ahead, there is a quick link on the top right hand corner of the County website, as shown on the right >>>>.

This takes you directly to The Scout Association Getting Everyone Back Safely page, with all the current advice and documentation. These are updated regularly and have some very useful checklists and example templates to follow.

COVID 19 HQ SURVEY - Deadline Extended to Friday 7 August
It is important that HQ understands our issues as they need the data to:
a) know how they can help you, and
b) have data to submit to potential funders going forwards.
So far, with 102 Groups in the County 33 have responded and of our 13 Districts, just 4 have responded. It is in all our interests that this data is gathered. The closing date has been extended to this Friday 7th August. Please can Group Scout Leaders complete the GSL Survey and District Commissioners the Districts Survey, if at all possible. Thank you.

I am just updating you on the activities available to our young people this week, as there is not much new to report as we are in our 'down' period.

Before the weekend, I should be able to launch our mental welfare resource that we have developed with Leeds Beckett University and Minds Ahead. I am just testing the site with them over the next few days. All the materials are now completed so it is just a case of fine tuning. Please keep a look out for details.

The County Office will be taking some time out from the 10th-21st August. So, unless there are any urgent messages, I am going to take a short break from these updates and publish the next one on Tuesday 25th August. However, I will be contactable for the whole of August on the usual email address should you need to contact me. Our Facebook page and other social media site will continue with reminders about summer activities.

To read the full 'update' from the CC, go to the "Scouting at Home" page on this website and scrawl down to the CC's updates to see more about:
North East Summer of Scouting.
Want a Buddy?
Want to form a link across the NE Region?
Creative Activities Team Summer Competitions
Gardening Competition.
Photography Competition 2020 – Making The Ordinary, Extraordinary.
Scouting Training

Anyway, look after yourselves and enjoy any sunny moments we get in the next few weeks.

Mark
Mark Edwards
County Commissioner

So....recharge your batteries....and stay safe!

Nominations now open.....

Do you wish to stand for election for the post of COUNTY TREASURER? If so, then please complete the County Treasurer Nomination Form by no later than Friday 4 September 2020. You should include on the form YOUR name, as well as your proposer and seconder.

Click HERE for the County Treasurer Nomination Form.

Do you wish to stand for election to the COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE for 2020-21? If so, then please complete the Executive Committee Nomination Form by no later than Friday 4 September 2020. You should include on the form YOUR name, as well as your proposer and seconder.

Click HERE for appropriate Executive Committee Form.

Get involved - be part of the Team!

Event to be live On-line..........

Will YOU be taking part? 

County Annual General Meeting 2020 - online at 7.30pm Tuesday 22 September 

• Open to all Scouts, leaders, parents and supporters. 
• To attend this year's online AGM, please complete the simple AGM Registration Form by no later than midday on Monday 21 September 2020.

North Yorkshire County Scout Council - Trustees' Annual Report, County Commissioner's Report & Statement of Accounts for the Year Ending 31/03/2020 (available soon).

Do you have a question regarding any part of the Statement of Accounts?  If so, then please complete the Question Form (available soon) by no later than Friday 4 September 2020. Your questions will be addressed at the AGM.

Do you wish to stand for election for the post of County Treasurer?  Then please complete the County Treasurer Nomination Form by no later than Friday 4 September 2020.  You should include on the form your name, as well as your proposer and seconder.

Do you wish to stand for election to the County Executive Committee for 2020-21?  Then please complete the Executive Committee Nomination Form by no later than Friday 4 September 2020.  You should inlcude on the form your name, as well as your proposer and seconder.

Annual General Meeting 22 September 2020 - Agenda & Minutes of the Last AGM held on 23 June 2019 (available soon). 

How one Scout has dealt with the situation!

While coronavirus might be making 2020 memorable for all the wrong reasons, this hasn't stopped individual Scouting activities and all the fun.

One 13-year-old Scout in our County, who is a Ripon Grammar School student, has taken on a number of long-distance challenges, including joining in the "collective" 240,000 mile Hike to the Moon (which is supported by Chief Scout Bear Grylls and Astronaut Tim Peake) - but he still finds time to regularly mow his elderly neighbour's lawn

Alexander Pickering has been enjoying a range of ambitious walking, cycling and orienteering challenges throughout lockdown.

This energetic young person has also kept himself busy designing fire escape plans for his family home and setting up a campsite in his back garden, where he sleeps out under canvas and cooks his own breakfast.

During this time, the 13-year-old Scout, who hopes for a career in medicine or engineering, also finds time amongst all his activities to mow his 92-year-old neighbour’s lawn.

As a member of the 6th Ripon Scout Group, Alexander has joined the 'Scout Hike to the Moon Challenge', with a target of collectively walking the 240,000-mile approximate distance from the Earth to the Moon. So far, he has clocked up an impressive 272 miles. He has also undertaken cycling and walking orienteering challenges, involving distances of up to 30 miles.

Alexander said: “Doing these challenges, which will go towards my Chief Scout Gold Award, has helped me keep fit during lockdown. I have also explored various parts of Ripon and the surrounding villages, some of which I have never been to before. It’s given me the opportunity to see lots of wildlife too, including red kites, hares, dragonflies and kestrels.”

His advice to others is: “Enjoy getting outdoors and exploring new places and keep yourself going with lots of determination, resilience and drinks and snacks!”

Good Advice, Alexander, and "Well Done"!

Badge designed by Beaver Scout Max, from Elvington Beaver Colony, York Ebor District.

To order your Sunrise to Sunset Activity Day badges that can be worn on your Scout uniform and adorn your camp blanket,

just complete the Badge Order Form.

This from the ACC (Scout Network) Lewis Agar-Simms: 

"Doing a physical activity is fun and improves health and physical fitness. There’s an activity to suit everyone so choose something you are really interested in as well as work towards the Queen's Scout Award, Chief Scout's Diamond Award and/or The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Don’t know where to start? See our "let’s get physical" list and choose a new physical activity today.

Remember, when working towards the Queen's Scout Award, all members should complete 12 months in either the skill or the physical activity challenges, and when working towards the Chief Scout's Diamond Award, participants must complete six months in either the skill or physical activity challenges".

Remember ALL these activities can count towards: Queen's Scout Award, Chief Scout's Diamond Award, Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Come on then - Let's Get Physical !!