Take a look at our new "Scouting at Home" page

Look for the tab on the purple banner at the very top of this Home Page.

Here you'll find invaluable advice. Thanks to the Digital Activities Team, there's a great article on Cyber Scouting and how best to hold meetings over the internet. More advice will be posted on this page soon, so take a look!

.....and keep coming back!

This from the County Commissioner, Mark Edwards:

"As promised, here is our Tuesday morning update following on from our very own 'Cobra Committee' meeting, the ‘Kaa Committee’ which met by Conference Call last night.

Firstly, I am immensely humbled and proud by all the work you are doing locally to keep in touch with our young people at this challenging time. You are all Scouting heroes and saying thank you seems such an inadequate word, but it is all I have, so… THANK YOU.

Secondly, even as we held our 'Kaa Meeting' the Country was changing yet again. This will bring further stresses and strains upon us all and I want to express from a County level our sincere wish that you keep yourselves and your families safe.

Can I just let you know that the County Office Team are still operating, but operating remotely, so don't phone, just contact us as normal by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will deal with what they can just as soon as they can!!

There is a new Have-U Heard UPDATE giving lots more up to date information which can be accessed HERE. 

This includes - Cyber Scouting - Activities - Badges - Competitions - Training - Appointments - AGMs......and much more.

Finally - Good luck with all you are doing. As our Scout Law says, a Scout has courage in all difficulties. I think we are experiencing a time when more than ever we will need to live up to this. Be courageous, keep safe and keep in touch."

So - Keep in touch, and keep Scouting, albeit remotely!

Can you, or someone you know help?

We are looking for a new District Commissioner (DC) for York Minster District. The third largest District in the Scouting County, in terms of membership, York Minster is a successful and vibrant District, with some 13 Scout Groups and 3 Explorer Scout Units.

This exciting role is open to all Scout members and anyone outside of Scouting, as the role is a uniformed leadership and management appointment and we welcome applications from people of any age and you don’t need any prior experience of Scouting.

The role can be undertaken individually or as a job-share. If you are interested in applying for this exciting appointment, then please do so by Thursday 23 April. You can read the vacancy pack and access the application form HERE.

Finally, if you want to know more about the District and its Groups, look at their website HERE.

Well...do YOU know of anyone who could fulfil the role?

A message to all the Beaver Scouts in North Yorkshire

Hello Beavers!

I am sure that you and your Leaders are missing going to your Beaver meetings and having fun with all your Beaver friends.  Just remember that even if you are not putting your uniform on and going to a meeting, you are still a Beaver Scout!
Ever since Robert Baden-Powell started the Scout movement way back in 1907 Scouts have been ready to help. Now is your chance to shine.
The grown-ups you live with will be feeling rather worried about all the changes that are happening at the moment. From next week you may be at home all day, as schools close down. I trust that you will all remember our Beaver Promise; so please “do your best to be kind and helpful” as you spend more time at home. Find useful things to do.  Perhaps you could help by:
• Tidying up after yourself
• Looking after your pets
• Quietly reading a book to let the grown-ups do their work
• Being cheerful even if you are not able to do what you want to do
• Asking the grown-ups what you can do to be helpful

You can also use the time to work on some of your Beaver badges, you can find all the activity badges here: https://www.scouts.org.uk/beavers/activity-badges/ but remember to keep a record of what you do (for example take some photographs) so that you can show your Beaver Leaders and hopefully earn your badge.  And why not try some Beaver activities at home which can help you earn a badge.  Take a look here at activity badges you can try while you are at home.

I am super proud of all the North Yorkshire Beavers.  I am sure that you will all Be Prepared to step up to be the best Beaver you can be, and learn lots of new skills for life along the way.
I hope that you and those you love will all stay safe and healthy.

Very best wishes,

Annie

Annie Hodgson
Assistant County Commissioner (Beaver Scouts)

Come on Beavers - Let's get busy!

Coronaviris (Covid-19) - Activities Update

In response to the current situation and the suspension of all face-to-face Scouting activities until further notice, the County Activities Team are taking the following actions regarding activities bookings via the County Website, with immediate effect.

1.  Bookings for all activities on the County Website have been temporarily suspended.

2.  All activities scheduled to run between now and the end of May will not take place.

3.  Groups and individuals who have activities booked before the end of May will be contacted in advance of the event date and offered the following options:

     a. To rebook on a similar activity later in the year.

     b.To be given a full refund.

4.  This would then continue as a rolling process in subsequent months until such a time as we’re able to resume the delivery of activities.

5.  Bookings will be reopened as soon as Government and Scout Association advice allows.

6.  As the suspension of activities also extends to adults, a lead time of 2 to 3 weeks should be expected to prepare kit and collate instructors before events are able to commence.

We kindly ask that leaders and parents do not contact the County Office regarding activities bookings whilst this suspension is in place, but wait for the relevant Activities Delivery Team to contact them.

Whilst it’s disappointing that we’re unable to deliver our programme at the moment, the health and well-being of our young people and adult volunteers must take priority.  As the situation rapidly develops, there are no timescales beyond what’s been described above.

I’d like to place on record my gratitude to the hard working volunteers in the County Activities Team and to those Groups and individuals who support our programme.  I wish you all well in these challenging times; please do take care.

Yours in Scouting,

Neil Underwood

Deputy County Commissioner (Activities)

Dear Fellow Scouters & Supporters,

CORONAVIRUS & THE SUSPENSION OF SCOUTING ACTIVITIES (from 17th March 2020)

As you will know, we are now in unprecedented times and it is with great sadness that we need to cancel all our Scouting face-to-face activities for the foreseeable future.

We are unsure how long this suspension will last and so due to the considerable financial risk associated with some of our upcoming events, we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Teko Tohunga Tahwiri Challenge event, Cub Camp 2020, Junior Warrior 2020 and all water, land, air and creative events from our Activities Team. This will mean that many District and Group events will also be cancelled, including St George’s Day celebrations. However, the County Office will remain open to support members in the months ahead. Whilst no face-to-face meetings will take place, advice and support will continue.

Working with the event delivery teams, the County Office will also be initiating action to refund Groups and individuals in line with our cancellation policies for those County events that have now been cancelled.

The European Jamboree 2020 from 27 July to 6 August is not in our gift to cancel and currently it is not cancelled, but we will keep those involved up to date with further information as soon as it is received.

The County Leadership Team have agreed to meet by conference call every Monday for the next few weeks to consider any updates. Should there be new information we will post this on the County website and social media on a Tuesday morning, so please make best use of these communication platforms in the weeks ahead.

Already, many leaders have emailed me regarding what can we do as Scouts in North Yorkshire to support our communities in this time of hardship and challenge. The most important thing is to keep ourselves safe, to follow Government advice, especially about washing our hands regularly, and self-isolating if we have a new cough or temperature.

But Scouts have throughout history stepped up to do that little bit more. There will be a lot of fear right now and one way to avoid being overwhelmed by this is turning our attention to helping someone.

As leaders, we could do or facilitate some of the following:

• Is there a person in your life, a family member, someone in your Scout Group or your local community, that you could call on the phone or Skype/Facetime and see if they are OK?  Getting their number or details now before any lock down would be useful.

• Perhaps they can’t get to the shops, so could you pick up some groceries for them?  Leave them outside their door.

• Perhaps they are self-isolating and feeling lonely, could you call them on the phone and see how they are?

• How about writing them a letter telling them about yourself. They could always leave a reply for you to pick up outside the door. You could get younger members to draw a picture to cheer them up.

• If you have some spare income, or some spare food, could you donate to your local food bank? Many are now very short of supplies.

• Be on the lookout for requests to help from other organisations and if it is safe for you to volunteer, please consider doing so but as a Scouter.

• Families in my road where I live have set up a private “What’s app” group so we can help each other out and call for assistance. Maybe this could be something you could arrange.

• Share your stories on social media so we can show how we are helping, and others may just read of this and ask for your help too.

In the next few weeks both The Scout Association and Online Scout Manager will be looking at activities our young people can do at home whilst meetings and activities are suspended. It would also be great for those leaders with a bit of free time on their hands to complete any online training; you can’t blame me for trying! We need everyone to complete their online safety and safeguarding training as soon as they can!

Let’s remember that we are in this together. Let’s look after ourselves and our communities.

As always, thank you for all you will have to do in the weeks ahead. Let’s keep everyone informed and support each other in the true spirit of Scouting.

Yours in Scouting

Mark Edwards

County Commissioner

Thanks to their 'Making a Difference' Fund

Thanks to the 'Making a Difference' initiative from Hambleton District Council, Scouting has received a great local boost in Easingwold, Northallerton and Ripon & District, as well Watson Scout Centre. This week 5 grants were approved that will help many of our young members. The Fund is for projects that meet a local need and contribute to one or more of the Council's priorities.

£3,500 for 1st Easingwold Scout Group for the installation of a new drainage bed.

£1,785 for 1st Kyle Valley Scout Group for their sound absorption project.

£1,000 for Romanby Scout Group for a new Mess Tent.

£2,273 for White Horse Explorers for camping equipment.

£1,000 for a replacement oven at Watson Scout Centre.

Well done to all those leaders who submitted their bids and our thanks go to Hambleton District Council for its great support to Scouting.