This from the CC, Mark Edwards: 

Dear Team North Yorkshire,

Here we are and 10 weeks have now passed; I hope that you and your families are keeping well. You are all still doing a fantastic job. Many AGMs are now in the planning or are due to take place, so well done for that. Your programmes, as always, amaze me but as we go forward, we thought it would be good to share ideas across the County. So, next week we will be setting up a shared Google drive for you to share all your great ideas, templates etc so that we can expand the pool of online ideas. Look out next week for the link.

Scouting Training

Safety and Safeguarding. Please can I ask those that need to complete their online safety and safeguarding do this as soon as possible. There is a new online safeguarding course that avoids the need to use flash player. The links below take you directly to this mandatory training, including the new online safeguarding course.

Safety Training                                              Safeguarding Training

Sunrise to Sunset Activity Day

Sunday 21st June when we celebrate the longest day.

A daylong programme of events that our young people, adults and families can tune in to. A kind of virtual activity day. Look out for the programme release next week. Links to book a place will be available, but please flag up the event with your young people.

I am pleased to reveal our badge for the event that from next week can be ordered at a cost of £1 per badge - It was designed by Max from Elvington Beavers (York Ebor District) and can be worn on the uniform left sleeve cuff for the next 12 months. He has tried to keep it fairly simple so that it can be easily printed as a badge. He has added the farming element partly because he lives next to a farm and knows that farmers work from dawn to dusk and North Yorkshire is a big farming community. Max also wanted to show the different colours of the sun when it rises and sets.

A huge thank you to the many of you who have offered activities. I do have a few ideas that people have put forward, but they are unable to facilitate them themselves. So, if anyone would be willing to do any of these please contact me. I also need a few leaders to be the second leader online for an activity. Again, please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can help.

To read the Full Update from the CC including details of the SCOUT NETWORK QUIZ, COMPASS OUTAGE, and VARIOUS TRAINING LINKS just click HERE

Keep SAFE and KEEP SCOUTING.

Mark Edwards
County Commissioner

Once again..... keep smiling AND keep on Scouting!

Why saying "thank you" is more important now than ever

With Volunteers’ Week now having started (1–7 June), our UK Commissioner for People, Amir Cheema, talks about why now’s a great time to think differently about how we recognise those in Scouts who are going above and beyond

"The world has changed. But one thing’s stayed the same – the outstanding generosity of our volunteers. You’ve proved time and again just how dedicated you are, even in these toughest of times. Seeing the countless stories of our volunteers going the extra mile appearing across social media inspires me every day.

You’ll remember that the first week of June is Volunteers’ Week. It’s a time when we traditionally say thank you to the 160,000 adults who make Scouts possible. This year, it’s going to feel a little different. It’s not a time to celebrate, and it’s probably not the right moment for cake and balloons. But it definitely is a moment for us to recognise the incredible efforts and positive impact our volunteers are making on the lives of young people.

It’s not easy to keep twenty Cub Scouts engaged and entertained on a Zoom call. It’s not something any of us were trained for and so many of us are simply doing the best we can. But that’s totally in the spirit of Scouts. In my experience, having a go at something with enough enthusiasm and kindness usually means it’ll succeed in the end. That kind of response deserves a really meaningful thank you.

Some ideas could be, a letter, an award, a certificate, a public thank-you, a private 'thank-you' etc.

I’m sure you’ll have more great ideas, but the important thing is that we all do something. Let’s respect the rules around social distancing and keep each safe while still doing something meaningful.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s life circumstances are different, and volunteers are able to give differently at different times and in different ways. That’s OK. It’s also OK to continue to be safe and look after yourself, your loved ones and work, before even thinking about Scouts and volunteering.

When we look back on all this, I know we’ll be so proud of the way you’ve lived your Scout values and supported our young people. So, I’d just like to finish with a thank you from me. We’re so lucky to have you."

....and thanks from the County Team, to ALL North Yorkshire's Leaders, Helpers, and Administrators!

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 !!

Take a journey back through time with North Yorkshire Scouts Have-u-Heard!

To celebrate the remarkable publication of the 300th edition of Have-u-Heard, here's a look right back to Issue No.1 published in December 1991.
The slider will advance a year at a time every 20 seconds - hover over to see the arrows which you can use to move back and forward in time, or click a year to jump straight there.

There's lots of stuff to jog your memory - prices of things at the time, names you will remember, and of course Scouting events.
We promise that you WILL find yourself saying "I can't believe that was that long ago!"

Gang Show is a victim of Covid-19

This from John Ives, the Gang Show Chairman on 30th April 2020:

"Regrettably, due to the on-going COVID-19 uncertain situation, especially within the Scouting and Girlguiding community, it has been decided to cancel the York Scout & Guide Gang Show scheduled to be performed at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York between the 24th and 28th November 2020.

The decision was taken by the Gang Show Business Team in conjunction with the Guide County and Scout District Commissioners.

In 1932, Ralph Reader created the first Gang Show, so, to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of Gang Shows in the UK our next full show in York will be held in November 2022.

However, it is proposed that a special "mini" Gang Show be produced in the summer of 2021 and would be open to all members of the Scout and Guide movements in North Yorkshire."

I'm sure we will all support the 2021 and the 2022 productions

New District Commissioner takes the reins

May 1st 2020 - Yesterday evening, during an on-line handover, NIGEL WHITE took on the role of District Commissioner of York Ebor District from Kathryn Dunn.

Nigel now begins his leadership of the County’s largest District, in terms of numbers, and Kathryn will continue her Scouting career as an Explorer Scout Leader in the District.

We wish them both well in their new Scouting appointments.

Nigel’s contact details, and those of all District Commissioners, can be found HERE in the Contacts section of the website.

 WE all know that Nigel will do well - despite the present Pandemic!

Does your PC run on Windows 7?

This article by kind permission of February's Ingleboro' Info District Newsletter:

PCs running the Windows 7 operating system, which is now over a decade old, no longer receive security updates after January 14, 2020,

Microsoft strongly recommends that you use Windows 10 instead of Windows 7 - If you continue to use Windows 7 after this support has ended, your PC will still run, but it is vulnerable to security risks such as cyber attacks, hacking, malware, ransomware, spyware and viruses. Such is the potential risk posed by this that the UK's National Cyber Security Centre – the cyber arm of the GCHQ intelligence service – has issued a warning over the continued use of Windows 7 PCs and laptops, telling users they shouldn't use Windows 7 devices when accessing personal data.

Computers with unpatched operating systems are easy targets, so Leaders using a Windows 7 PC for access to Scouting data, OSM and other sensitive records should find an alternative devise for their Scouting administration.

You have been warned!!