This competition may be for you?

The County Creative Activities Team is running another photography competition for all members of Scouting and Guiding within North Yorkshire.

This year it will be in 4 sections, following the seasons of the year with the titles of ‘tis the season of ….’ So we will have:

• ‘tis the season of Winter from January to March
• ‘tis the season of Spring from April to June
• ‘tis the season of Summer from July to September
• ‘tis the season of Autumn from October to December

So break out the cameras and phones and get started with ‘Winter.’ Feel free to interpret the theme in any way you like: be it activities relative to the season, the changing urban or rural landscape, wildlife etc. Entries will be judged in the various sections from Rainbows and Beavers through to Leaders and Active Support/Trefoil Guild.

As a change from previous years, entries can be submitted at the end of each season (with the first entries at the end of March). We will publish the best from each season and hold them over for eventual winners at the end of the year. Each person may enter a maximum of 5 photographs per season, which must have been taken by the entrant. Entries must be in digital jpg format and entries taken on camera phones will be accepted.

All photographs must be submitted with the name of the photographer, section (Beaver, Brownie etc.), Scout or Guide Group, District plus Guide County details, an email and postal contact (to receive a certificate) and confirmation that the photograph(s) is all the entrant’s own work. The entries will be judged in the appropriate section, all judging will be anonymous and the decisions of the judges will be final.

Submit your entries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Any photographs submitted to the competition may be used by the Scout or Guide Counties for any Scouting or Guiding purposes.
All other rights are retained by the photographer.

Why not have a go - or in fact have 4 goes? 

Carl now takes over from Julie

Further to the news we posted last month, we can report that from today (18th January 2021) CARL GIBSON has assumed the role of District Commissioner Selby & District.

As previously said, Carl was, until now, the Group Scout Leader at 1st Staynor Hall Scout Group and District Explorer Scout Leader

Carl's contact details, and those of all District Commissioners, can be found HERE.

We will all support Carl in his new role

Making it easier for you to register!

We’ve made it easier and better for our young members to register online for all levels of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.

Using the tab on the front page of the County website, online registration can now be completed easily and quickly. This tab (shown below)  is what to look for on the second line down on this front page.

Payment can also be made swiftly and online via bank transfer.

Why not take a look?

This from the CC, Mark Edwards: 

Dear Team North Yorkshire,

I hope you and your families had as good a festive season as regulations and logistics allowed. I looked back at my last update before Christmas and I seemed to have jinxed things by saying “we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Whilst we still have hope, it is a reality that we are now into what will be a very tough time for everyone let alone Scouting.

To that end, as a County Team we are looking at some very significant ways of supporting you over the next 4 months and I’ve outlined them below. For this to work, we need those that can to really step up to the mark and offer their support for the initiatives. We have deliberately made them so that if people do volunteer they would only need to give up one or two additional evenings or sessions in the next 4 months. So, I am really asking for you to dig deep and step forward.

TRAINING

We all know that there is a huge backlog of training to be completed and a new time scale that came into being on 1st January from HQ to get wood beads completed as well as reducing further our non-compliance of safety and safeguarding. So, we are going to run a campaign called "Finish it in February !"

What this means is we will set a target to run as many courses and validation sessions as we possibly can, both at the County level and hopefully District level. To do this, Joe Fillingham, our Deputy County Commissioner (People Training) will run some courses in January for anyone that would like to become a trainer and deliver courses. There is just a couple of modules to do and I know that there quite a few of you out there who have expressed a wish to do this. What would be great is if we got 30 additions to the team.
This would then enable us, along with current trainers, to perhaps run training and validation sessions every night during February. How amazing would that be and how many could actually get training and validation done during that time? Going forwards, it would also strengthen District capacity to deliver training. So, again if we got at least one new trainer from each District that would be amazing.

If you want to become a trainer and deliver courses or you are a current trainer ready to step up to the plate and deliver one or more online training sessions next month during "Finish It In February!" then don’t delay and please contact Joe Fillingham at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday 15th January.

1st (VIRTUAL) NORTH YORKSHIRE SCOUT GROUP

We are going to attempt to run some County sectional evenings for those young people who are still interested in remaining in Scouting, but have not had the opportunity to join an online session. This is by no means meant to undermine anyone, as we all know everyone has had many difficulties to overcome in the last year and may not have the capacity or even the equipment to deliver this sort of Scouting. However, we owe it to our young people to offer them this opportunity. So, all that needs to happen is when we publish the details, leaders only need to pass these on to the young people in their Group. Registration will be through the County and a link sent to those who register to join a session.

Again, we can’t do this alone and I would like to run this for a 6-week initial programme. Therefore, I am asking for 6 leaders from across the County from each section: Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, to offer one night to run one session that they have already successfully run last term - that is 24 leaders. We will also recruit a second leader for each session.

This may also be an opportunity for volunteers who have felt nervous about delivering online Scouting to just join in and see what happens. If you are able to step up to this challenge, then please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PUBLICITY AND GROWTH

We want to begin the process of supporting you locally to help recruit and retain new leaders.
Linda Cartwight, our Deputy County Commissioner (People Growth) and her team have ideas that we might start to have structured discussions with those parents lurking in the background during Zoom sessions. Indeed, some Groups have gained new leaders as a result of parents seeing the fantastic work you all do.

Alongside this, we would like to let the whole of North Yorkshire know that we are still Scouting and doing a fantastic job with our young people. To that end, we want to hold a week-long celebration of Scouting, targeting all media outlets you can get to as well as a coordinated approach to all our social media sites.

Linda needs some publicity savvy folk to join her team to work on press releases and short documents to help you do this. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so please get in touch by 15th January if you can help.

In the meantime, please be thinking of where you can locally get this message out (local press, local parish magazines etc) and perhaps provide Linda and her team with some success stories and a picture or two.

ST GEORGE'S DAY 2021

We really don’t know if this is going to be able to go ahead as a face-to-face event (sadly I fear it is very unlikely) so we will be running a virtual County St George’s Day celebration on Sunday 25th April that will include a St George’s Day Service and Renewal of Promises.

If you would like to get involved either by running an activity during the day or joining the team to organise the service, then please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This doesn’t stop Districts planning a St George’s Day Parade in the event that we can do something face-to-face in late April and should that happen we would put the County event aside. But as good Scouters want to be prepared and have an event ready to go. Many of you have enjoyed the two activity day events we ran last year, on the longest and shortest days, so if you want to get involved get in touch.

SO NOW IT IS OVER TO YOU - WE NEED YOU TO STEP UP AND HELP IF YOU CAN JUST FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS

Best Wishes & Stay Safe

Mark

Mark Edwards - County Commissioner

Everything starts with one small step!

One Per Scout Group & One For Each District

If you haven't yet signed up for your free Zoom account, via The Scout Association, you can still do so during lockdown and before we return to face-to-face Scouting,

Zoom can give leaders new opportunities to make contact with young members and their families, as well as helping to deliver Scouting programmes.Don’t delay and open up a new online world by signing up HERE.

Why not take the opportunity whilst it is still on offer?

Still time, if you haven't yet got a licence

Ramblers Challenge now open to ALL Scouting Adults

We’ve made a few changes and are excited to announce that "The Ramblers’ Challenge" is open to all Scout Network Members and also now to all Adult Leaders and Volunteers (aged 18 or over) across North Yorkshire Scout County and the whole N.E. Scout Region.

Why not kickstart 2021 by taking on this Ramblers’ Challenge yourself and travel further than you ever have before!?

The Challenge is to either walk, run, sail or row for a total of 200 miles (or 400 miles by bicycle or skateboard ) over a consecutive four-month period. That works out at either 50 or 100 miles every month and members can decide when they want to start the Challenge.

If you wish to take on this Challenge will need to register your intention to attempt to complete it. Before registering, first take a look at all the information you'll need about this great enterprise.
1. The Ramblers' Challenge Information Pack.
2. The Ramblers' Challenge Requirements.
3. The Ramblers' Challenge Log Book.

All this Information above - AND - how to Register can be found HERE

What a good way to start 2021 - and keep fit!!

From Tuesday 5th January .....

With the recent Government announcement of the new Covid "Lock-down" in England, we are sorry to announce this closure of the Scout County Office, but rest assured our work is continuing and Emails will be picked up.
If you keep your eyes on THIS website or our North Yorkshire Scouts' Facebook Pages, we will try to keep you in touch with what is happening, when it happens.

BE AWARE: The England "Readiness level" has been changed to RED

This means: No face to face Scouts activities may take place until further notice.

Stay Safe!

All Risk Assessments MUST Now Be Recorded

A reminder to all leaders that from this month (January 2021) it's now compulsory for all risk assessments to be documented.

There's lots of invaluable advice available on how this can be achieved HERE on The Scout Association website.

Resources available - have a look!