New Joiner Information
The start of a great adventure
Hello, and welcome to the 11th High Wycombe (Hazlemere) Scout Group. We hope this pack gives families all the information they need as they join us, but please get in touch with any questions.
Your young person is about to embark on an exciting adventure, filled with friendships and fun. We take part in a wide range of activities, such as kayaking, abseiling, camping, photography, climbing and zorbing. Young people can learn survival skills, first aid, computer programming and how to cook on a campfire. There’s something for everyone. It’s a great way to have fun, make friends, get outdoors, express your creativity, and experience the wider world.
Our sections
Our Group is split into sections, as follows:
| Section | Ages | Meeting Times |
| Squirrels | 4 to 6 years | Thursday, 5 – 6pm |
| Beavers | 6 to 8 years | Wednesday, 5:45 – 7pm (Maplewood Colony) Thursday, 6:15 – 7:30pm (Oakley Colony) |
| Cubs | 8 to 10 ½ years | Monday, 6 – 7:30pm |
| Scouts | 10 ½ to 14 years | Monday, 7:45 – 9:15pm |
We meet during term time, following the dates published by Buckinghamshire Council. Any changes from this will be announced by Section Leaders.
All sections meet at The Phoenix Building, Beaumont Way, Hazlemere, HP15 7BD. Parking on site is very limited. However, free parking is available at Beaumont Way Car Park, HP15 7BB. We ask parents to park considerately for our neighbours.
Mobile phones
It is the policy of our group that mobile phones should not be brought to weekly meetings, taken on camps or any other activities.
The reasons for this are as follows:
- In line with Scout Association rules, we have clear procedures for contacting parents and relevant authorities should issues arise during an activity. Mobile phones can compromise this procedure.
- Most phones have cameras and internet access. There is the potential for actions taken by young people, however innocent the intent, to be misinterpreted, leading to safeguarding issues. This is particularly true if photographs are taken without consent, or are inappropriate, and subsequently broadcast on social networks.
We are aware that some young people arrive for weekly meetings alone and parents wish them to carry phones for safety reasons. In these situations, please ensure phones are handed in to a leader at the start of the evening (switched off) and they will be stored and returned at the end of the evening.
The only exception to the above are phones used for medical purposes, for example for diabetic alerts. These devices should stay with young people at all times.
Any device is the responsibility of the owner. We do not hold insurance for devices and accept no liability for loss or damage.
Communication with parents
The InTouch system was introduced to ensure everyone involved is aware of how communication will take place between Leaders, parents and young people, and to provide procedures in the event of an emergency.
One-off activities (e.g., camps, sleepovers, hikes, days out):
Arrangements for one-off activities will vary depending on several factors. Factors include, event type, location, length, attendees etc. InTouch arrangements specific to the activity will be communicated in advance of the event.
Regular weekly meetings:
If you need to contact someone, after you have dropped off your child, please contact one of the Leaders.
| Section | Name | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
| Squirrels | Cobra | 07833 120956 |
| Beavers | Tic Tac (Maplewood Colony) | 07957 192281 |
| Archer (Oakley Colony) | 07380 498785 | |
| Cubs | Akela | 07971 052506 |
| Shere Khan | 07801 800562 | |
| Chil | 07791 487699 | |
| Scouts | Cobra | 07833 120956 |
| Malcolm | 07946 592754 | |
| Viper | 07515 865990 |
Raising Concerns:
If you would like to discuss any concerns, please speak to the respective Section Leader in the first instance.
Alternatively, you are invited to contact our Group Scout Leader (GSL). Our GSL is responsible for managing and supporting the whole group and its leaders, to ensure that the group runs effectively, and that the Group develops in accordance with the rules and policies of the Scout Association.
Contact details:
- Allan Hill, Group Section Leader (GSL) – 07833 120956
- Steph Owen, Deputy Group Section Leader (DGSL) – 07971 052506
Online Scout Manager (OSM)
We use Online Scout Manager (OSM) to manage personal details, badge progress and attendance. It is also used to send out email to parents containing invitations to events or camps.
On joining, you will be invited to join the OSM ‘Parent Portal’. Once you have set up an account you will then be able to check and update your child’s details.
Once logged in, on the left-hand side under ‘My Child’ you will see several headings:
- Events – This section details all the events that your young person has been invited to. You can confirm attendance for events here.
- Programme – This contains details of the programme for weekly meetings. This provides a description of activities and confirms which badges are being worked on.
- Badges – This shows the badges that your young person has completed or working towards. The ‘Uniform’ tab shows where awarded badges should be placed on uniform.
- Personal details – This is where you can update your young person’s details, medical details, and provide consent choices for photo publicity.
- Emails – Here you can see all the emails that you have been sent over the past 3 months.
- Gift Aid – Your gift aid status is shown here. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for Gift Aid.
Important note: The Leaders will need to contact parents in the case of an emergency. Leaders also need to be aware of health conditions and any changes to health. Please ensure that OSM is reviewed regularly, and any changes are updated.
Membership Subscription
Our membership subscription (“subs”) is currently £60 per school term, per child, payable at the start of term. This is to cover the day-to-day running costs of each section and the amounts payable to both our Scout District and Scout Headquarters to cover insurance, Leader Training etc.
All Leaders and helpers work on an entirely voluntary basis. Without their help our group would not exist, and for this reason we are incredibly grateful. As a thank you for making our group possible, we are pleased to offer the following discounts to any parent willing to become a volunteer:
| Discount on subs | Role(s) | Time Commitment | |
| 1st child | Additional children | ||
| 100% | 75% | Leaders | 1-2 hours per week during term time |
| 75% | 25% | Regular helper (8+ sessions per term) | 8 or more weekly meetings per term |
| 25% | – | Occasional helper (5+ sessions per term) | 5 or more weekly meetings per term |
| 100% | 75% | Trustee, including Trustee Secretary | 2-3 hour meeting, 3-4 times a year |
Joining Fee
We charge a joining fee which is applicable to all young people joining a new section. This includes those joining for the first time, and those moving from one section to another, e.g., moving from Cubs to Scouts.
Joining fees cover the cost of:
- Group necker and badges (county, district, and group name tape)
- Group activity t-shirt
- Badge book
New joiners:
| Section | Joining Fee |
| Squirrels | £20 |
| Beavers / Cubs / Scouts (inc. a small necker) | £25 |
| Scouts (inc. a large necker) | £26.50 |
Movers (moving sections and not requiring a new necker & badges):
| New Section | Joining Fee |
| Beavers / Cubs | £17.50 |
| Scouts | £18 |
If a necker is lost, then a new one can be purchased from a Leader. Small neckers cost £5.90, and large neckers cost £7.30.
One-Off Costs
In addition to the termly membership subscription, there will be activities outside of the usual weekly meeting. These include camps, sleepovers, hikes, and other outings that are charged separately.
Every effort is made to keep these costs as low as possible and are significantly cheaper than profitable organisations.
These activities are optional, but participation will enable your young person to have the best possible experience.
Bank Account
To keep it simple, we have one bank account for everything (membership subscriptions, joining fees, camps, activities etc.) Our bank details are as follow:
| Account name: | 11th High Wycombe Scout Group |
| Sort code: | 30-94-28 |
| Account number: | 02311287 |
| Reference: | Payment type, plus name of child. For example: ‘SUBS JOE BLOGGS’ (for subs payment) ‘CAMP JOE BLOGGS’ (for camp payment) |
Gift Aid
Our group benefits greatly from income generated from Gift Aid, the government scheme that gives us 25 pence for every pound donated to us. Donations include membership subscriptions. Please consider signing up for Gift Aid in OSM. It doesn’t cost you a penny and it takes less than 20 seconds.
Parent Rota
From September 2024, we operate a Parent Rotas in all sections.
The expectation is for each family to send a parent to one meeting per term and support the volunteer leaders with running the meeting. Your support in this is vital to the continued running of the Group.
You can sign up to the parent rota via the Parent Portal. On the ‘Programme’ area, underneath the section meeting details will be a yellow box saying “Additional help required”. All you need to do is click the box that says “I can help”.
We look forward to your support.
Investiture Ceremony
The investiture of a young person is an important occasion, and it is important that they understand this. On being invested, young people become a member of the worldwide Scout Movement and make a Promise which they will be expected to keep.
Scouting is open to people of all faiths and of none, and therefore takes account of the different religious obligations of its members while upholding the essential spirit of the Promise. For all sections, there are alternative wordings of the Promise that young people may wish to use to best reflect their own beliefs. This reflects the diversity of our UK Scout community. Speak to your Section Leader about selecting the Promise must appropriate for your young person.
Uniform
Nothing is required for the first few meetings. We encourage you to wait until your young person decides they would like to continue attending, before spending money on uniform.
When your young person is ready to be invested, they will need uniform. Squirrels, Beavers and Cubs need the respective sweatshirt, and Scouts need a shirt/blouse. These can all be purchased from the Scout Store online.
Plain navy shorts or trousers should also be worn. These do not necessarily need to be Scout branded. (If desired, branded shorts and trousers are available to purchase from the Scout Store.)
For information on where to place badges, please visit the website here:
| Squirrels uniform and badge placement | Cubs uniform and badge placement |
| Beavers uniform and badge placement | Scout uniform and badge placement |
Safety
We take our responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of the young people in our care very seriously. We believe that safeguarding and protecting the welfare of all the young people we work with is the responsibility of everyone.
All uniformed adult Leaders have been trained in Safety and Safeguarding. The Scout Association’s ‘Young People First’ code of good practice is published in the form of a pocket size yellow card that all adult Leaders keep with them. This contains information about how to report concerns or allegations of abuse and a Code of Behaviour that all adults are required to follow.