Pioneering
Joe Cazey and I recently had the pleasure of attending a National Pioneering workshop aimed at addressing where pioneering sits within Adventurous Activities, Leader training and various workplace legislation/regulation. All States were represented with the exception of Tasmania and it was interesting to see where it was all headed – as many different directions as there were States?
There were many passionate discussions over the course of the weekend but at the end of the day there was a general consensus for the direction pioneering should take. The outcome of the weekend was a number of recommendations for National approval. Whilst approval hasn’t been obtained at this time I think it’s important to keep people informed as to where Pioneering is going.
It was a consensus amongst the group that Pioneering still holds a relevant place in the Scout program and that it shall remain a day to day activity except for large pioneering projects. One of the recommendations was an update the section in Policy & Rules (P & R) firstly to clearly define what Pioneering is and secondly to remove some of the confusion around what is and isn’t allowed. Some of the physical constraints were relaxed to provide a uniform approach to what a trained Leader can do. The proposed limitations were kept to one only, that being that a structure cannot have the Scout any higher than 2m off the ground without specialist training. The Scout Award Scheme refers to a tower 3m off the ground but this will need to be limited to 2m so there is consistency with P & R. It is unlikely that there will be more reprints of the Scout Record Book with the Youth Program Review in full swing so we will need to bear the height limitation in mind as it already exists in P & R.
The second significant recommendation had to do with training. In short the current basic Scout Leader training is sufficient for Pioneer level Pioneering and the advanced Scout Leader training is required for Explorer and Adventure level Pioneering. A National Pioneering specialist course will be developed to provide Leaders with the skills to undertake larger and more skilled pioneering projects than what is typically in the Scout Award Scheme. For Leaders outside of the Scout and Venturer Scout Sections a short course is envisaged to be provided so that applicants are able to gain the Pioneering skills equivalent to a Scout or Venturer Scout Leader that has completed advanced training.
Please bear in mind that these recommendations aren’t approved yet but in the meantime let’s keep pioneering alive in our programs.
Scouter Skills
Coming up on the 22nd of August is our next Scouters Skills day. It will be held at Murrenbong campsite and will be your chance to come along for the day and share your skills and gain some new ones. On the program at the moment is navigation, pioneering and lightweight cooking with a fourth element being looked into. If there something that you need or think would be of benefit to others then please drop me an email as I’m happy to respond to tailor the program to suit the needs of those coming. Over lunch there will be an open forum so that you can fire off those curly questions and have them answered or at least passionately discussed. More specific details will be emailed out shortly.
SSS 2015
SSS is shaping up to be big this year with close to 140 Patrols in various stages of applying. Applications have been sent to all Patrol Leaders that have submitted an expression of interest. Please check with your Patrol Leader to make sure they have received theirs and their planning is on track. The closing date is now only two weeks away. Applications for Leaders are available on the Branch website.
BP Park Samford Sale of disused goods – Weekend of Triple S
5th July
Do you want to pick up some bargains, we have cleaned out the Store and have many items that are surplus and will be going cheap.
Items such as 1 burner and 2 burner gas stoves, poly Patrol tarps, extendable upright poles and ridge poles, camp stools, tomato stakes, large tent pegs and more.
See Pieter Van Der Kamp either on the 5th July at the Park or call on 04 0032 0030 for purchases.
There will be a garage sale after this date for the general public so get in early…
AJ2016
Our participant numbers for AJ2016 have risen to just on 1400 however there is still a significant number of these that are straggling to send in the application forms and payment. For those applicants whose status is still “submitted” it means that we haven’t received your hard copy application, payment or both. These will need to be attended to very quickly as it is now two months since the initial payment was due and the second payment is just around the corner. Any applications processeed after the 30th of June will be treated as late applications and subject to a $100 late fee from the Jamboree Executive.
Many applications have come in so far but I suspect that there are a few out there that are a bit casual about it and still to be acted on. Our applications will be closing on the 30th of June. To make this date your application and payment needs to have been received and processed so its definitely not a case of emailing it at 11:59pm on the 30th June. Any applications processed after this date will attract a late fee from the JEC of $100.
A number of queries have been coming in from applicants wanting email notifications for receipt of the applications and payments as well as being notified of status updates to their online application. Could you please pass on to those in your sphere of influence that we are unable to respond to all of these individual requests but we will however provide receipts for payment as per the conditions provided in the supplementary information.
Lord Baden Powell Society Grants
The Lord Baden-Powell Society Grants have now closed and recommendations have been made. Once approved, the successful applicants will be notified by mail. Any grants received will be credited directly to the recipients Jamboree account.
“The spirit is there in every boy; it has to be discovered and brought to light.”
Sir Robert Baden-Powell
Steve Marshall
Branch Commissioner Scouts