Explorer Scout Leadership

1

• Explorer Scout Leadership
• Bury St Edmunds District,
• Suffolk.

2
Background information

• Bury St Edmunds is a large rural district
  consisting of 11 Scout Groups and 2 Explorer
  Scout Units.
• Nine Groups are to be found clustered in the east
  of the District around Bury St Edmunds. Two
  outlying groups lay in the west.

3
Issues faced

• Shortage of Leaders in Scout section
• No Venture Scout Leaders
• Geography of the area
• Moving-on
• Communication

4
We tried

• Two Units, meeting fortnightly
• Leaders recruited (2 per Unit)
• Visiting to aid moving-on
• District programme to supplement Unit programmes

5
and faltered!

• DESC moved on due to work
• Leaders received less support
• Programming suffered
• Scouts werent moving on
• Scout Leaders not on-side
• Explorer Scout Leaders resigned

6
but we didnt give in!

• ADC (Scouts)
• DSL
• Columbus 10 Scout Endeavour
• Unit Troops Unit
• Four Nine Five
• Leaders

7
What do the Leaders do?

• Scout section leader teams
• Decide Unit programmes with Explorer Scouts
• Run Unit meetings on a rota basis
• Pay subscriptions to the District via one of the
  cluster group accounts
• Appoint a parent to act as a Unit Administrator
• Pass on information about District County
  events via e-mail and text.
• Supervise Units, where required, on District and
  County events

8
District support

• District Scout and Explorer events happen
  together. The events are differentiated to meet
  the needs of the different age groups.
• The ADC (Scouts) with the DC is responsible for
• Investitures
• Planning and implementing District events to
  support Unit programmes
• Visits to Unit meetings and advising on
  programming/ operation

9
District support 2

• Promote the County Explorer programme
• Ensure representation of Explorer Scouts at
  District Team and Executive meetings
• Chairs District Scout Leaders/ Explorer Scout
  Team meetings

10
Young Leader Training

• Delivered by the DDC (formerly ADC (AT))
• Section Leaders who work with YLs are
  responsible for ensuring that the yearly missions
  are completed.
• YLs feed back on missions at training sessions
• Courses run according to demand. Attendance by
  YLs is recorded on the Young Leaders recognition
  card

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Other support

• Water activities
• Kayaking pool sessions, taster day, triple
  event, BCU 1 BCU 2 organised and run by ADC
  (Water Act.) and District water activities team.
• Sailing Organised separately by the Units
• Hill walking/ climbing
• Contingents from Units attend events organised by
  the Suffolk Scout County Climbing Team, under
  general supervision of scout section leaders with
  an interest in the activity.

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Conclusions

• Support/ involvement of SLs is vital
• Active, challenging and varied programme
• Teamwork and communication
• Adjust the national Explorer framework to suit
  local needs
• De-mystify Explorer Scouts
• Dont get hung up on paperwork- scouting is about
  activities to develop young people!

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The End

• QUESTIONS???