2nd Didsbury (88th Manchester) Scout Group AGM 10-6-09
Annual Report
Chairman’s review of the year
I am pleased to report another successful year for 2nd Didsbury Scout Group.
During the year there has been an action packed programme of activities and
camps. I hope all the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts have had a great time and
learnt new skills.
I am also pleased to report that the numbers in all sections have
remained high throughout the year.
A more effective subscriptions collection system has been set up.
This has raised the amount of money collected considerably, resulting in a more
stable funding base. However, I would urge parents/carers who still do
not pay by Standing Order to do so, if possible. If you require a
standing order form simply email me or pick one up from a Leader.
I would like to ask all parents/carers who haven’t already signed a Gift
Aid application form recently to do so. Again, these can be obtained
through a Leader or by emailing me. The forms only take a couple of
minutes to complete and all together could result in considerable funds for the
Group.
I would like to thank our previous Treasurer, Sharon King, for her work
throughout the year. I would also like to thank Matthew Rushton, our Vice
Chairman, for gallantly stepping into the void and I am I pleased to announce
that he has accepted the role as Treasurer.
The audited accounts and balance sheet show a deficit for the year.
However, we do not see any reason for concern as the Group’s current level of
funds is reasonably healthy and we have not made a claim for Gift Aid this
financial year. The Group has also contributed towards the funding of
some activities and camps.
Finally, and most importantly, I would like
to thank the Leaders, Assistant Leaders and everyone who has worked so hard, on
a voluntary basis, for Group throughout the year.
Martin Woodfield (Chairman)
The Group has run at a deficit for the
year of £1,401, with funds available reducing from £6,655 to £5,254.
Income increased by £413 to
£15,970. This year subscription income
has increased by 75% to £6,190 with over 50 parents now paying subscriptions by
standing order every month, up from 20 or so at the start of the year. This had
made the collection of subscriptions a far easier task – thank you to all the
parents who signed up.
Expenditure has increased by £758 to
£17,371, largely driven by rent and rates costs going up and spending more on
badges this year. This is the second year the group has run at a deficit,
however the underlying finances of the group are sound – subscription income
covers district costs and the group’s fixed costs (rent, rates, cleaning and
maintenance, insurance, badges and neckers etc). Gift aid on subscriptions has not been claimed for two years
which presents an opportunity to reduce the deficit over the summer.
Matthew Rushton (Treasurer)
Over the year the scout section has seen some major changes, this time last year Evan Roberts and Peter Dyer were still actively helping to run the scout section but Evan moved to Bristol with his partners work in the summer and Peter being a junior doctor had to move out of Manchester also. Rowena rose to the challenge and took over as SL from Evan and over the following few months the team was strengthened first by Brian Cosgrove and then by Jon Webb and Gareth Hacking. I am pleased to advise that the troop now has a strong leadership team. The annual census figures for the for the scout section showed a big drop but this was due mainly to 7 scouts en masse going up to the Explorer unit.
The Beaver and Cub sections are to see some of their key leaders move away from the area. Sue Bullied is to move up to Glasgow in the Summer. Cat from Beavers is to move to York in the summer and Fran from Beavers is to work in Europe as part of her degree for a year.
Kevin Lowe one of our assistant cub scout leaders & Rowena Kidd our scout leader have completed their leader training and gained their wood badges, well done.
All sections have had children gain the Chief scouts award for their section, the beavers have had 4, cubs 1 & scouts 6.
We had a very successful family camp last September after many years of none. The same venue has been booked for this 25 – 27 September.
We had a successful “who dun it” based on the nursery rhyme of Humpty Dumpty in March, thanks to the team of leader who performed and organized it.
The Didsbury Viking Explorer Unit which is the district unit continue to meet on a Wednesday at our HQ, there are 14 on the unit books at present and we have two new enthusiastic leaders Dawn and Tom.
The District Network which is the section for 18 to 25 year olds is now one year old and regularly uses our HQ for meeting. We now have a formal partnership agreement with them.
The HQ is also used on a regular basic by the district for leader training and appointments evenings. A google calendar has been set up on the group website to try and avoid clashes of evening meetings.
Keith Hampson (GSL)
The summer term saw us hoping for dry weather so we could do activities outside but we only managed a couple of evenings in the park where we played parachute games, followed a wool trail and played sleuthing.
We attended cub camp for the day, which was held at Dunham Massey scout camp site. During the visit the Beavers were able to do activities to gain their outdoor challenge badge and the adventure activity badge. Prior to the visit they had learned to tie knots, how to pack a rucsac and which healthy foods were good for a picnic.
The autumn term brought our first girls into our beaver colony. We learnt about emergency services and how to contact them and what to say to the operator. We raised money for charity by decorating plant pots and planting bulbs in them. We raised £80 for Marie Curie with our efforts. These activities went towards the friendship challenge badge. We had a good representation from the colony for the Remembrance parade and service which is held at Didsbury cenotaph in November.
Christmas saw us learning about different faiths as well as Christmas. We finished the year off by having a fancy dress party at the scout hut.
The new year saw us working towards more badges, which were the global and friendship challenge badges. We had an Australian theme for this and even had a bar-b-q in our summer clothes. Fortunately it wasn’t raining and wasn’t too cold! We managed to fill the hut with smoke even though we were cooking outside.
March saw us aiming for improved fitness to gain the health and fitness activity badge. We planned healthy meals, we did different forms of exercise, Tai Chi and aerobics, and we even learned the importance of washing! Twenty of the beavers gained their Health and Fitness activity Badge.
There was a good turn out at the district swimming gala and although there were no lane races those that came fastest received a medal and the others received a certificate.
This year, Josef Bangbala, Cameron Shaw, Max Howe and Peter Tempest gained their Bronze Chief Scout Award which is the highest badge that can be gained in Beavers. This means that they gained all six challenge badges to receive it.
I would like to thank all the parents who have helped during the year and hope they will continue to do so. This year Cat leaves us to do her teacher training course in York and Fran, who is a student leaves us to go to Austria. Laura is also doing her teacher training course but remains in Manchester. We send good wishes and success to them all.
Helen Hampson (BSL)
The Cub pack has 30
members at present, the majority of Cubs attend regularly and take part
enthusiastically in all the packs’ activities. I also have a group of dedicated
leaders who ensure the boys and girls get the chance to try new things, play a wide
variety of games, learn skills and have fun together.
The Cubs have enjoyed
a busy and varied year of activities at both group and district level. In June
2008 the annual camp was held at Dunham Massey Scout Camp Site. The weather was
kind and we enjoyed a lovely weekend of adventurous outdoor activities. The
highlight for the Cubs was the archery activity. In the autumn we got fit with
the fitness challenge badge and sharpened mental skills with a quiz. The annual
district 5-a-side football competition was very popular and our teams did very
well with one team being runners-up.
The district also ran
a swimming gala in February in which the Cubs won their section and the group
were overall winners.
This year the group
decided to enter teams in the Pike View Hike event. 4 Cubs bravely volunteered
to represent the pack in the Cub sections’ Pip Hartley Memorial Hike. This was
a very testing weekend with the Cubs planning and navigating round a 7 mile
course while also completing a number of challenges. They all finished the hike
and gained many new skills and experiences over the weekend.
At the beginning of
the summer term knights and castles was the theme with the Cubs building, and
knocking down, paper cup castles and learning Viking battle techniques.
As we come to the good
weather a number of outdoor activities are planned for the rest of the term.
Susan Bulleid (CSL)
This has
been another successful year for the scout troop who now have 5 leaders to help
run the section. We have had 6 camps this year starting the new term with
Technology camp in October, where the scouts were able to gain their IT 1,2 ,3
and 4 badges.
We had an
extremely enjoyable but cold frost bite camp in February, camping at Linnet
Clough in the snow. The group enjoyed tobogganing, building snow men as well as
learning to skin and cook rabbits.
Our goal
has been to gain the Expedition and challenge badges and so we took the group
hiking over Macclesfield Forest and then picked a team to represent us at the
Bolton South District Pike View Challenge. Much to Keith’s amazement, our crack
team came second, a fantastic result and one we want to beat next year!
Brian led
a great week’s camp to Southern Ireland in May with a focus on water
activities. Whilst there, the scouts did a two day challenge camping out over
night in bevies and then hiking back to base. A good time was had by all.
We were
very proud of the 6 scouts who gained their gold chief scout’s award, shortly
after going up into Explorers. They attended a formal county presentation in
April. We are now helping the next generation of scouts to gain theirs.
We will
end the year with a camp in July at Delamere Forest and we invite parents to
join us for a Sunday lunch BBQ.
Rowena Kidd (SL)
Roger Short Quarter Master
Matthew Rushton Vice-Chairman/Treasurer
Wendy Wallbank Cub Representative
1. The Chairman, Martin Woodfield, welcomed members and families.
2. The minutes of the 2008 AGM were accepted as a true record.
3. The Chairman briefly introduced the Executive members (excluding
leaders and representatives). Martin then provided a brief financial report
to cover the financial highlights and main issues for the year. The Chairman's
Report, Treasurers Report and Report and Accounts were made available at the
meeting and the Accounts were accepted and approved.
Martin finally thanked the Section Leaders, Assistant leaders and helpers
for all their hard work throughout the year.
4. Written section reports were made available to the meeting and Keith Hampson (GSL) gave an overview of the Groups activities over the year and thanked the Leaders and helpers. Keith provided a quick summary of the Executive/Representative roles that were to be elected this year.
5. The following were elected as office-bearers and section representatives
for the next year:
Secretary Not appointed - This will remain the responsibility
of Reuben Flynn/David Leitch/Martin Woodfield
Beaver rep. Temporarily - Lucy Atkinson (son Joe moves up shortly so will
become a second cub rep)
Cub rep. Sarah Vollam
Scout rep. Claire Hammond
A Beaver representative will be needed shortly.
6. Keith presented flowers to Susan Bullied, (CSL), who is leaving in the
summer and thanked her for 15 years service to the Group. Keith also presented
flowers to Catrine, (ABL), who is also moving, for her 3 years service to
the Group.
7. The meeting closed and was followed by a Show from each Section.
8. The next meeting will be on Monday 13th July at 7.45 at
the scout hut.