The Group consists of 2 Beaver colonies, 3 Cub packs, 2 Scout Troops, and a Parent Support Team. We also have strong ties with Explorer Scouts and Network Scouts in our area.

We are lucky enough to have a two-storey building known as Baden Powell Lodge, which is off of Woodhouse lane.

The 13th is part of the Worldwide Scouting Association, which is a uniformed organisation, and in our Group there are guidelines on what the uniform is. Uniforms specific to each section are detailed in information pack. Our Group scarf is green with a red border, and the St. Johns Badge, worn by all sections is our unique finishing touch to the uniform.

The Scouting provided by the 13th is intended to be Fun – a game with a purpose might be a reasonable description. A progressive training scheme threads its way through all sections to promote the development of young people in achieving their full, physical, intellectual, Social and Spiritual potentials as individuals and as members of their local, National and international community.

To achieve these aims the uniformed sections need Parental Support and Encouragement. It is a fact that the Group can only be as good as its supporters, with this in mind, a Tick list is part of this package, Please tick what you can do to help us.

The 13th along with many other Scout Groups is a registered charity, if you can fill in the Gift Aid Declaration form, we can obtain benefit from the Inland Revenue – it is a valuable means of fund-raising for us.

From time to time we organise events that parents and friends can attend. We look forward to meeting you on these occasions.

We hope you and your child enjoy there time with the 13th, and gains from their scouting experiences.

Yours in Scouting, 13th Leaders and Parents Supporters.

Firstly by showing interest and giving encouragement. Please remember that scouting is about joining in and so those who do not attend regularly can find themselves only on the edge of things and they lose out.

Second by being prepared to help, this does not necessarily mean every week but perhaps occasionally. There are many ways of providing Support and we all have skills that are useful either directly to the programme or to the whole group.

The Parents Committee will welcome your help.

Thirdly I know our life styles are busy make sure that your child arrives on time and that you are there on time to collect. The Leaders will be ready for a rest.

Please Remember when dropping off your child please make sure the Leader has arrived and is in the Hall.

Scouting is Fun for the Adults too if we all give it our support. Why don’t you!

The purpose of Scouting is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.

The Scout Method provides an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training (6 to 25 years), based on the Scout Promise and Law, which is guided by adult leadership. In practise the method is best seen when young people, in partnership with adults are:-

• enjoying what they are doing
• learning by doing
• participating in varied and progressive activities
• making choices for themselves
• taking responsibility for their own actions
• working in groups
• taking increasing responsibility for others
• taking part in activities outdoors
• sharing in prayer and worship
• making and living out their promise

Subs are due every term. You will be sent an invoice home with your son in an envelope and all you will have to do is return payment in the envelope and put in Treasurers Box, which is in the entrance to Baden Powell Lodge or hand back to Unit Leader.

This is an annual Fee which we pay to the Scout Association which pays for your Son/Daughters Insurance throughout the year and paperwork which we might receive etc. This is due at the beginning of the year and will be included in your invoice. Depending on when you join the Group the membership will be charged accordingly.

During your time with us your child might have photographs taken of them while they are doing Activities, Crafts, Camps etc. These photographs are only taken so that we can display what your Son is doing in his Unit, and so that we can build up a Group Portfolio of Activities and Events, which have occurred over the years.

If you have any objections with your child being in photographs please do tell the Unit Leader.

Please when you drop your Son/Daughter off at their meeting, please make sure the Leader has arrived and is in the Hall. Please Do Not drop your Child off in the Car Park without Checking.

The Gift Aid system is simple and requires you as parents to do two things, firstly you must pay income tax. Secondly you have to make a declaration to the effect that you pay money to the Scout Group, to do this the Scout Association has provided us with a form which all you have to do is complete and we will do the rest. As you can see from the form it will enable us to claim 28 pence for every £1.00 you pay the Group for either Subs or Capitation, we cannot claim money paid for camps and Transport costs. You are in effect completing the form to confirm that you are paying roughly £1 per week subs a year for your particular section.

This is an effective and easy way to Fund raise and will enable us to attempt to keep our subs at a reasonable level. For you, all you have to do is fill out the form and return it to the Group, you need only do this once to cover all your children within the group for the entire time that they are within the Group. All we ask is that you inform us of any changes to your address or to your tax payments that may affect us claiming.

Thank you for you time. Please fill in form and return to your unit.