New Provision Operational Checklist
Following on from the advice given in ‘A Guide To Opening A New Scout Group Or Section’, here are a
few extra considerations to help your Scouting run smoothly.
Do you need:
Weekly Scouting
Adult Tours
Keys cutting
An accident record
book and first aid
kit
A mobile phone
Badges and Group
name tapes
Necker’s & woggles
A flag with stand or
hook & pulley
Group Policies
Adult Uniform
A membership fee
Member Items
Member records
Parent Help
Internal
Communication
A moving on plan
Programme
planning
Purchases
Further thoughts
New adults know where everything is from equipment to light and
heating switches. They know how to access & lock up the building,
the fire procedures, who cleans up and what happens to rubbish.
They know how the venue is booked and paid for.
The adults have keys to access building and equipment stores. There
is a system if a keyholder is absent.
These are always available during meetings.
There is a system in place for parents or leaders to make emergency
calls?
The local Badge Secretary or Scout Shop has been contacted to
order county and district badges ready for adult and youth
investitures. Group name tapes have been ordered.
If needed, a new Necker has been designed and district approval has
been sought before ordering them in time for investiture ceremonies.
Besides being traditional, opening ceremonies are a great way to
signal that the meeting has begun.
The Group has created a policy on providing and purchasing or
reimbursing adult uniform?
The fee for young people has been calculated, taking into
consideration the annual capitation fee, venue & programme costs.
The Group has decided when (weekly, by term) and how (cash, direct
debit) will these be collected, recorded and accounted.
The Group has decided which resources will be provided to members
(e.g. Necker, woggle, badges, handbook), how it will manage lost
replacements and who will order/ pay for these.
The Group has decided how data will be collected and stored on
member’s personal details, emergency contacts, attendance and
achievements, those who want to join and those who will be moving
up.
The Group will set expectations straight away that parents will be
involved. Parents rotas and skills audits are valuable tools to
including parents in Scouting
The Group has decided how leaders will communicate between
sections to anticipate and assist members in moving between
sections?
Adults may want a Group planning meeting each term to find out
what each section are doing and to plan Group activities and a
section planning meeting each term to plan a detailed programme,
incorporating special dates, district and county events and parents
skills.
Sections have been given a budget for programme costs and know
how purchases will be recorded and reimbursed. Each section could
have a float which is balanced and accounted at the end of each
term.
Lead by:
Action
date:
External
Communication
A notice board for
news & updates,
programmes and
vacancies.
Notice boards for
sections
A group website/
blog, Facebook
page or newsletter
A Group welcome
pack
A valuable communication tool to parents.
Even in you rent your meeting place, a removable board to display
work, photos, badge records etc. can be used
The sections and Group communicate with parents regularly to keep
them informed and involve them in the Group’s activities?
Templates are now available at the Scout print centre to create
personalised pages sharing Group and leader details which can be
inserted into the back of the ‘A Parent’s Guide To Scouting’.