Welcome to Ripon and District Scouts

This from Anne Collins at 1st Boroughbridge Scouts;

"The DASQUEST activity this year is for the Scout and Explorer Scout sections of Ripon & District, a hike with clues to spot, which has been set by two members of the District Active Support Unit, Eric and Shirley Fell.

Six intrepid Scouts from 1st Boroughbridge Troop set off on a beautiful bright Sunday morning to take on the challenge. Having discovered that there was to be a special service in Ripon Cathedral for members of the locally based Army regiments that day, a slight adaptation of the route was necessary but all the clues could still be found.

Off they set from Borrage Lane, over Rustic Bridge, via Hell Wath towards Studley Roger. Equipped with maps as well as a route card and clues to find, the route was ideal for younger Scouts to be helped by the older Patrol Leaders who have already gained their Expedition Challenge Award and proved their map reading skill, with natural points en-route for Leaders to be able to make checkpoint rendezvous meetings.

After spotting the deer in Studley Park, lunch by the lake in glorious sunshine was a welcome break, with opportunity to hone their skills in wildlife and tree recognition as they ate.

Onward and upward – or at least round the lake and along the walk of the Seven Bridges, familiar to some and a new experience to others, back to Studley Roger and then towards Ripon from the west, finishing in the Market Square for ice cream to celebrate.

The route covered just over 7 miles (about 21,000 steps for those with Trackers), enabling all the participants to be awarded the Dasquest badge and another Hike on their cumulative Hikes Away Staged Activity record and a most enjoyable day’s walking experience."

If any other Scouts or Explorers in the District would like to complete the same 7 Mile QUEST this year, then please contact the DAS Manager, Anne Collins, for details.

Please note this IMPORTANT message from the County Commissioner -

The Revised Date  for the Ripon & District Scout A.G.M  (planned for 1 July) will now be postponed again and a new date circulated very soon.

Our Association's rules say that we have until 30 September to hold this event ( that is to say, within 6 months of the end of the financial year)

Please let everyone know this new INFORMATION

Safeguarding - a code of practice

As adult volunteers we have the privilege of bringing fun, challenge and adventure to the lives of over half a million Scouts. But we know that often, the young people we serve are facing their own challenges in their everyday lives.

It’s our responsibility, as adults in Scouting, to ensure that we are creating safe spaces for young people, where they feel empowered and open to talking about the things that make them feel upset, scared or uncomfortable, both inside and outside Scouting.

To support you in this The Scout Association has released a new version of Young People First (commonly referred to as the Yellow Card - Version 7 - November 18). A new version of Young People First for Young Leaders (the Orange Card) is also available. The new cards are easier to carry, easier to understand, and make it easier to report your concerns.  

The Scout Association produced the first Yellow Card back in 1994 and they regularly review the content to ensure it’s in line with national best practice standards and meets the current needs of the Movement.

Have YOU and all your other leaders got an up to date yellow card?  If not, they are available for all your Leaders by clicking HERE   

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL MEMBERS LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS

District AGM Postponement - please note that to ensure that the District is full prepared, this year’s Annual General Meeting that’s due to take place on Wednesday 22 May is now postponed. 

We are allowed by our P.O.R. rules, some 6 months from the end of our financial year on 31 March, to hold the AGM and a new date will be agreed as soon as possible. 

Keep your eyes on your emails and on THIS WEBSITE for further infomation soon!

The first Scout meeting in April saw the Scouts of Boroughbridge meeting promptly at the Army Logistics Corp Barracks at Dishforth, ready for action and to meet Artificer Staff Sgt Trevor Holden. When Trevor was previously stationed in the area, he had become a helper with Boroughbridge Beavers and during his subsequent posting to Wiltshire, had persuaded the Army what a good idea it would be for them to sponsor the Scout Mechanics Badge, being an engineer himself.
And so it came about that Trevor, now back in North Yorkshire, was able to liaise with Dishforth personnel to teach and test the Scouts for the Activity Badge.
Learning the basics of the what lies under a vehicle’s bonnet turned out to be similar in principle, whatever the size of the vehicle. Four-stroke engines and alternators, radiators, fans and coolants, gearing, clutches, power assisted steering devices and even windscreen washers proved to function in similar ways, whether on army supply lorries, Land Rovers or instructors’ cars! Even tyre changing and oil checking followed similar procedures. 
With the bonus of being able to look over and climb inside a variety of army heavy transport, the evening was a great hit, with everyone in the troop having learnt a great deal in a short time and even having the privilege of badges being presented by Trevor himself.

This, from Anne & Mike Collins at 1st Boroughbridge:

"Recently, fifteen of the Scouts from Boroughbridge Troop were able to take part in an overnight 'Spring is Sprung' Hike, starting out from Roecliffe at  the usual meeting time where the Scouts were divided into teams and given their instructions. 

The first team of 4 experienced Scouts set out alone with map and route card they had prepared a few weeks earlier and had soon disappeared into the night. What should have been a well-lit evening with a full moon was, in fact, pitch black with no moon or stars visible at any time, so even more of a test of their navigation skills.
 
The other teams followed at intervals, each with a Leader or Young Leader shadowing to make sure no-one finished up in Harrogate by mistake. The route took each group from Roecliffe crossing fields and woodland and eventually through the Staveley Nature Reserve before sanctuary was found at the Village Hall. The damp darkness was ideal for toad-spotting and with an expert Scout naturalist on hand, many amphibians were rescued from underfoot and carefully replaced into the grassy banks of the River Tutt.

After refuelling on hot dogs and hot chocolate, the Scouts bedded down and enjoyed watching the film of 'Swallows and Amazons' from the comfort of their sleeping bags.

Next morning, up and about by 7.00am, Trangia stoves were lit and bacon sizzling for an early breakfast, as several Scouts had to be collected promptly in order to get to their regular sporting activities.  Two hours later, there was no sign the Scouts had ever been in Staveley and all were well into enjoying the rest of their weekend, with another Night Away and Hike on their record cards and memories of an exciting evening exploring the countryside in the dark."

The Boy Scouts, as it was called in the beginning, was started by Lord Robert Baden-Powell in 1908 after a successful 'test camp' on Brownsea Island in 1907.

Some 5 years later, Scouting tentatively started in the wider North-Western District of Yorkshire West Riding in 1912. Captain Boyd Carpenter, was the, then, District Commissioner and covered the huge Parliamentary area of Skipton, Keighley, Otley and Ripon. Later it became District No 4 Yorkshire West Riding. 

In 1919 it was decided that a Ripon Local Association should be officially formed in 'Yorkshire North Riding' and was called 'District No 5 - Ripon, Masham and District'. Captain Coates J.P, of Holmfield House, Ripon, was the, then, District Commissioner.

The local Associated was formed on 21st August 1919 by an Inaugural Meeting at which the Bye-Laws were adopted and submitted to Scout Headquarters in London. These facts have been checked out by Peter Ford, a Heritage Research Officer with the Scout Association in our UK Scout HQ at Gilwell Park.

This officially means that 2019 is the 100th Year of Scouting in the present District which is now called 'Ripon & District'. So, for 100 years, Ripon & District has created a strong foundation of leadership, service, and community for thousands of the local young people, both boys and, more latterly, girls. Through a century of "Making a Difference" we can now celebrate the incredible impact of what a 100 years of living the Scout Law has done for our local and wider communities.

As Scouts we are constantly guided by our values, which are:
Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others.
Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
Co-operation - We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.

This is what we do - let's keep doing it, and let's keep on celebrating it!

North Yorkshire Scouts Litter-Pick & Recruitment Week 2019

On Sunday 2 June 2019, the County plans a litter-pick across the entire Scouting County of North Yorkshire to mark the beginning of Volunteers' Week. It's hoped that Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, adult helpers, supporters and leaders from every section in every Scouting District of the County will collect litter on this day showing Scouts cleaning up North Yorkshire and our community spirit at its very best. A uniformed badge will be given to all young members who take part, for which there will be a competition to design an appropriate badge. The impact we could have across the County is considerable and so all Districts and Groups are requested to engage fully with this exciting initiative and to avoid all local Scouting activities on Sunday 2 June 2019.

Following the litter-pick and throughout the following week, which is National Volunteers' Week, the County will embark on a dedicated recruitment campaign for young members and leaders. Once again, it's hoped that all Districts and Groups will take part in this campaign at the same time to maximise impact and to achieve some amazing results.

No excuses and plenty of time to plan these events into your programmes, so put these dates in your diary NOW!