Welcome to Ripon and District Scouts

Bear Grylls recently paid a tribute to our remarkable volunteers and agrees to extend as Chief Scout, renewing his commitment to volunteer and inspire our movement. He’ll now stay on as Chief Scout until at least 2023.

"I really am just so amazed by every one of our volunteers,’ he said. They’ve continued to provide Scouts online, helping nearly half a million young people to step up, speak up and play their part in this crisis. I want to thank every adult in Scouts for their commitment, their courage and most of all their kindness.

In Scouts, we’ve not been able to meet face to face to keep people safe. But that’s not stopped our volunteers. Over 80% have carried on delivering sessions online, helping our young people get through this crisis. They’ve helped young people continue to gain skills for life, provide a sense of normality and a chance to connect with their friends.

Not only that, Scouts hiked 440,000 miles and raised £348,000 for BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief – helping those who need it most in the crisis. Scouts also rose to the challenge, offering free activities for families at home.

What you have shown is called 'Scout Spirit,’ says Bear, and it’s in moments of turmoil that it often shines the brightest. Its been incredible to see our volunteers’ response and their ability to adapt, and to keep innovating – you are all such our shining lights.

For me personally I could not be more proud to carry on as Chief Scout for at least the next three years, and my hope is that together we can steer and carry Scouting through this tough time and out the other side as a force for good across the whole nation."

Bear was appointed UK Chief Scout in 2009, and has seen the movement grow by over 100,000 members since then. He’s visited Scouts in every part of the UK and inspired tens of thousands of young people to gain skills by their earning their Chief Scout’s Awards.

Following a recommendation by the County Appointments Advisory Committee, the County Commissioner, Mark Edwards, is pleased to announce that from Monday 1 June, JOHN LOCKWOOD took up the role of District Commissioner Ripon & District. John is now contactable on email via dc.ripon@nys.org.uk

Many of you will know John from his role as Scout Leader with 1st Masham Scout Group and as Ripon & District Chair since September 2019. Also, as a member of the County Executive Committee since June 2018, John has progressively developed his Scouting skills and experience and we are delighted that he has now agreed to step up to lead the District and take it forward positively. 

Ripon & District has a proud Scouting history and as one of the largest in the County it has nine very successful Groups and three Explorer Scout Units, both large and small, supported by a dedicated Active Support Unit. We are sure that you will all give John your full support as he begins this new chapter in his Scouting career and on his new Scouting journey in taking the District forward. 

In doing so, we are also confident that he will help you and your fellow Leaders to offer ever more opportunities for adventure and skills for life to your young members at this most challenging of times and when face-to-face Scouting eventually resumes.

Finally, the County Commissioner gives his sincere thanks to you all for YOUR enduring support and dedication to Scouting and young people, and also to him personally during his time as your Acting District Commissioner.

At a recent meeting of the District Executive Committee (on-line) on Wednesday 13th May, the Executive decided to put the scheduled District AGM (scheduled for 1st June 2020) on hold due to the present World Pandemic of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) that is disrupting all face-to-face meetings in the UK at the present time.

The NEW date is to be Wednesday 16th September 2020 when, hopefully, things may have got a little better and a face-to-face AGM might be possible.

Please change this date in your Diaries and we look forward to seeing you all there. More details to follow - keep your eyes on this Website..

The Creative Activities Team is running another photographic competition for all members of Scouting and Guiding within North Yorkshire.

As we are currently living in extraordinary times the theme of this year’s competition is Making the Ordinary Extraordinary! This can be interpreted in many ways; ordinary objects or scenes or events photographed in an extraordinary way, used for extraordinary purposes, from unusual angles or just plain odd!

Entries will be judged in the various sections from Rainbows and Beavers through to Leaders and Active Support/Trefoil Guild.

As a change from previous years we will be happy to receive entries each month (with the first entries at the end of May), we will publish the best from each month on the relevant County website and then hold them over for eventual winners in October. Each person may enter one photograph per month, which must have been taken by the entrant, to the competition. Submissions must be in digital jpg format, entries taken on camera phones will be accepted.

All photographs must be submitted with the name of the photographer, section (Beaver, Brownie etc), Scout or Guide Group, District plus Guide County details, an email or postal contact and confirmation that the photograph is all the entrant’s own work. 

The entries will be judged in the appropriate section, all judging will be anonymous and the decisions of the judges will be final.

The competition will be open for submission between 1 May 2020 and 31 October 2020. Any entries after this date will not be judged. Photographs must be submitted to the following email address only: creative@nys.org.uk

Any photographs submitted to the competition may be used by the Scout or Guide Counties for any Scouting or Guiding purposes. All other rights are retained by the photographer