This page is dedicated to providing details of how your youngsters can join our Group, the various people they will meet, what you can expect of us and what we expect of you and your children, as well as general information about our Group.

When Do Our Sections Meet?

Each of our Sections normally meet once per week during the school term. There are often opportunities for members to take part in events throughout the year. These might include day outings, camps and expeditions as well as a whole host of other activities. Detailed below are the normal meeting times for each of our Sections:

The Group meets in its Headquarters in Green Lane Close, Arundel, which is available to hire and is suitable for use as a location for Nights Away activities.

What Do Members Need?

For the first few meetings, your child needs nothing at all to experience the magic of Scouting. The Scout Association produces a range of uniforms for all age groups as well as an extensive range of books to support the development of members as they progress from the Beaver Scout Section through to the Scout Network.

The Section Leader will agree a time when it is suitable to purchase a uniform and start working on the Scout Programme. Uniform can be purchased at the Worthing Scout Shop

Worthing Scout Shop

Northbrook Barn,

Community Centre,

Squadron Drive,

West Durrington,

Worthing.

 

Opening Times - Wed 6.00 to 8.00pm   Sat 10am to 12 noon (excluding school holidays/bank holidays)

Enquires - 01903 872514  Email - shop@ worthing-scouts.org.uk

Additionally, Scout Shops Ltd operate a mail order service and can be contacted on 01903 766921 or at www.scoutshops.com

What Will It Cost?

The 1st Arundel Scout Group charges subscriptions ('subs') to cover - for example - costs of equipment and materials and the upkeep of our Scout HQ.  Current cost £7 per month.

Included within this subscription is the annual Scout Association membership subscription, which is paid to Scout Headquarters for the day-to-day running of the Association and includes insurance for all members.

An extra charge is normally required for special events, camps and other outings.

You can pay by standing order if you like and this can be done by completing the groups membership form.

Membership Form

If anyone has trouble in meeting these costs you can discuss this in confidence with your Section Leader.

Gift Aid

If you pay tax, the 1st Arundel Scout Group can use Gift Aid to claim 28p for every £1.00 you give in subscriptions or donations. All you need to do is sign the Gift Aid Declaration that is included with the membership application form. All the money will be used to benefit members of our Scout Group.

Leadership

The adults who run our Scout Group are called Scouters. Contrary to the belief of many, they are unpaid volunteers who give freely of their time for the benefit of our young people and fully support the aims of the Scout Association. All leaders are required to undertake training or learning appropriate to their role. This training normally takes place in their own time; the vast majority of our Leaders also have full-time jobs and family commitments.

Section Leaders are responsible to our Group Scout Leader who, in turn, is responsible to the District Commissioner for the Arundel & Littlehampton District.

See Leader Profiles - to follow.

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints please speak to the Section Leader. If your concern is about the Section Leader, please contact the Group Scout Leader. If he is not available or you are still not satisfied, please refer to the District Commissioner. Contact details are shown below:

Medical / Dietary Information

It is essential that you inform the Section Leader if your child suffers from any medical condition or if they require any specialist medicines or treatment.

It is also necessary for information to be supplied to the Section Leader about any dietary need of your child. In the first instance, you should provide this information on the membership application from and, thereafter, update the Leaders if circumstances change.

Child Protection

It is the policy of the Scout Association to safeguard the welfare of all members by protecting them from physical, sexual, and emotional harm. The Scout Association takes all reasonable steps to ensure that, through relevant procedures and training, members and adults taking part in Scout activities do so in a safe environment.

Parental Permission

It is taken as understood that you give your permission for your child to take part in Scout activities during the normal meeting time. However, when your child becomes a member of our Group, in addition to providing the usual personal information, you will also be asked to provide permission for your child to take part in activities that may take place away from the Scout HQ.

In addition, you will also be asked to give permission for your child's image to appear in any newsletters, newspaper articles and on Scouting websites, such as this. In order to protect your child, we undertake never to associate a name with a picture and, unless the article so merits.

Your permission is sometimes needed for specific events, camps and activities that may take place at a different place or time. You will be asked to complete a separate parental consent form in such circumstances.

Helping Scouting

The Scout Association is run by volunteers and it encourages parents and guardians to assist in the leadership team on a regular or occasional basis. Any support that you or your family can offer Scouting is welcomed, appreciated and valued. To that end, each new member is given a welcome pack which contains blank Scout Association membership forms and CRB forms.

Help is particularly appreciated with practical skills, outdoor activities, as well as with transport, equipment and fundraising. You may also be willing to assist occasionally with the Section meeting night, with administration and fundraising. In addition, you may also consider taking on a uniformed role within the Group.

If you require any further information, please contact our Group Scout Leader - Roger Eve- on 0845 474 1908.

Support Your Child

The Scout Association encourages you to support your child's involvement in Scouting activities:

• Please ensure that you deliver and collect your child at the appropriate times and place, as advised by the Section Leader. Always check that an adult leader has arrived before leaving your child. Please tell the Section Leader if someone different from usual will be collecting them. Members are never left unsupervised, but if you are persistently late, the Section Leader may ask you to make other safe arrangements for collection.

• Our members wear uniforms to distinguish themselves and to make themselves clearly visible. The wearing of our uniform also services to instil a sense of pride in the Group and Scouting in general, as well as showing their individual achievements in the form of badges. Because of this, please ensure, unless advised to the contrary by the Section Leader, that your child wears full uniform (including top, neckerchief and woggle) to each meeting and that footwear is black in colour (all black trainers are acceptable) and clean. It is acceptable to bring a change of clothing and footwear for games and outdoor activities.

• Please ensure that you return forms and payment on time. If you have difficulties completing forms or making payments then please speak in confidence to the Section Leader, we aim to make Scouting available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

• Please ensure that you inform the Section Leader of any change in the family situation that is likely to affect your child's behaviour. It is not necessary to give details. All information will be treated in confidence.

• Please aim to take part in at least one fundraising event a year, such as our 10k Run in Arundel. It only takes a morning of your time but keeps the cost of subscriptions down significantly.