Been asked to leave Cubs due to not being at the right school anymore?

[AskedToMoveCubs]

DS is 9 (Year 5) and in Cubs.

At the beginning of this year, he moved to a new school – he started spending more time with his dad and wanted to go to the same school as his stepbrother who lives with his dad, it’s still the same LA just slightly further away than the one he was at.

Last night I received an email from the Area/District Commissioner to say that as DS no longer attends the school Cubs is held in he will have to switch groups. Apparently, this isn’t a Scouts/Cubs rule but a rule set down by the venue and it’s the same for all groups held there.

I’ve text my friend who has a girl in Girlguides held at this school and she says she’s known parents be asked to move their daughters when they move schools, so presume it to be true but why?

Why would a school do that? It’s a 1 form entry primary school so much limit spaces.

Theres currently no room in any cubs groups nearby, so he’s on a waiting list but he can’t attend his current cubs while waiting for a space elsewhere.

Is the group connected to the school then? A local private school has a "closed" group but even that is considered a bit controversial.

That's odd. Are school staff involved in the running of these clubs and that's maybe why?

Or something to do with school's insurance?

Otherwise it seems bizarre. Our school hosts a number of clubs outside of school hours in the hall and there's no restrictions as to who can attend. But these groups rent the hall from the school in the same way you might rent a village hall.

@PuttingDownRoots No connection to the school apart from the name so it's (number) town cubs group (School name) but they're all like that it's just so you know which one it is.

Not a private school either, local state primary.

@Syndulla No connection to the school at all from what I can tell apart from the name being (number) town name Cubs (school name) but they're all similar as they have the name of where they're held in.

Might be insurance though, but can't see how?

That is bizarre. And a bit sad that the school is not open for "external" members.

I can only think it's about insurance as Scouts/Guides aren't affiliated normally and especially with a small school you struggle to fill spaces. What are they then doing when a Scout leaves primary school?

@reluctantbrit They only have Beavers and Cubs at this school. Scouts is held elsewhere, now I know why!

I've just read through POR (scout rules)... apparently if the School sponsors the Beavers/Cubs, they are allowed to restrict membership. So its rare but technically allowed...

https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/administration/community-sponsorship/

It does seem against ethos though.

Relevant bit of POR

@PuttingDownRoots Thank you, frustrating but sounds like it might be a sponsered group.

My experience is with Guides rather than Scouts, but the fact it’s called the xxx (school) unit sounds very like a sponsored unit, which do usually have strings attached.

Do you think it might be in case someone misbehaves and causes damage at the school while at Cubs, the school want to be able to discipline for it themselves?

If that's the case I think it's unreasonable, but it's the only explanation I can think of!

@GertrudeJekyllAndHyde They're all called that here, theres another local Beavers called "(Number) Town Name Beavers (School Name that it's held in)"

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut Possibly

Yes, if they’re all called (school) unit then it sounds as if they might all be sponsored units, in which case they’re covered by the guidance on community sponsorship that’s quoted above. The commissioner who emailed you should be able to explain in more detail.

@GertrudeJekyllAndHyde Thank you I'll speak to the commisioner and see if we're likely to have this issue again elsewhere

This is weird. My three children are involved in scouting and my husband is a leader and I've never heard of this. We don't go to the group nearest to us for a couple of boring reasons, and as such my kids are some of the only ones who don't attend a certain primary school, but this has never been mentioned by anyone.

Maybe they have a child or children who attend the school who wish to join but can't because they are up to numbers and one of them is not attending the school so would need to be the one to go? There is a ratio of kids to adults and they may not be allowed any new members at the moment.

@lto2019 The commisioner said in his email that its the rule of the group that if you leave the school you leave the Cubs group even if theres spaces in the group.

It's not Scouts who make the rule apparently, it's the school.

I wonder if it's do do with the hire charge. So there is a condition that if all the children go to the school it's free or reduced charge. So they could say no to it, but can't afford to.

That is weird unless they have a Scout/Explorer unit associated with this sponsored group.

For most, it's about the connection between the groups, the journey from being 6 to 18.

I hope you can find a new Cub pack and your DS still enjoys Scouting.

It's a sponsered group according to the commisioner and its the school that say only members of it's school can join, hence no Scouts or Explorers Group at the school.

There is another sponsered group in our town but they're not as strict on attendence for a specific group from what Commisioner said so if we get offered that one I'll take it.

He might be a Scout before a place comes up anyway so he'd have been leaving to go to one of the two scout groups in the town anyway then. Will keep him on the list though.

You may find its better snyway…. my oldest went to a beavers/cubs that was pretty much exclusively from 2 primary schools. Everyone else was made to feel unwelcome (he went a different school, we left pretty soon). an official rule is kinder …