Scouting staffroom type thread on Mumsnet?

[PerplexedOnceMore]

I've seen one for Guides on Mumsnet and was wondering if there was anything similar for the Scouting Movement?
I'm fairly new in post and would appreciate a place to go for advice, share some hints and tips etc.

In our District, overwhelmingly no sections meetings on days / weeks they aren't at school.
Lots of sections camp though - the first week of the school holiday is popular whether a week or a weekend. Then there are various big camps / jamborees / overseas trips which tend to happen in August.

Not officially. Its the village Summer Fair in August and we ask for help with that.

Reopening this thread for summer 2026! I'm into the throes of planning camps, plus we're taking 9 kids to Poacher jamboree. I'm quite excited!

I’m heading to a Chamboree in August to help out for 3 days with Scouts. I think I’m more excited than DD!
DS is off on his first Cub camp in 2 weeks and it’s killed me not to help on this one but he needs to go on his own for the first time. He’s asked if he’ll be allowed to ‘help’ with Beaver sleepover in June, I think he’s getting the bug too.

Currently having a dilemma whether to progress from occasional helper to Cub leader. I love it, but have a long term health condition which can cause fatigue and is going to get worse over the next few years and I don’t want to let anyone down.

I think staying as OH might be a good option. All the fun and not so much of the responsibility 😁

My DD was selected for WSJ next year [proud mum] and is hard at it raising funds. The District cohort is running a pop-up cafe at our St George's event, so this Saturday will be spent mostly baking. In between, I'll mither about the camp I'm running next weekend. Hoping to upgrade my Indoor NA permit to a Campsite one - wish me luck!

I got "volunteered" to help run an activity at a week long event in Summer (thanks DH!). Not quite my idea of a holkday, but its the only time we will get this summer (one DD will be "Staff" too, one will just be a Scout as shrs too young at 13 for staff).

Younger DD was sad not to mske the WSJ team. She tried her best, but was just within the age bracket by a few days so knew it was a long shot.

It's been a lovely day in Windsor today, seeing so many young people parading at Windsor Castle as recognition of them receiving their Queens and Kings Scout Awards.
None of which would have been possible without you lovely lot.

Ah you were there? How lovely! And we all lucked out with the weather for the various parades. This was ours for St George's Day, taken by a fellow leader.

I bet you have a great time though! Sorry to hear about your DD missing out on WSJ. Might she still be in age for the next one?

No, everyone is only in the right age group once.

I thought that would be the case, but I wasn't sure if there was a bit of overlap. A pity! It's hard for the younger ones.

Its just one if those things. Its not quite the same, but shes been abroad with her father due to his "Scout job" so shes luckier than most.

As we told her before Selection weekend.. there are more keen, dedicated Scouts then there are places. (And realistically, its only the ones tgat can afford it that even consider it)

Luckily our District is absolutely on it as regards fundraising, we have loads of support. Already raised about £800 per person!

Would you mind sharing some WSJ fundraising ideas please? Not sure if this is the right thread as I am a scout parent rather than leader. Feel rather late to the fundraising if you’ve already raised £800 per person @moggerhanger ! Getting a bit worried about how we are going to get anywhere near that amount…

@ItsPeggyOlson we're really lucky - one of our County's contingent leaders is based in our District, and is terrifyingly efficient and energetic in getting fundraising off the ground! So all our District attendees are largely working together. So far, we've done:

• helping the Rotary with their Christmas Santa Sleigh collection around local villages, getting a donation in return
• bingo night at a local Scout premises
• cakes and other refreshments at our District St George's Day parade
• stall at the town Christmas market, selling tree decorations made from slices of wood felled locally that the Scouts painted.

My daughter has also done face painting at a village event, and is offering a badge sewing service to other parents. One of the other District attendees has busked (she's a talented violinist). I think yet another is doing car washing and babysitting around his suburb.

District have given a small donation too, as they maintain a fund to get jamboree attendees started with their fundraising.

Would you mind sharing some WSJ fundraising ideas please?

Social evenings - barn dance, casino night, race night, quiz night. Quizzes in particular are really popular and you can probably repeat every 4 months.
Car boot (ask friends and neighbours if they have anything you can sell - I've got lots of stuff I'd donate to a youngster doing that
One member of one of my dc's Unit members did similar (asking friends, neighbours, people from Church, people from the group) for things to sell on e-bay as an on-going things over 18months or so
Have a quick and easy 'game' or stall ready to be able to have a stall at local Summer / Christmas fetes - you often only here of them at short notice, so great to have a simple 'prize every time' type card game or tombola type thing. But make sure it is something that doesn't need more than one person to play at once, or doesn't involve lots of set up. You can usually supplement income on the table by selling things (cakes / costume jewellery / books/ etc on the side
Cake stall - Group and District AGMs, (but get a slot to do a quick talk first so you can explain what you are doing. Don't 'price' the cakes, but ask people to donate whatever they would like to (you make far more money).
100 Club type thing, asking people to have a number for £1, by standing order, and each week or month half the money is given in prize winning and half goes to your fund
Can't remember what it is called but the Easy Fundraising thing where people go through your site and the Unit earns commission on everything anyone buys on line - costs the buyer nothing, but there is a % that comes in commission. (Would have to be set up by the Unit as a whole) but isn't just your Amazon deliveries, it covers things like buying your car or home insurance and your holidays, so adds up over a Unit
Santa Runs - usually supporting local Rotary, but two Scout Groups near us have their own 'sleigh' and have let the Jamboree Units use them (for different roads) on nights they aren't using them (these are such fun to do, too).
Pudding party - Invite all your friends round for the evening for 'puddings', on the understanding it is a fundraiser and you hope that at the end of the evening they will make a donation to your young person's fund.
Host a Cream Tea or Afternoon tea at the Scout hut or Church hall. People live a cream tea.

Thanks so much @CarpetKnees and @moggerhanger - lots to look at here. Will have a good read. Well done for being so organised, ok impressed.

Does anyone run Squirrels? I might be having a role change...

No, but I used to run Beavers and my other Beaver leaders doubled up running Squirrels. What do you need to know?

Off that topic, I got my Campsite NAP at the weekend! Slightly terrifying to have two assessors turn up and basically wander around making notes on a clipboard.

Im trying to get to grips with things like parent rotas (will they all need a DBS before we even open?), toilets etc. Its a brand new section for us.

Congratulations.

@ItsPeggyOlson

for another jamboree one of our scouts bought up loads of selection boxes cheaply in the sales after Xmas and then did a tuck shop at each section. She made a profit of £400

@VioletCrawleyForever This is a great one to keep in mind post-Xmas and Easter - thank you! Love your username btw.

Parents on a rota will need a DBS (and be the mysteriously named "Non member - needs disclosure") if they're going to help out more than 3 times in a 30 day period, or overnight. But they can't have access to the kids' personal data (so no access on OSM).

If a parent isn't going to help overnight or more than 3 times a month, then there's no need for a DBS, but they must not be unsupervised at any point.

As for any other section, you cannot be 1:1 with a Squirrel unless it's an emergency. So if they have continence issues, or will otherwise need help toileting, I think you should be asking a parent to stay with them.