1st Great Missenden Scout Group : Newsletter

1^ST GREAT MISSENDEN SCOUT GROUP
Autumn Newsletter - September 2009

Dear Parents

I hope all of you managed to find some sun and relaxation during the summer break and are looking forward to another year of scouting!

BIG THANK YOU

The first big item for this newsletter is to say a really big thank you to all the parents and children that helped with the big "Hut Tidy Up". I'm sure you will all agree that we have made significant progress and made the hut a better place for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.

PLANS for 2009/10

This year we have decided to focus on the following four areas.

1 - Fundraising

This is of course a key activity for the Group and this term is a critical one.

Christmas Post - we will be running a slightly scaled down post this year led by Ben Hannen and Mo Robinson - more details nearer the time.
Christmas Cards - we are planning to design and sell Christmas cards this year and are looking for a couple of parents to support Paul Francis [Executive Scout Parent] on this project.
Beetle Drive - we are hoping to run a Beetle Drive for families and friends on the 17th October. We are looking for a couple of parents to run this with support from the Group Executive. Tickets will be on sale soon and will include supper and a raffle - any donations for prizes will be gratefully received!

2 - Supporting our new Leaders/Assistant Leaders/Regular Volunteers for Cubs & Beavers

We are delighted with the progress the Group has made to recruit new leaders/assistant leaders and regular parent volunteers. The uniformed leaders and the executive will be very focused on supporting the new teams over the next 12 months as I'm sure all parents will. We would welcome any feedback, good or bad, on how the new arrangements are working out.

3 - Beavers and Cubs

It is great to see the increasing numbers joining both these sections which is largely due to children enjoying themselves and telling their friends! We are committed to ensure that all children have a great experience of scouting that is fun and safe. One of the challenges we face is to keep the larger sections fully engaged and we will be looking at various rewards / incentives to support this. In addition we want to ensure that both the young people and their parents understand the formality of the closing ceremony and focus for a few quiet moments at the end of the session.

4 - Finance

Katy, our treasurer will be working on tightening the finance policy for the operation of the whole Group. This will include improving the method of collecting subs. Given the current economic situation if any parent is having difficulty paying subs they should speak to Katy to see what arrangements can be made.

KEY DATES for 09/10

DATE	EVENT	VENUE	PARTICPANTS
24th September - 7pm	District AGM	Chesham Park Community College	All
6th October	Autumn Walk	Headquarters	Beavers, extra parents needed
10th October	Bucks County Orienteering competition	Wendover Woods	Cubs and Scouts
~~17th October~~ postponed	Beetle Drive	Scout Hut	Families & Friends
8th November	Remembrance Parade & Service	Holy Trinity Church, Prestwood	Beavers, Cubs & Scouts
11th December	Pantomime	Elgiva, Chesham	Beavers
June '10	Camp	TBC	Beavers, Cubs & Scouts

The Group Executive would like to thank you for your continued support and look forward to another great year of scouting!

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