2020 News

18 August 2020

Scouts were out hiking in the snow, check out these great photos. So proud of our Scouts even though it was wet and cold they pushed on and completed their hike BRAVO

Anzac Day 25 April 2020

With the current restrictions Anzac Day this year was a little different, but Mulga Scouts of all ages still took time to remember and pay respects. There were Anzac Biscuits, Poppy Lanterns and Wreaths made and shared. We all took part in Dawn Services and 11am Remembrance Services from our Driveways.

LEST WE FORGET

5 April 2020

- Scouting at Home has been launched. Head over to the Scouting at Home Tab to check it out

What happens when a global pandemic limits face-to-face interaction? The Scouting community, globally, turns to Scouting@home. We’ve compiled a range of programs and resources as we move away from face to face Scouting.

- Also launched today is the new GeoScarfing

Geoscarfing is the Geocaching of social isolation. When GeoScarfing, you are strongly advised to follow government advice in regards to allowed activities during the COVID 19 crisis at all times.

check out GeoScarving HERE

INFORMATION FROM OUR BRANCH SCOUT COMMISSIONER

Michelle Taylor scout.commissioner@scoutsact.com.au

9:52 AM (10 hours ago)

to scoutsit

Please find details of our first Scouting @ Home activity.

Scouts National have provided the following link for Scouts to undertake “Their Service Our Heritage” badgework for 2020, the details can be found HERE

The Australian War Memorial (AWM) is also televising a small ceremony from 5.30 view the information HERE

So Scouts “Be prepared” and organise your families, uniform and down load the following files ready for you to use on ANZAC Day. Remember to pause the track for one minute between the Last Post and Rouse.

The Ode, Last Post

and

The Rouse

Dawn Service

5.30 Scouts watch the dawn service with their families and photograph so they can use it for their badgework

6.00 ish At the beginning of the Ode, Scouts and their families go to their driveways in full uniform or scarves outside their clothes, if cold, listen via their phones, remember and recognise our Veterans and current serving members sacrifice.

ACT Scouts thought this may be a little early for some or they would like to participate again so we suggest going out to your driveway at 11am in full scout uniform and scarf, with access to a Youtube version of The Ode, Last Post and Rouse.

11.00 Scouts and their families go to their driveways in full uniform, or scarves outside their clothes if cold, and listen via their phones to The Ode, Last Post and Rouse, to remember and recognise our Veterans and current serving members sacrifice.

Yours in Scouting,

Michelle Taylor (Seahorse)

Branch Scout Commissioner

89 Kitchener St, Garran ACT 2605

scout.commissioner@scoutsact.com.au

scoutsact.com.au

INFORMATION FROM OUR CHIEF COMMISSIONER

Chief Commissioner cc@scoutsact.com.au

Mon, Mar 30, 10:43 AM (2 days ago)

to scoutsit,

Friends and members of Scouting

I let you know last night that the national Scouting from Home initiative was due shortly.

I am very happy to tell you that the first bits of it have now arrived.

You can dive in HERE or by visiting the Scouting at Home section from the tabs above.

Please get your Scouting friends, young and old to check it out.

Yours in Scouting,

Rick Goode

Chief Commissioner

Scouts Australia - ACT Branch

89 Kitchener St, Garran ACT 2605

cc@scoutsact.com.au

scoutsact.com.au

Scouts Australia is a child-safe organisation committed to helping young Australians achieve their personal best in all areas, including leadership, resilience, confidence and responsible independence. Scouts Australia is part of World Scouting’s 50 million members. If this email is not intended for you, please delete it and any attachments, and contact the sender. Please consider the environment before printing this email.

INFORMATION FROM OUR CHIEF COMMISSIONER

Chief Commissioner cc@scoutsact.com.au

Mar 29, 2020, 9:39 PM (3 days ago)

to scoutsit

Friends and members of ACT Scouting

By now you will have noticed that Scouting both locally and nationally has moved on to a new and exciting (but necessary) phase in our program delivery and support for our members. I refer of course to 'Scouting from Home'.

This focus will help us keep in touch, while still enjoying the benefits that Scouting brings to everybody.

I have needed to explore several new ways of engagement with my friends and colleagues in Scouting through the use of programs like Hangouts, Zoom and Messenger. The Branch Executive Committee is from here on using Hangouts, as is my Chief's Counsel. At a national level we are using office 365 Teams. I know that isn't a complete list as I hear reports from a lot of section Leaders about how they are innovatively maintaining contact and delivering the Scouting program and I thank them and encourage them to do so.

Another exciting opportunity soon to be available to all members is participating in JOTI/JOTA on 3 to 5 April. Imagine the fun of talking over the internet to Scouts around the world! Information can be found through this link and a link will be on the ACT Scout website soon.

Scoutlink is also available everyday of the year with a large number of activities, games and moderated scout chat rooms available. More information is available HERE and again, a link will be available on the ACT Scout Website soon. A reminder though that when you are online our digital safe Scouting policies apply!

There are a couple of actions that we in the ACT Branch have to take so that we can continue. These are regrettable but as responsible members of the community, they are essential. I let you know last week about the suspension of face-to-face Scouting and that we are moving forward in the digital world. This also means that we need to close down the ACT Branch headquarters for a while. They can still be contacted through phone and email, but please don't visit as it will be closed. As far as possible we will continue to provide the services that we have done in the past, just a little differently. In this I thank you all for your patience and understanding. One of the issues that we are dealing with at the moment is how to run our required Annual General Council Meeting. That is testing out the best brains in the ACT Branch, but we will get there.

I am personally looking forward to seeing what Scouts Australia are rolling out by way of program and SIA ideas and suggestions. I expect this to be delivered very, very soon.

In the meantime, I am taking the opportunity while at home of doing further Scout Training modules. There is a lot of great stuff there which has certainly changed since I did my training.

I will provide regular updates on how Scouting is addressing the situation that we, and the wider community is facing. Stay safe and remember to keep your social distance and wash your hands regularly.

Yours in Scouting,

Rick Goode

Chief Commissioner

Scouts Australia - ACT Branch

89 Kitchener St, Garran ACT 2605

cc@scoutsact.com.au

scoutsact.com.au

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM OUR CHIEF COMMISSIONER

Chief Commissioner

6:30 PM (22/03/2020)

Fellow Scouters and friends of Scouting

The ACT Government has this afternoon announced the closure of all schools in the ACT from Tuesday 24 March.

In my previous correspondence with you I flagged that the trigger for the ACT Branch to suspend face-to-face Scouting in the ACT Branch would be the announcement by the ACT Government of school closures.

Subsequently, I am advising you that face-to-face Scouting in the ACT is suspended, at this stage until 31 May 2020. We will review the need to either extend this or re-open Scouting in the fortnight leading up to this.

Scouting, both nationally and locally, is working cooperatively to facilitate continuation of the Scouting program through various program delivery processes. I will advise you of these processes as they become available. We are all aware of the likely impact of this on the progression of individual in the Award scheme and these are also being discussed with appropriate Commissioners.

I thank you all for your patience during this very difficult time for Scouting and the wider community and ask you to show the true Scouting spirit in how you respond to this community-wide emergency.

Yours in Scouting,

Rick Goode

Chief Commissioner

Scouts Australia - ACT Branch

89 Kitchener St, Garran ACT 2605

cc@scoutsact.com.au

scoutsact.com.au

________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM OUR GROUP LEADER

---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: <groupleader.mulga@scoutsact.com.au>

Date: Wed, Mar 18, 2020 at 9:10 PM

Dear parents

The Chief Commissioner for Scouts ACT, Rick Goode, will be making a decision on the Branch’s response to COVID-19 in the coming days; and tonight I called a parallel meeting of all the Mulga Section Leaders to discuss and agree on a localised approach to ensure that all our youth members, leaders and parents are also protected from COVID-19 whilst attending activities at the Mulga Scout Hall.

Currently, all Scouting activities, training and major events in the ACT have been cancelled or postponed, and as a group we have decided to temporarily suspend our weekly programs and external activities for the remaining three weeks of term and until the end of the school holidays.

I can assure that the leaders and I thought long and hard before coming to a decision, and the preference for suspension for the remaining three weeks was a preventative one, so that we continue to maintain a stable and safe environment for all Mulga/ Lanyon Scouting families, as well removing any anxiety your children may be feeling during this difficult time.

I have also asked all the section leaders to stay in touch with you during this period, and they may send your children some activities to do whilst the temporary suspension is in place to enable them to continue their Scouting. Alternatively, if any of your children want to complete badgework during this period, Scouts Australia has available a lot of online resources, they can use. I will be forwarding emails to your children’s leaders of such activities for further circulation.

I will keep you all informed of any changes to the Mulga/Lanyon Scout Group, via email, and through our Group Website, including when Mulga/Lanyon Scout Group will recommence weekly activities.

I am also including a link to the most recent information issued by Scouts Australia: https://scouts.com.au/blog/2020/03/17/scouts-australia-response-to-covid-19/

Please feel free to contact me or your Section Leaders, via email, if you have any questions about the response to COVID-19, or anything relating to our Group.

Yours in Scouting,

Caroline Sund

Group Leader - Mulga

89 Kitchener St, Garran ACT 2605

groupleader.mulga@scoutsact.com.au

________________________________________________________________

If your looking for alternatives for members as parents please consider JOTI - Jamboree On The Internet - the worldwide scouting event you can do at home!!!!

With everything that is happening the world JOTI team has stepped up and is offering to run an extra special JOTI activity for everyone. Information can be found through this link and a link will be on the ACT Scout website soon.

JOTI is the largest digital event usually held in October each year alongside JOTA. With the current situation we are facing everyone can get involved.

Are you ready to JOIN the Digital Jamboree on the 3rd to the 5th of April which is the weekend between week 9 and 10 of Term 1 it is totally free.

Scoutlink is also available everyday of the year with a large number of activities, games and moderated scout chat rooms available. More information is available HERE and a link will be available on the ACT Scout Website soon.