Welcome to Scouts - Information for New Starters

1st Longridge Scout Troop

The Scout Troop is the third and final section of the group. Scouts are youngsters aged 10½ - 14 who meet and take part in activities organised by the leaders.

Where

We meet on Monday evenings from 7.00pm till 9.00pm. Generally we will meet in the Scout Hut but aim to go out around once a month, hopefully more often in the summer months. If transport is required we will let you know in advance.

What to Wear / Bring

To begin with if your child has already been a member of the cubs then he/she can simply wear their uniform. If not then don’t worry, the uniform will only be required when he formally joins the troop, after around six weeks. Once we have started the night with flag-break the Scouts change into old clothes to protect their uniform. Uniform consists of a green shirt and blue trousers both can be bought in Preston at the school uniform shops or from our district Scout shop (ask for details). The neckerchief is provided by the group.

It is best to send your child with a coat / waterproof / hat / gloves etc. – Just because it’s cold or wet we might still go outside.

You will not need any special equipment to begin with but basic camping equipment will be needed for camps.

Camps

We try to fit in as many camps as we can, this generally means around four per year. Scouts will always get much more from the troop if they take part in as many activities as possible, please encourage your son or daughter to take part. Also we would appreciate early responses to camps and events even if it is a "not this time".

Leaders

There are three leaders, Stephen Williams (Scout Leader) and two assistants, William Joyce and Rachel Holden.

Communication

We generally use emails and text messages to communicate with parents. Our website is at www.1stlongridge.co.uk/scouts.

If you can't get online all letters are also available from Scouts.

What would really help us is if you reply to letters promptly. All too often in the past, a camp has been cancelled due to lack of interest only for forms to be returned the day before. It is also helpful if we are told that a Scout is unable to go to an event so that we know where we stand.

Parents

As you might know, Scouting is a voluntary organisation, none of the leaders receiving any payment for their work. What we do ask for is the involvement and support of parents when the group or troop organises any events. This might be providing transport, attending a family camp or just supporting a fund raising event. For those who would like to help improve the group to benefit your children, we always welcome you at our committee meetings - see Pam for more.

Cost

The cost of Scouting is kept as low as possible but it does cost something! Subs are charged at £10 per month, ideally paid by direct debit and there is an annual subscription paid in January which is your membership of the association, this is usually around £25

On top of this you will need to buy the uniform and some basic camping equipment. The price of a camp will vary depending on where we are going, what we are doing and what activities and transport costs are involved.