Each scout group is different. We are water based for a third of our activities and try to be active and innovative in our activities and camps which means lots of kit that needs looking after and organising. Some of the typical things that we do and that we can use help for, even if you can’t do them all are listed below. For a full ‘job description’, head over to our forms page and look at ‘Be a 4th EFS leader’:
We run typically 10 sessions a term in the Autumn and Spring terms. In the summer term we have the help of further instructors for our sessions at Fairlop for our water sessions.
Plan and organise evening activities and the programme which involves discussions, producing instructions sheets, making props and prepping for each session. We have built up a large amount of reusable activities and associated kits for them that we re-use on a 3 year cycle but we adapt and add to this according to the programme
We keep a track of and maintain our camping kit. This involves ensuring everything is labelled, stored, clean and in good repair. After camps we usually have work to do to get things back in order for their next use. Periodically we look at key bits of kit such as our camp cookers that we replaced last year. Our patrol tents and marquee were replaced prior to that. We are currently reviewing all our aging 2 and 3 man tents which need sorting, repair or replacement. That’s an evening activity, taking each item , checking it over and re-packing it ready to go, repairing it or marking it for spares or disposal.
There is quite a lot of communication to parents, most of which is via our email system. We communicate with parents and scout about camps, outings, competitions and prep nights for things like camp, new scouts joining etc and we handle responses, questions and so on and try to make sure everyone knows what is going on.
We have two 22 foot home counties scout gigs that we operate on the water during the summer terms and are trying to get back under sail. We spend a small number of days sanding, painting, repairing these boats to ensure they are in state to go on the water.
We try to maintain an active social media presence and our website as a resource for information and visibility into what our young people are doing. This year the scouts have also made a video to share with other international groups and this takes time to plan for and edit (with scout involvement throughout)
Our camps and outings are planned at least a year ahead. Currently we have bookings for overnight stays into 2021 as competition for facilities is so high. Planning a summer camp takes around a year, starting with a programme and planning food, activities, transport (there and back as well as at camp), location, permits, risk assessments, budgets etc.