Being a Scout
When you join Scouts, you’ll be introduced to lots of new activities, people and things.
Scout Promise
As a values based movement we all make the ‘The Promise’ an oath that helps us to be our best
Activities and what you’ll get up to
Build and develop your confidence, sense of adventure and outdoor skills. Explore you beliefs and attitudes and be creative. Gain independence and put these skills into practice at camps and even on international trips.
Awards
Scouts start small but think big, always challenging themselves to do more and be more. It starts with an award. Who knows where it might lead?
Uniform and badge placement
You don’t need a uniform to join. But once you’ve settled in, you’ll start speedily earning badges, and you’ll need to know where to put them!
Moving up to Explorers
Eventually, it’ll be time embrace your next big adventure.
General Information
The Scout Section is for young people, usually aged between 10½ and 14 years. A young person can come in to the Troop at 10 and may stay until they are 14½ years old. The Scout Troop is the third and final Section in the Scout Group. Scouting is about being with friends, as part of a team, participating fully in the adventure and opportunities of life.
Scouts are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities as part of their programme. “Participation” rather than meeting set standards is the key approach and for the Scout who wants to be recognised for his or her achievements there are a number of Challenges Awards and Activity Badges. Scouts take part in a balanced programme that helps them to find out about the world in which they live, encourages them to know their own abilities and the importance of keeping fit and helps develop their creative talents. It also provides opportunities to explore their own values and personal attitudes. We aim to deliver at least 50% of the programme outdoors doing advertourous activities. From time to time it is expected that Scouts will participate in community based projects.
Being outdoors is important and half the Programme is given over to taking part in both the traditional Scouting skills, such as camping, survival and cooking as well as the wide range of adventurous activities, anything from abseiling to yachting, Ice climbing to Gliding.
The international aspect gives Scouting a special appeal and many Scouts now travel abroad during their time in the Section. In 2007 40,000 Scouts from around the World attended the World Jamboree in the UK, and Scouts regularly participate in International camps and experiences both on home soil and abroad, each of them a unique experience in its own right.
26th Scouts Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the 26th meet?
The 26th is an exciting and different type of Scout Group, as we do not have a permanent meeting place. Instead, we will hold our face-to-face meetings at various locations around Milton Keynes. Our meeting places may include some of the parks, The Quarries Scout campsite, and other groups’ Scout huts.
We will also meet online via Microsoft Teams, We will provide you with an Office365 account to access Teams.
What equipment do I need for online meetings?
You will need an internet connection and a device capable of accessing Microsoft Teams – a tablet or mobile phone will be just fine if you do not have a computer or laptop. (Hardware Requirements)
All required software and accounts will be provided by Milton Keynes Scouts and will not cost you anything.
You will also need paper, pens/pencils, scissors and glue. Sometimes leaders will ask if you have other equipment at home, if you do not have anything please let the leaders know in advance and they will support as best they can.
What is Microsoft Teams?
Milton Keynes Scouts have an educational licence for Microsoft Office365. This means that we can provide an online classroom, which is safe and secure for our youth members, through Microsoft Teams.
Due to school lockdowns, you and your child may already have experience of Google Classroom, Zoom or similar applications, Teams is the Microsoft version.
Microsoft Teams provides us with the ability to hold online video calls, share documents, photos, videos, and provide activities to be done at home in a safe environment where only other members of our Cub pack can see it. We have restricted the Cubs access so that they are not able to message each other or leaders directly, in line with Scout Association safeguarding guidance and Yellow Card.
Our Microsoft licence enables all our youth members to have free copies of all Microsoft Office packages, which they can also use for schoolwork as well as for their Scouting activities.
How often will we meet face-to-face?
This will depend on what badges, #skillsforlife and experiences we are working on and the time of the year. In the warmer months you can expect more face-to-face meetings and in the colder months there will be many more online sessions led by leaders or ‘at home’ activities for parents/guardians/adults to do with Cub members independently.
How do we access the online meetings?
Each youth member will be given a MK Scouts email address, and links to Microsoft Team meetings will be sent to this email address. The software we use is Microsoft Teams, this can be used either as an app or in any web browser. Note that you can download the app and Microsoft Teams can work better on an app than in the web browser.
What does ‘at home’ activities mean?
At home activities are where leaders provide ideas for you to do at home to work towards badges. These might include activities, which are easier done at home such as learning to make a bed, those which take longer than is available in a Cub meeting, or ones where there is a choice and Cubs can decide to do different things depending on where they live, and the equipment they have available.
We will also offer options to complete anything we did in our meetings at home so you will never miss out on anything, even if you cannot attend.
How much does it cost to be a member?
We offer a 4-weeks free trial period, after which we will ask you to pay subs of £15 per month (£60 per term). This includes all membership fees, provision of a group scarf and all badges.
There will also be additional costs for out of the ordinary events such as camps.
If you have any concerns about the costs, please speak to the Group Scout Leader, Jenny Ryder as we may be able to offer support.
Is there any support for transport to the face-to-face meetings?
At this stage we cannot offer any support with transport, if this is preventing you from joining the 26th please complete our survey to allow us to demonstrate the need for funding to provide this type of support.
What do parents need to do?
As parents you are also part of our group and from time to time we will need, and ask for your support. This might be in coming along to meetings to lend a hand or helping with fundraising. If you are interested in getting more involved, please speak to our Group Scout Leader, Jenny about joining us as an adult volunteer.
How will we know where to be when?
All our sessions will be published on this website, visible in Online Scout Manager Parent Portal and within Microsoft Teams. If you are still not sure where you are supposed to be you will be able to contact the Cub leader directly. Occasionally, the leaders of the group may send out additional information to your MKscouts email address.
I am not a very technical parent, will there be help available?
We’re very keen that technology should be a barrier to joining the 26th Milton Keynes, if you are a technophobe or have one of those aura’s that breaks tech when you get too close, please don’t let that put you off. We’ll do our best to help you all the way.
Do Scouts Wear Uniform?
Yes, Scouts wear a uniform. The uniform is a teal Scout shirt. This can be bought online from Scouts.org or from the Milton Keynes Scout Shop – orders from the Milton Keynes Scout Shop supports our activities locally. There will also be times when we might ask you to wear something different such as school trousers for smart events or sports kit.
If you have any concerns about affording the uniform please speak to the Group Scout Leader, Jenny Ryder as we able to offer support.
Scout Leadership Team
Simon Clawson
Scout Team Lead Volunteer
Stewart Cowan-Harris
Scout Team Volunteer
Eleanor Delany
Scout Team Volunteer
Mike Brough
Scout Team Volunteer
