Notes on training weekend - Nov 18

I've just been on a training weekend in Dulwich. Here are some interesting things that came out of the training:

Interesting Facts:

- 'BE PREPARED' IS NO MORE. 'Skills for Life' is the new strapline that launched with the new logo a few months ago. Although 'Be Prepared' is still the motto (otherwise there would be a right kick off) it's very very very very unlikely you'll see it on any Scout branded materials anymore. 'Skills for Life' is in right now.

- Speaking of branding, all Scout groups have been told that they've got two years to change all their branding, newsletters etc etc to the new logo.

- Speaking of branding again, there is a whole module on this that all leaders are required to do (it's called Growing Scouts or something less propagandry like that). Amazingly, we were even taught what images we should and shouldn't post on publicity material/social media. We were strongly advised against images of church parades, meeting with the mayor, basically traditional scouting stuff. Instead pushed towards pictures of kayaking, rafting, and outdoors adventures!

- Scout Association grows on average 5.3% each year in membership. When Kate Middleton advertised the Scouts, there was a huge uptake of membership.

- The Scout Association has BANNED the following activities (but they said that literally everything else is allowed as long as it's got a risk assessment and isn't a safeguarding issue): Archery tag, bungee jumping, inflatable water activities, knife throwing, and archery where the target is any humanoid figure. We questioned this; zombies are allowed as they're dead already apparently - however nothing else (so no pictures of Poppy as the target, for example) .

- Three kids died doing Scouting activities in the last year that were fully fine and risk assessed. The SA has responded to this just last week by announcing that they're clamping down on risk assessments for everything - which is understandable as they need to be seen to be doing something however is utter bollocks because the deaths were accidents at events that had full risk assessments.

- A new section is being trialled for kids younger than Beavers. It think Squirrells is one of the names being proposed.

- Gilwell is a place not a person. Took me a weekend to figure this out. It is where the SA HQ is.

- South London Scouts are running a special mental health training weekend. It will only cost attendees £180 per person.

- If you don't renew your DBS when it expires every 5 years, you are suspended immediately. This means that you can't even go back to being a once a month parent helper, post in Scout facebook pages for your group or talk to parents at the meeting.

- Scout Leaders will be immediately suspended on 31 December 2018 if they have not completed GDPR training. PAHAHAHAHAH