Dear parents and carers
Another week passes and this will be my last Monday email until September. I hope they’ve been useful to you.
Thank you to everyone that joined the Facebook meeting last Thursday and a big thank you to everyone that messaged me afterwards with ideas, thoughts and comments – they have been really useful in supporting our plans to get back to face to face Scouting. If you want to watch the recording, it is still on our Facebook group page, ignore the first few minutes of me trying to work out if anyone was there or if I was talking to myself!
As I said in the meeting, the go to web page for everyone to visit before any meetings from next term is live and up and running. It only has basic information at the moment and will grow as we get closer to getting back together, but please do familiarise yourself with it – https://www.11thfolkestonescouts.org.uk/getting-back-together-safely/
If you have anything you think could be added, please email me (hit reply to this email – it only comes to me).
What’s going to happen now is that section leaders will be carefully looking at what/how/if they can safely run a programme from September and completing their section specific risk assessments. We’ll then all communicate our plans in plenty of time and update the web page/OSM. Regardless of what we do, we will have some form of Scouting for all sections from September. It will either be face to face meetings outdoors following the risk assessments, zoom meetings or a blended approach to make sure everyone gets something.
A question was asked about moving up for those who have reached the age to change to the next section. The section leaders and I met last week to discuss this and we felt that at the moment, while we’re working on assessing risk for getting back together that it would be better for all – young people, leaders and parents – that everyone stayed in the sections they knew with the people that they knew to make the return a little easier for all. We recognise that this will means some young people are well out of the age bracket for the section and we will review it on a monthly basis. If you have any concerns around this, please contact me or the section leader to discuss and we will take any further decisions on an individual basis.
Finally, I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone in our amazing group – parents, young people and our volunteer team for the support, dedication and encouragement you have shared since this whole saga began back on 16th March (this is when we had to stop face to face Scouting!). It seems an eternity ago, but I’ve been so impressed with all the activities and engagement and the way most have adapted to this new form of Scouting. I also really appreciate all the support from the many many messages I’ve had from parents and your understanding in charting a course through this strange and unprecedented time – it has meant so much to me and to the team. What a fantastic Scout Group – clearly the best ever!
Have a fantastic and safe summer and see you all in the new Scouting year.
Craig
Group Scout Leader