The 1st Daviot Oldmeldrum Scout Group

The 1st Daviot Oldmeldrum Scout Group is the overall collective name for the various Sections (Beavers, Cubs & Scouts) that make up the Daviot & Oldmeldrum scouting fraternity. Our Group was formed 40 years ago with the amalgamation of the (then separate) Daviot and Oldmeldrum Scout and Cub sections. Scouting in Oldmeldrum began in 1916 and in Daviot in 1942.

Our Group Scout Leader is Mike Bidgood.

We are located about 20 miles northwest of Aberdeen in the Northeast of Scotland in the UK.

In addition to Scouts, Cubs & Beavers there is also an Explorer Unit (scouts aged from about 14 1/2 to 18 years of age with Adult Explorer Leaders) which is attached to our Group although formally Explorers are "run" from a higher (District) administrative level within the Scout Association.

Organisation

Our Group is currently part of the new Gordon District (District Commissioner Mr. Keith Millar) of the new Northeastern Region of Scouts Scotland.

A Scout Group is headed by a Group Scout Leader (GSL), one of whose many responsibilities is to ensure that the Scout Association's programme is delivered to the youngsters within each of the Sections through a team of Section Leaders, Assistant Leaders, adult helpers and supporters. Our current GSL is Mike Bidgood. The various Section Leaders and Assistant Section Leaders (see "Adult Leadership" below) report to the GSL and in turn the GSL reports to the (from 1st April 2008) the District Commissioner.

Mike is assisted in his GSL duties by the Group Executive (also known as the Support Group) - a semi-formal body appointed by the GSL and through election by the Group Scout Council. It seems like a fairly complicated system but actually it's not too tricky and works very well. One benefit of the system is that the electoral body - the Group Scout Council - comprises virtually everyone with a connection to the Group via their position as Leaders, Officers and Parents of the children belonging to our various Sections. Even some of the older children - those that are Patrol Leaders in the Scouts and all of the Explorer Scouts - are also members of the Council and can vote at it's meetings. The Group Executive meets once ever four months and there is an Annual General Meeting usually towards the end of each summer.

Our Group Executive committee comprises Chairman Aly Mackay (which is a position appointed by the GSL), Secretary (Carron Taylor) and Treasurer (Gerry Stephens) who work with the GSL and the Support Group to ensure the smooth running of the Scout Group in Daviot & Oldmeldrum. Our GEC is also unique in the Gordon District in that we also have a President - Maitland Mackie CBE - in recognition of Maitland's 40-plus years of service to the Group as Scout, Leader, GSL and Chairman (now retired). In addition there are several other parent members of the Group Executive and all Appointed Leaders.

We also have a very active Fundraising Group - which consists almost exclusively of volunteer parents - which carry out many fundraising activities for us and generally take a significant burden from the shoulders of the Adult Leaders, allowing them to concentrate on their jobs or running the Sections.

To contact one of the Section Leaders, the Group Scout Leader or an official of the Group Exec please go to our contacts page.

The Role Of Parents Within The Group

Parents or carers are encouraged and indeed expected to become involved in the Group. This may take the form of encouraging your child to complete their activities, helping at weekly meetings, providing additional supervision at events, assisting with fundraising, helping maintain the Scout Hall or joining the Group Executive. The Leaders spend a quite ludicrous amount of time, unpaid, to plan and run sectional activities and your assistance with any of the above relieves them of some work. Remember, without the Leaders there would be no Scout Group.

It is also important that all relevant information concerning your child is notified to the Leader. Things like family, medical, dietary or behavioural problems are, by their very nature, personal. It will however, affect your child's capabilities and interaction with others and knowing this information will enable the Leader to make more informed decisions at the right time. Therefore please inform the Leader of any illness or disability, permanent or temporary. They cannot take responsibility for your child without knowing the facts.

Adult Leadership

It is also one of the Group Scout Leader's duties to ensure that the Adult Leadership that exists within the Group is made up of "fit and proper" people able to do the job within their various Sections (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts) and to help them in their training.

All of us in the Daviot Oldmeldrum Scout Group - whether on the admin committee or leading or helping a section - are volunteers. Without volunteer Adult Leadership, our Scout Group would simply collapse. In fact, one of the main barriers to having more young people in Scouting within the UK at present is not for the lack of young people wanting to join, but the lack of Adult Leaders willing to come forward. Currently there are four levels of Adult Leadership and Help which people can apply to become part of:

Section Leaders and Assistant Section Leaders attend meetings on a regular basis (or as regularly as possible), wear the uniform of a Leader of their particular section and hold a Leader's "warrant" which is awarded only after a period of training and assessment, an interview with more senior members of the scouting organisation at management level, and an Enhanced Disclosure Scotland check.

Adult Section Helpers normally attend meetings on a regular basis (or as regularly as possible) and do not wear uniforms. As they are in contact with children in the Group on a regular basis they must undergo an Enhanced Disclosure Scotland check, however this is organised and paid for by the Scout Association. They can undertake the same training courses as the warranted leaders if they wish but this is not a requirement.

Informal Helpers are normally parents who volunteer to help out at meetings on an irregular basis perhaps as part of a parent rota, perhaps offering transport to and from events and occasionally directly supporting events such as camps, hikes etc. It is also possible that a parent might have particular skills or be in a position which would be of considerable help to the youngsters (e.g. someone good at model-making to lead a craft session for Beavers, or a natural history enthusiast who could lead a Cubs' nature ramble, or an aviation worker who could lead a group of Scouts on a visit to an airport) as a one-off event. As their position within the Group is an informal one (literally a "helpful parent"!) they are not required to undergo any specific training, however they are required to complete a "Self Declaration" Disclosure Scotland form declaring that they are not barred from working with children under several kinds of Scottish child protection Laws.

No Adult Leader of whatever level is paid to undertake their role.

We Need Your Help!!!

As you can imagine, with a Scout Group comprising upwards of 90 active youngsters, we are always on the lookout for Adult Leaders or Helpers to help us. If you feel you could fit into one of the above roles and looking for fun, adventure, a challenge and... a bit of exercise! then please get in touch with our GSL. We recognise that adults have differing work, family and social obligations so even if you can only partially commit some time to helping us this will also be gratefully appreciated.

Formal & Legal Issues

For a description of our Child Protection Policy, Disclosure Scotland Checks, our policies on Bullying & Discipline, when and why we collect Personal Information and our Complaints Procedure, please click here.

Joining The Group

Waiting Lists are currently in operation for...

No Waiting List is in operation for...

Please contact the appropriate Section Leader (go to our Contacts Page) to enquire about joining that particular section or contact the Group Scout Leader.

Scouting is open to both boys and girls at any level.

The "normal" progression through the Group is for a boy or girl to join the Beaver Colony at the age of 6 and he/she will progress through the various sections at the appropriate age. However, it is also possible for an older boy or girl to join any particular section (depending on age) providing there is a place in the section which is vacant.

Under current Scout Association rules and guidelines we have recommended maximum sizes for our Beaver Colony, Cub Pack and Scout Troop which depends on the number of warranted and unwarranted Leaders present and the size & suitability of the meeting venue. Currently all our Sections are fully occupied (except Explorer Scouts) and there is a waiting list system which is under operation.

Preference for a youngster joining the Group in Beavers or any other Section will be given in the order set out below:

1. those progressing from one of our sections to another as part of the normal "moving on" procedure within Scouting
2. children of Warranted Leaders / Adult Helpers wishing to join a section other than by "moving on" from a previous one
3. young people moving into the area who were members of a recognised Scouting Group at their previous location of residence
4. young people with siblings already within the Group
5. other youngsters based on their age(s) and the date(s) their names were entered onto the waiting list.

Of course, the main "bottleneck" comes at the first stage - joining the Beaver Colony - as once a child is within the Group his or her progress up through the Sections is virtually assured as long as spaces in the next section exists for him or her to move into and he or she wishes to continue their Scouting career with us.

We have also produced a booklet for new members giving information about the Group, the Beaver Colony, the Cub Pack & the Scout Troop. It also contains information on our organisation, leadership, support, uniforms, badges, anti-bullying & child protection policies, discipline and contact details. You can download a PDF copy by clicking here.