Scout Districts exist to provide direction, guidance, line management and support to Scout Groups. Support can be in lots of different forms whether it’s just being a friendly team to talk to when things aren’t working or even when they are; to organising large scale events or taking on some of the administrative burden that inevitably comes with running a charity.
Members Area – Coming soon
We are currently designing a new members only site for volunteers and trustees at Leeds Templars.
All current leaders pages will be transitioned to the new site which will use the District Account as a login. We will also be looking at how to make getting District Accounts easier.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for this, please feel free to contact Support by email or on Slack.
Leeds Templars Vision 2024
In 2024 we aim to prepare even more young people with skills for life, expand 14-24 opportunities and give even more support to our Scout Groups. The key areas we will focus on are:
- Expanding communication channels between groups
- Young leader and DofE provisions along with Explorer and Network units
- Help young people and volunteers access services they may need e.g. mental health support, digital services and resources for reasonable adjustments
- Expand the number of people with nights away and adventurous activity permits
- Make it easier for people without their own permits to run camps and events for their sections or group
- Supporting our Leaders through the transformation to the new Scouting approach and Warmer Welcome
Communication
Communication is key to making a great leadership team, whether at Group level or at District level. That’s why we know that the best way to keep people in the loop is by having different channels and sharing the same information across all of them.
We are currently using 4 major channels to contact our Leaders and spread information: Email, Slack, Facebook Groups and the Website. The aim is that even if you don’t use all of them, at least one of them will be one that can keep you up to date. If you have any problems using these or want to use a different method to get in touch, chat with Matt or anyone on the Support Team and we’ll be happy to help.
Email has always been the easiest way to keep people informed as we have hundreds of leaders to share information with in the District. Don’t worry if you only plan on using email, its here to stay and any information will be shared via all of the channels below alongside email.
If you are a part of the District Team and don’t already have one, let us know so we can set you up with a District email which can be used for all the District communications, used to access District files that we can’t share elsewhere and used to login to other services/apps we might be using.
Slack
If you haven’t already heard of it or used it before, Slack is a real-time communication platform that isn’t linked to social media.
Which is why we will be using Slack as our primary platform for day-to-day interactions. It’s the perfect place for general discussions, quick questions, and sharing important updates. Stay connected with your fellow Scout Leaders and our team!
Website
The website is a great way of sharing information and posts that can then be linked to your teams social media so we can share what’s happening at Leeds Templars.
The website is built using WordPress so if you already know how to use WordPress for work or you want to learn, it is easy to learn and means that everyone can put their content online. We will soon be rolling out accounts to all Groups and all District teams so you can post what you are doing to the website and share it with your Parents on social media or make it easier for you to share information.
Scouts Transformation
If you don’t already know, in 2024 Scouts will be changing how its structured.
Why?
Scouts as an organisation has decided that some things must change to help improve Scouting, making it easier, more enjoyable and more rewarding for volunteers.
The new method is makes Scouting more team-based which means that nobody will have to plan a programme, camp or event by themselves and will be supported for all of their needs.
What does this mean for you?
For Volunteers at a Scout Group, not much will change for you and your Scouts. Some role titles will be changing but you can still use the old ones. Eventually as the new method is rolled out, District and County Teams will help provide resources that make it easier for Scout Groups to run their programmes and events in teams.
For Volunteers at District, County and elsewhere, the teams that make them up are changing what they focus on and overall will lead to people being more flexible in how they volunteer. If you are really interested in running an event and nothing else, you can be the team leader for that event and not have to take on any other responsibilities outside of that.
What does this mean at Leads Templars?
Leeds Templars has already adopted the new system. Some roles have automatically transferred over and other have needed a conversation to see where they best fit in the new system.
Roles like Assistant District Commissioner Cubs required an information discussion, the new system will allow them to help with Cubs Programming/Events as Programme Team Lead Cubs or use their skills for Cubs in Volunteer Development or Support Teams.
Whereas previous roles like Youth Commissioner and Exec. Member automatically change over to Youth Team Lead and Trustee respectively.
District Teams include:
- Programme Team – Helping support programme, events and keeping in touch with specialist expertise e.g. for permits or special events
- 14-24 Team – Helping Explorers and Network Units engage with Scouting. This also includes the Young Leaders and DofE schemes
- Volunteering Development Team – Helping Leaders’ growth, development and recognition through sessions, training and learning.
- Support Team – Providing tools to make Scouting easier. This team manages both physical and digital resources and applies for fundraising + grants
In the near future, the District Team will be sharing resources and information to help everyone stay equipped for the new system and exactly what it means for you.
