FAQs For New Starters

Where do you meet?

We meet at The Parish Hall, Green Porch Close, Milton Regis.

What are the age ranges of the sections?

Beavers - 6 - 8 years

Cubs 8 - 10.5 years

Scouts 10.5 - 14 years

How much does it cost?

Beavers - £18 per half term

Cubs and Scouts - £21 per half term

(Subject to change September 2022)

Is there a joining fee?

After your 3 weeks trial if you wish to join there is an investiture fee of £10. This pays for the scarf and the membership badges.

What is the uniform?

Beavers and Cubs wear a jumper as their official uniform and the Scouts wear a shirt. This is where the badges gets sewn on. They will need this for their investiture. They are readily available online from Scout stores.

How do I start?

We are paperless now so if you wish to start with us you will need to create an account on our online system (OSM). To do this you will need to share your child’s first name and surname, DOB and a contact email address with the Group secretary who will have initially emailed you. They will then send you an invite to set up your side of the account (parent portal) and you will be required to complete all of your child’s other details before they start, this includes emergency contacts and any medical details.

Once your trial start date has been arranged with the Group and the leaders your child will receive 3 trial sessions. After those 3 trials sessions have been completed you can make the decision to join or not. If you decide to join then your subs will be calculated for the remainder of the term and they, along with your investiture fee will be due. If you decide not to join then your account will be deleted.

How do I pay?

Currently payments are to be made by card at the hall but we are looking into online payments.

When are subs due?

The membership subscription covers the cost of equipment and running costs of the group. This is due the first week back after each school holiday. These are to be paid within the first 3 weeks of the term. There is also an annual membership fee paid to UK Headquarters for the day to day running of The Scout Association that includes insurance for all members We include this in your subs fee so its covered when due.

Are there any other costs?

Certain activities, sleepovers, camps or day activities can be extra. You will be given plenty of notice for such events and details of additional payments required.

We appreciate that money can sometimes be tight. If you need a bit of help with the cost of a camp or if you want to spread the payments, then please discuss this with one of the leaders. We aim to be as flexible as possible and would rather know in advance if there are any concerns. We would never want to see somebody excluded from an activity due to the cost involved.

How does my child earn badges?

The leaders put a programme in place so over the span of the full time available in that section your child should be able to achieve all badges required for the chief scout badge of that section. This is bronze in Beavers, silver in Cubs and gold in Scouts. During this programme they will work on the challenge badges and some of the activity badges. Should your child wish to do any activity badges outside of the sessions then you are able to evidence this to the leaders or on our Facebook group for the leaders to document. Details of your child’s badge progress will be found on the parent portal.

How does the Group communicate with parents?

We use communication via email, the parent portal and our closed Facebook group.

How do I join the Facebook Group?

Search for 1st Milton Regis Scout Group and request to join. You MUST answer the security questions as this allows the admins to verify who is in the group. This is to safeguard all members.

How do the leaders train?

All Scout leaders are volunteers. They all bring different skills and knowledge to the team. They all undertake initial training, including safeguarding, first aid. They then work towards gaining their wood beads which means they have completed their full leader training. This is through online and practical sessions.

Can I join as a volunteer/leader?

Of course. Just approach one of the leaders and they will point you in the right direction. Or why not look up the 4 week challenge.

How do I contact the leaders?

If you wish to speak to any of the leaders please approach them before or after the sessions on a Friday. Alternatively, you can email in to scouts@harrisononline.biz and we will point you in the right direction. If the leaders have a dedicated scout inbox for communication, then that information will be shared with you.