Beaver Parent Information

We publish and information sheet for parents of Beavers. The content is below with the exclusion of specific information we only make available to parents for safeguarding reasons such as venue details of where meetings held and parents beaver phone number.

WEBSITE

This website contains lots of information, including the two year programme which we follow (it does change periodically), it also has CRB check forms (called Scout Occasional Helper Forms under parent/adult helpers section) that you can Print off to fill in. It also has information on badges and tells you where on the Beaver uniform badges should be put.

MEETINGS

Meetings are normally held in Sarratt on Thursday evening from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. On occasions meetings may be held at an alternative location, e.g. for an outdoor activity, walk or visit; parents will be notified of any alternative arrangements by email.

The leader has the Beaver mobile phone ‘on’ during meetings; should you need to get hold of us in an emergency

Punctuality

We only have an hour to complete our activities; the Scout Troop use the same facility from 6.30pm and so we are unable to stay late. We ask all Beaver Scouts to arrive on time ready to start the meeting at 5.30pm.

Signing Out

Parents should tick the register sheet on arrival and must sign their child out on the same sheet when picking them up at the end of the meeting.

Inspections

Beaver Scouts must arrive in smart, tidy, full uniform with their badge book – we do inspections at each meeting and missing badge books, woggles and untidy scarves lose marks for that Beaver’s lodge.

Badge Books

On investiture Beaver Scouts will be given a ‘badge book’; this includes information on tasks needed to complete each badge & is updated by one of the leaders during or after each meeting. It also has a useful diagram in it showing you where the badges should be sewn on the uniform.

This must be brought to each meeting so that it can be updated. Unless the leaders need to update it, it can be taken home each week or if preferred it can be left in a box with the leaders.

Badge Completion

During their two years at Beavers we aim to give the opportunity for all beavers to complete all of the Challenge badges enabling them to gain their Bronze Award. We also cover many of the activity badges and a couple of the staged badges.

We also hope to complete the Nights Away 1 staged badge by offering a beaver camp at least once a year

Badges at home and away from meetings

However badge work can also be carried out at home and elsewhere away from meetings.

In order to get the task signed off please print out the relevant sheet from the online badge book, get a teacher or yourself to sign it (depending on the task) (e.g. for swimmer 1 – get a swimming teacher to sign and date each task) and bring it to the leaders with any ‘badge evidence’ and the beavers badge book.

Provided the work has been done the badge will be signed off and the badge awarded.

The following staged badges should be completed outside of Beaver meetings and events:

• Emergency Aid - stage 2 upwards

• Hikes Away – Hikes 5 upwards: Walks undertaken during Beaver meetings only enable the beavers to get Hikes Away 1 - more substantial hikes can be done at home to gain Hikes Away 5.

• Information Technology

• Musician

• Swimmer

We do keep a parallel record of badge work on a master spreadsheet for the whole scout group so that if a book is lost it can be rewritten, however this is time consuming and there is a charge for replacement which must be paid before the new book is updated.

Beaver of the week

Each week we chose a ‘Beaver of the Week’ who will take home the cuddly beaver toy. Please keep him for one week only and send him back in clean condition!

People running the meetings:

• Beaver Scout Leader - Gavin Daly (aka “Big Monkey”) - Overall in charge, see him for CRB check forms to hand in subs/camp payment cheques and for any other questions/queries

All three take it in turn to run meetings and we would welcome extra helpers in doing this even if you are only able to do one week. We have the basic files all set up, it’s just a matter of being familiar with the material and making sure we have what we need.

OTHER STUFF

Personal Information

It is important that you keep us updated with any new addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. Please let the Beaver scout leaders and the Group Secretary know of any changes.

It is also important that we are aware of any relevant medical details for example food allergies; anyone potentially needing an epipen should have one with them and the leaders should be shown how to administer it.

Moving Up to Cubs

Beavers are able to move up to cubs on the first meeting after the half term after their 8th birthday. They can do this within Sarratt Scout Group provided there is room in the Cub Pack. They go to cubs for 4 weeks for acclimatisation and then come back to Beavers for a meeting where they officially ‘swim up’.

Replacement Woggles, Scarves, badges and badge books

These can all be replaced but we have to charge for them. Cheques should be made payable to 1st Sarratt Scout Group and given to a leader.

Cost for replacements

• Woggle – 30p

• Scarf – £3.00

• Badges – 80p or £1.00 depending on which one

• Badge Book - £2.50

Volunteers

The Sarratt Scout Group is run by a number of volunteers and the more help we get the more things we are able do.

We ask all parents to help once a term (this is coordinated by the volunteer coordinator – see details below) and realise that that is not always possible – as an alternative, we need help at camps and help for fundraising which doesn’t happen on a Thursday evening.

If in addition to this you were able to run a meeting or arrange one of the visits (we try and have one visit and one visitor per term) then this would be really helpful; please speak to one of the leaders if you are willing to do this.

If you want to know the things we need please look at our Resources and Skills list and our Equipment List or speak to one of the leaders

Occasional Helper Forms and CRB Checks

We ask all parents to fill in an Occasional Helper registration form which includes a CRB. If you already have one I’m afraid we need you to fill in one for the Scout Association too as each context you operate in requires its own check.

All leaders can check the form for completeness – you must bring 3 forms of ID, ideally a passport, a driving licence (both paper and plastic parts) and a utility bill/bank statement with your current name and address on it.

Useful Contacts

All volunteers

• Beaver Scout Leader – gavin@sarrattscoutgroup.org - queries regarding Beaver Scouts

• Group Scout Leader (aka ‘Big Brown Bear’) – david@sarrattscoutgroup.org - In charge of the whole scout group.

• Group Treasurer – helen@sarrattscoutgroup.org - queries regarding subs, camp payments etc.

• Group Volunteer Coordinator – louise@sarrattscoutgroup.org - coordinates weekly parent helpers