Group Organisation

Sections

We currently have four training sections within the Group.

Beaver Scouts 6 years old to 8 years old.

Cub Scouts ages 8 – 10 and a half years old

Scouts aged 10 and half to 14 years old

Explorers aged 14 upwards.

Our Wednesday Beaver colony operates  between 16.45 and 18.15.

Our Thursday Beaver colony operates between 17:00 and 18.30.

Our two Cub Packs operate on Mondays and Tuesdays, between 18.30 and 20.00.

The Wednesday Scout Troop operates on a Wednesday between 18.30 and 20.00

The Thursday Scout Troop operates on a Thursday between 19.30 and 21.00.

Explorers meet every Wednesday from 20.15 to 22.00.

Camps and Activities

All sections take part in annual district events, competitions and activities.  The Cubs have a weekend District camp, usually in June at a site fairly local to Esher District. The Scouts have slightly more advanced camping activities and hikes that can take place further away according to the training schedule. Explorers help to plan their own camps and events, under the watchful eye of their respective leaders.

Hierarchy

Suzan Baker is our GSL (Scouter in charge) and she has overall responsibility for the operation of the group. Scouting is not a democratic organisation in the normal sense of the word. The Scouts are encouraged to contribute ideas towards the running of their sections, but are clearly not expected to take full responsibility for running the Group.  Strictly speaking, parents are not automatically part of the Scout movement, but this does not affect their involvement. They are all members, along with Leaders and Patrol Leaders of the Group’s electoral body, the Group Scout Council, which has one meeting each year, the Annual General Meeting (Group At Home), which approves the accounts and annual report, and appoints most members of the Group Executive Committee.

If you would like to see who are the leaders of the sections this can be seen under the Meet the team section of this website

Group Executive Committee

The Group Executive Committee exists to maintain the Group’s property and equipment; to raise funds to support the needs of the Scouting programmes, approve expenditure, help recruit Leaders and other adult support, and are our charity trustees. It consists of the Group Chairman (situation currently vacant), Treasurer (Diana Goodhugh), Secretary (Kate Back) together with some parents elected at the AGM, along with the GSL and the Section leaders.  The Group Executive also organises occasional social activities, which it is hoped you will join in.

1932 Committee

This committee, named after the date that the Group HQ was built, was formed fairly recently (2011) to oversee the repair, restoration and modernisation of the Group’s headquarters, which was built by old members back in 1932 on land bequeathed to the Group by our founder’s business associate. The committee, which is chaired by Paul Bartlett, contains some extremely gifted and energised people whose collective expertise has already started to transform the Shack into a more modern and usable HQ whilst retaining its historical charm. The most obvious recent changes are the new lavatories, recently completed and fit for purpose in the 21st century. This kind of expenditure, of course, is not cheap and therefore the committee works hand in hand with the Fair chairman and the Group Executive to ensure that value for money is obtained on any pricing of major works.

Subscriptions & Capitation

In addition to these fairly successful fund raising activities, we charge a termly subscription to pay for running expenses for the sections. Parents are also required to meet the ‘Capitation Fee’. Whilst a percentage of the annual levy of the membership fee by Headquarters, County and District pays for central administration, (camp sites, Baden Powell House etc.) the vast majority is used to meet the insurance premiums covering all official Scouting activities. Payment is on the basis of all current members at a set date, usually January 31st each year. Most parents pay the Membership fee and can opt to complete the gift aid forms for reclaiming of income tax.

Parades

Scouting is not a religious organisation but it has a definite religious policy in encouraging its members, to progress in the understanding and observance of their promise to do their duty to God.  Prayers of the simplest character are said at meetings so that individuals’ religious obligations are not compromised.  The Group holds parades to celebrate St. George’s Day (on the Sunday afternoon nearest the 23rd April) (St. George is the Patron Saint of Scouts) and Remembrance Sunday, (the Sunday nearest 11th November) in the morning, and all members are expected to attend.

Over the past few years, the Remembrance Day attendance of The Dittons Group at the local memorial, Giggs Hill Green, has been extremely well supported not only by other Scout Groups but also a huge number of the public

Contacting us

For full contact details please go here – https://dittonsscouts.com/contact/section-emails/