Outline: The Secretary will support the Chair of the Executive Committee to ensure the smooth functioning and sound administration of the District in accordance with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.
Responsible to: The Winchester District Scout Council (WDSC)
Appointment Requirements: Must successfully complete the appointment process (including acceptable personal enquiries and acceptance of The Scout Association's policies). It's expected that whilst volunteering for this role you will undertake regulated activity.
The responsibilities of the Secretary:
- Provide administrative support to the running of the Executive Committee.
- Act as Secretary for the WDSC.
- Work with the Chair of the Executive Committee to set meeting agendas and arrange meeting logistics for the Executive Committee.
- Taking accurate and accessible minutes of Executive Committee meetings.
- Distributing agendas, minutes and supporting documents for Executive Committee meetings.
- Maintaining accurate records for the administration of the District, including meeting minutes, census details, ownership of property and equipment, insurance and financial information.
- Ensuring the safety and security of records maintained by the Executive Committee, complying with appropriate legal requirements.
- Communicating with the Executive Committee and relevant WDSC
- Support the completion of the Annual Census return.
- Preparing the appropriate administration for the Annual General Meeting, including collating the Annual Report and Accounts for the Annual General Meeting.
General Executive Committee Responsibilities:
- To be a full and active participant in Executive Committee meetings and activities.
- To uphold the responsibilities of an Executive Committee as outlined in The Scout Association’s Policy Organisation and Rules.
- Willingness and eligibility to act as a Charity Trustee for the Group, District or County/Area/Region.
- Contribute to the strategic aims and future development of the Group, District or County/Area/Region.
Skills for a Secretary:
- Strong organisational skills
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Able to think creatively and solve problems
- Good IT skills
- Ability to summarise information for different audiences
- Willing to speak one’s mind and listen to the views of others.
- Able to maintain independent and objective judgement
Other tasks agreed with the Line Manager
Outline: To manage and support the Scout District to ensure it runs effectively and that Scouting within the District develops in accordance with the rules and policies of The Scout Association so that that the District provides good quality Scouting for young people and proactively supports and manages adults in the District.
Responsible to: County/Area/Regional(Scotland) Commissioner (or deputy if appropriate).
Responsible for: Deputy District Commissioners, Group Scout Leaders, District Explorer Scout Commissioner, District Scout Network Leaders, Assistant District Commissioners, District Scout Active Support Managers, District Scouters, District Advisers, Nights Away Advisers, District Media Development Manager.
Main contacts: County Commissioner/Area Commissioner/Region Commissioner (Scotland), Deputy District Commissioners, Group Scout Leaders, District Explorer Scout Commissioner, District Scout Active Support Managers, District Scout Network Leaders, Assistant District Commissioners, members of the District Executive Committee and its sub-committees, County/Area/Regional(Scotland) Scout Network Commissioner, County/Area/Regional(Scotland) Training Manager, Local Training Manager, members of the Regional Development Service, Local Development Officers or Field Commissioner (as appropriate), other District Commissioners, members of the local community, schools and other youth organisations.
Appointment requirements: Must complete the relevant training (a wood badge) within three years of taking up the role. Must be eligible for charity trustee status (as a member of the District Executive Committee). It's expected that whilst volunteering for this role you will undertake regulated activity.
Main tasks:
- Ensure that the District thrives and has the best systems in place to support the Groups, to support all adult volunteers in the District and to develop Scouting in the District.
- Provide line management and support to the adults in the District that directly report to you including setting objectives for their work and holding regular reviews and one-to-one meetings.
- Produce a vision for the District and implement a development plan to meet that vision.
- Ensure that Scouting in the District is attractive to young people and adults from all backgrounds in the District.
- Ensure that the District has an adequate team of supported and appropriate adults working effectively together and with others to meet the Scouting needs of the area.
- Work with the County/Area/Regional(Scotland) Commissioner and other District Commissioners in the County/Area/Region(Scotland) to ensure that the Scouting in the County/Area/Region(Scotland) thrives.
Some of the tasks for which the District Commissioner is responsible may be delegated to others in the District, including a Deputy District Commissioner, if appointed.
Person specification
Knowledge and experience
Essential:
- Ability to manage adults effectively
Desirable:
- Understanding of the challenges of working in the voluntary sector
- Experience of working with young people and/or community work with adult groups
- Experience of working in the Scout or Guide Movement as an adult
Skills
Essential:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Provide advice and guidance effectively to others
- Provide inspirational leadership for the District
- Provide strategic direction for the District
- Motivate adults volunteering in the District
- Build, maintain and facilitate effective working relationships with a wide range of people
- Enable others to identify issues, clarify objectives, develop attainable objectives and gain the necessary skills and confidence to work as an effective team
- Ability to negotiate compromises
- Plan, manage and monitor own tasks and time
- Construct and implement long-term plans that improve and expand the Scouting offered to young people and identify any training, resources and other needs required to undertake this work
- Use basic computer software
Personal qualities
Essential:
- An understanding of the needs of adult volunteers
- Flexible approach
- Self-motivated
- Able to work as part of a team and promote good teamwork
- Resourceful, energetic and enthusiastic about the job
- Acceptance of the fundamentals of the Scout Movement
Detailed description of the role
The role of District Commissioner is based around six key areas of leadership and management.
1. Providing direction – as an effective District Commissioner you will be required to:
- Lead by example to promote a co-operative culture of working in the District.
- Create a vision for the future development of the District that takes into account the strategic objectives of The Scout Association and the plans for your County/Area/Region(Scotland).
- Develop a plan to realise the vision for the District, implement and regularly review it.
- Provide leadership, inspiration and motivation for all adults volunteering in the District.
- Ensure that everyone in the District follows the policies and rules of The Scout Association.
- Carry out regular one-to-one meetings and support adults who report directly to you.
2. Working with people – as an effective District Commissioner you will be required to:
- Develop good working relationships based on trust and Scout values with the adults in the District and with others in Scouting.
- Manage succession planning and identify the roles that you need to make the District work effectively and recruit suitable people into those roles.
- Allocate tasks to people within the District and monitor the progress of those tasks.
- Support adults in the District to develop by completing formal training requirements, learning on the job, trying out new skills and addressing problems affecting performance.
- Build a team spirit in the District and support the development of the team as a whole.
- Address conflict as it occurs within the District and reduce the likelihood of it happening through good communication and other methods.
- Run effective team meetings in the District and participate fully in the District Executive and County/Area/Region (Scotland) meetings.
- Ensure that adults in the District perform to agreed standards and if serious problems occur, the correct procedures are followed in consultation with the County Commissioner/Area Commissioner/Region Commissioner (Scotland).
- Appropriately acknowledge good work carried out in the District (through local events and the national Scout adult award scheme).
- Carry out effective reviews and re-assign or retire people if necessary.
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with other relevant organisations in the District’s local area.
3. Achieving results – as an effective District Commissioner you will be required to:
- Satisfactorily complete projects in the District for which you are responsible.
- Ensure that all the initiatives in the District are managed appropriately.
- With the District Executive Committee and the District Team ensure that Scouting is promoted locally.
- Build up an understanding of the young people in your local area and ensure that Scouting is promoted effectively to them.
- Monitor and review the progress that Group Scout Leaders are making against their targets and development plans.
- Have a robust District development plan in place and regularly review progress.
- Satisfactorily resolve problems and issues raised by adult and youth members of the District and by parents or carers of youth members in the District.
4. Enabling change – as an effective District Commissioner you will be required to:
- Support and encourage adults in the District to think of new and creative ways to improve the District.
- Be enthusiastic about new ideas, give constructive feedback on those ideas and encourage and support further work on them.
- Communicate your vision for the future of the District and lead people through changes that this vision requires.
- Develop effective plans to implement change and then carry them out, working together with relevant members of the District.
- Recognise the contribution of others towards change and improvement.
5. Using resources – as an effective District Commissioner you will be required to:
- As part of the District Executive Committee, ensure that appropriate financial measures are in place.
- As part of the District Executive Committee, ensure that there is an adequate income for the District including the identification of other income sources such as grants.
- Work with the District Executive Committee and Group Scout Leaders to ensure that Scouting in the District is safe.
- Work with the District Executive Committee and the District Team to ensure that the District has sufficient physical resources to support its work with youth members.
- Work with the District Executive Committee and the District Team to minimise the negative impact and maximise the positive impact that the District has on the environment.
- Make decisions about matters within the District based on the best available information.
- Ensure that all adults in the District have the right information provided in a timely manner and in the most effective way.
6. Managing your time and personal skills – as an effective District Commissioner you will be required to:
- Agree realistic goals and targets with the County Commissioner/Area Commissioner/Region Commissioner (Scotland) for the development of the District that work towards The Scout Association’s strategic objectives.
- Consider the future requirements of your role then identify the skills and knowledge that you need to develop or improve and the steps you will follow to do so.
- Regularly check how you use your time and identify possible improvements so that you focus on the goals and priorities that you have agreed with the County Commissioner/Area Commissioner/Region Commissioner (Scotland).
- Ask other adult volunteers for feedback about how you carry out your role and act on it.
- Attend National, Regional and County/Area/Region(Scotland) meetings, workshops and events.
Outline: Provide guidance to Squirrel leaders in the delivery of a safe, fun, inclusive and age-appropriate programme. In partnership with the District Commissioner, support the growth of Squirrel Dreys in the District, including getting people ready to set up the Drey and provide ongoing care.
Responsible to: District Commissioner
Responsible for: District Leaders (if applicable)
Main Contacts: District Commissioner, District Team, including Group Scout Leaders, Squirrel Section Leaders, across the District, Assistant District Commissioners (Squirrel Section) in other Districts, within the County, Assistant County Commissioner (Squirrel Section)
Appointment Requirements:
- Complete the appointment process (including acceptable personal enquiries and acceptance of the Scout Association's policies), including a disclosure check.
- Completion of applicable Getting Started training modules, which cover Essential Information, Safety, Safeguarding and GDPR, (within five months of starting the role, if new to Scouts).
- Complete the Scout training programme for this role, to achieve the Wood Badge within three years.
- Renew safeguarding and safety training, when it is due.
- Take part in ongoing learning opportunities.
Main Tasks
- Work with the Group Scout Leader to advise the Section Leaders about the Squirrels programme and support the induction of new volunteers.
- Advise the District Commissioner and District Team on matters relating to the Squirrel section
- Support Squirrel section leaders to follow Scout policies and let the Group Scout Leader know, if any additional support is needed.
- Be a part of the District and County Team and attend meetings.
- Organise meetings for Squirrel Drey Leaders to share best practice and identify opportunities to work together.
- Encourage the Squirrel section leaders and any district squirrel leaders, to work together to organise and run District wide programme of activities for Squirrels.
- Keep up to date with information about 4-5 year olds and what things are happening in local communities, which might be relevant to the Squirrels section
- Promote Squirrel Scouts in local communities, in partnership with Squirrel leaders.
- Support the District Commissioner with the growth of Squirrel Dreys within the district, including recruiting new volunteers.
ADC Growth and Development
Role Description
Outline: The role of the ADC Growth and Development is to guide the development, management and implementation of the growth strategy for Winchester Scouts.
The ADC Growth and Development will work closely with the District Development Officer to provide the information, and set the priorities necessary to support the District’s Scout Groups so as to maintain and grow the number of young people who want to be Scouts in accordance with the objectives and targets set by the Trustees of the District Executive Committee.
The main person working for this is the part-time employed District Growth & Development Officer (DDO) for primary school visits, presentations and meetings to ensure a constant flow of new Squirrels, Beavers and parent-leaders to the Groups.
Responsible to: Chair of the Growth and Development sub-committee
Main Contacts: District Commissioner, the Growth and Development Team including the members of the Growth and Development sub-committee, Group Scout Leaders, Squirrel and Beaver Section Leaders across the District, Assistant District Commissioners for Growth and Development in other Districts, within the County, Assistant County Commissioners for Growth and Development.
Appointment Requirements:
- Be a member of the Growth and Development sub-committee
- Complete their leader’s appointment in accordance with Scout Association's policies,
- Complete their own Scout training programme for this role, including achieving their Wood Badge within three years,
- Renew their training by their due dates,
- Take part in ongoing learning opportunities relevant to the role.
Main Tasks
- Work with GSLs to advise their section leaders about the District’s Growth and Development strategy and programme,
- Advise the Chair of the Growth and Development sub-committee and the District Commissioner and District Team on matters relating to Growth and Development in the District,
- Support the District Development Officer, and liaise with GSLs if any additional support is needed.
District Active Support Manager
Role Description
Scout Active Support allows people to give their time to Scouting on a flexible basis. People can be involved in Scouting without the full-time commitment of being a leader. It provides a resource for managers of local Scouting including the District Commissioners who can use it in as required.
Basics
Scout Active Support is for anyone over the age of 18 years. It is a way for adults to volunteer time to Scouting in a flexible way that suits them. There is no requirement to have been involved in Scouting before joining. All that is required is a willingness to volunteer some time to support Scouting.
Programme delivery to young people
The Winchester District Scout Active Support Unit is a source of extra adult help for Leaders. They could also teach skills that the existing Leaders teams do not have, such as pioneering. The District Scout Active Support Unit could also provide support to Explorer Scouts or the Scout Network when planning international expeditions. It could help with fundraising.
Development of Scouting
The Winchester District Scout Active Support Unit can provide Training Advisers to all Groups in Winchester. The District Scout Active Support Unit can provide catering at District events during the year. This could include District Sectional Camps, District Meetings and the District AGM.
The District Active Support Manager is responsible for the management, leadership and day to day running of the District’s own Scout Active Support Unit. The Scout Active Support Manager works with other Active Support Unit volunteers and reports to the District Commissioner to agree a service agreement which details the purpose of the Scout Active Support Unit. This should be reviewed annually to ensure that the Scout Active Support Unit is accomplishing the targets set.
The Scout Active Support Manager is be part of the District Executive team so that the work of the Scout Active Support Unit is directly linked into the District’s Scouting structure.
For more information or to express an interest please contact the District Commissioner using the Contact form at the bottom of this webpage.