Membership Policy

Membership of 1st Cheddington Scout Group

Membership of the Scout Group is under the control of the Group Scout Leader. On a day-to-day basis, this is managed by the respective section leaders for each section.

Although young people may visit section meetings to see if they like Scouting and the activities, they are formally admitted only once they have been invested into the Scout Group. Prior to investiture, a potential member must have completed a Personal Record Form, purchased the required uniform and paid the appropriate membership fees.

Membership will be terminated under the following circumstances:-

  • When a parent informs the Leaders that the young person is leaving.
  • When a young person has failed to attend for four consecutive weekly meetings without explanation.
  • Where a member does not pay their membership fees or fails to abide by the Code of Behaviour, they will be deemed to have excluded themselves. Parents will be consulted should this seem likely to occur and the final decision made by the Group Scout Leader under these circumstances.

Equal Opportunities Policy

The 1st Cheddington Scout Group is open to all young people who wish to join, providing room is available and the young people abide by our rules and policies.

1st Cheddington is part of the Scout Association, which is part of a worldwide educational youth movement. The values that underpin and inspire its work are embodied in the Scout Promise and Law and in the Purpose of the Association. Within this framework, the Association is committed to equality of opportunity for all young people. Accordingly:-

  • The Scout Association is committed to extending Scouting, its Purpose and Method to young people in all parts of society.
  • No young person should receive less favourable treatment on the basis of, nor suffer disadvantage by reason of: class; ethnic origin, nationality (or statelessness) or race; gender; marital or sexual status; mental or physical ability; political or religious belief.
  • All Members of the Movement should seek to practise that equality, especially in promoting access to Scouting for young people in all parts of society. The Scout Association opposes all forms of racism.

Note – The 1st Cheddington strongly encourages membership of young people with special needs. Where a Section has insufficient Leaders to support the particular special needs of a young person the Parents will be asked to arrange for an appropriate carer to attend and provide support.

Waiting List Policy

Young people can be added to the group’s waiting list at any time, either by direct email to the Group Scout Leader or via our I Want to Join form on our group website. All applications for joining the waiting list will be acknowledged by the Group Scout Leader when received; it is therefore vital to ensure this acknowledgement has been received to confirm that the young person has been added to the list.

Where places become available within a section, places will be offered to young people who have reached the necessary age for that section. The Group Scout Leader, in conjunction with the appropriate section leaders, is responsible for determining how many places are offered and to whom taking account of the sections needs and the longer-term impact upon subsequent sections.

In general, the admission priorities will be:-

  • Existing members of the Group transferring to the next Section i.e. Beavers to Cubs and Cubs to Scouts.
  • Children of adults who have been formally working in the Group as a warranted Leader or Section Assistant for at least 3 months and who will be continuing to work with the Group.
  • Young people with siblings already members of the Group.
  • Young people from villages where 1st Cheddington is the closest Scout Group.
  • Young people from other villages.

Within each of these priorities, places will be allocated to young people in order of being on the waiting list.