Blaenau Gwent Scouts

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Our governance

How we're structured, managed and governed

District Trustees

The Trustee Board is a team of volunteers who work together, as charity trustees, to make sure Scouts is run safely and legally. At the heart of their role is a focus on strategy, performance and assurance.

Trustee Board governance helps our volunteers deliver fantastic programmes that give young people skills for life.

Trustee Board Meetings

Our Trustee Board usually meets every two months.

Tuesday, 16 January 2024
Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Tuesday, 9 July 2024
Tuesday, 10 September 2024
Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Constitution

Every charity must have a governing document, in Scouts we call this a constitution.

This constitution describes the role, membership and operation of the District Scout Council, and the District Trustee Board.

In the interest of openness, especially for new members of the District Scout Council, the District Scout Council re-adopt their constitution at each Annual General Meeting (AGM).  

The Blaenau Gwent District Scout Council is responsible for overseeing and supporting Scouting in Blaenau Gwent within geographical boundaries agreed between the District Scout Council and the Area of Gwent Area Scout Council. It is an autonomous body, affiliated to The Scout Association, and its affairs are managed by the District Trustee Board.

The District Scout Council may appoint a President and one or more Vice Presidents from time to time and for such periods as it may decide.

Membership of the District Scout Council shall consist of,

  • All adult members and associate members of the Scout District.
  • All adults holding the following appointments from the Scout Groups in the District.

                        Group Lead Volunteer

                        Group Deputy Lead Volunteer

                        Group Chair

                        Group Secretary

                        Group Treasurer

                        Section Leader

                        Assistant Section Leader

                        Group Active Support Manager

  • All Explorer Scouts
  • All members of the District Scout Network
  • A representative of the Troop Leadership Forum, selected from amongst the membership of the Forum
  • All parents of Explorer Scouts
The District Scout Council shall hold an Annual General Meeting as soon as practicable after the end of each financial year, and in any event within six months of the end of each financial year. At each Annual General Meeting the business shall be;
  1. To approve minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting.
  2. to receive, to consider and, if thought fit, to adopt the Annual Report of the District Trustee Board, including annual accounts and associated financial statements.
  3. (If appropriate) to elect or re-elect a District President and/or Vice Presidents.
  4. To receive and, if thought fit, to approve the Lead Volunteer Blaenau Gwent’s nomination of District Chair.
  5. To elect a District Secretary and District Treasurer,
  6. To elect elected members of the District Trustee Board.
  7. To receive and, if thought fit, to approve the Lead Volunteer Blaenau Gwent’s nominations of nominated members of the District Trustee Board.
  8. To elect representative to serve on Gwent Scout Council.
  9. To elect a suitably qualified auditor or independent examiner, as appropriate.
  10. To receive a report from the Lead Volunteer Blaenau Gwent, and
  11. To transact any other business which was specified in the agenda for the meeting either at the request of the District Trustee Board or by requisition signed by five members of the DSC and lodged with the District Secretary at least eight weeks prior to the meeting, An Extraordinary Meeting of the District Scout Council shall be called by the District Secretary within sixty days at the request of the District Trustee Board, or of either the District Chair or the District Lead Volunteer, or by requisition signed by ten members of the District Scout Council. At Extraordinary Meetings, the business shall be limited to the purpose for which the meeting was called. Notice of all meetings of the District Scout Council, including a copy of the agenda, shall be issued to members of the District Scout Council at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting, either in paper form or electronically. Such notice may be given by including it in a newsletter or other publication which is circulated throughout the District. The President (if one has been appointed and if he or she is present and wishes to take the chair) shall preside at meetings of the DSC. Otherwise the District Chair shall preside or, in his or her absence, the meeting shall elect a chair from the members present.

The District Trustee Board shall be responsible to the District Scout Council for managing the affairs of the District Scout Council, for supporting the Lead Volunteer Blaenau Gwent in meeting the responsibilities of their appointment and for providing support for Scout Groups, Explorer Scout Units and the Network in the District.

Members of the Trustee Board must act collectively as charity Trustees of the Scout District, and in the best interests of its members to:

  • Comply with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association
  • Protect and maintain any property and equipment owned by and/or used by the District
  • Manage the District finances.
  • Provide insurance for people, property and equipment.
  • Provide sufficient resources for Scouting to operate. This includes, but is not limited to, supporting recruitment, other adult support, and fundraising activities.
  • Promote and support the development of Scouting in the local area.
  • Manage and implement the Safety Policy locally.
  • Ensure that a positive image of Scouting exists in the local community.
  • Appoint and manage the operation of any-Committees, including appointing a Chair to lead the sub-Committees
  • Ensure that Young People are meaningfully involved in decision making at all levels with the District.
  • The opening, closure and amalgamation of Groups, Explorer Scout Units, Scout Network and Scout Active Support Units in the District as necessary.
  • Appoint and manage the operation of an Appointments Advisory, including appointing appointments Committee Chair to lead it.
  • Supervising the administration of Groups, particularly in relation to finance and the trusteeship of property.

 

The District Trustee Board may enact and from time to time alter such Bylaws as it may consider appropriate for the regulation of its procedures and the powers and procedures of its sub-committees provided that any changes in the Bylaws shall be reported to the next Annual General Meeting of the District Scout Council.

All ex officio, nominated, elected and co-opted members of the District Trustee Board shall serve as charity trustees for the District Scout Council, and in that capacity they shall have the fullest powers to administer and manage the District Scout Council’s affairs in furtherance of its charitable purposes providing that the assets are to be applied solely for the purposes, management and administration of Scouting. In particular, but without limitation, the District Trustee Board shall have power, subject to appropriate disclosure in the next Annual Report

  1. To lend and to borrow,
  2. to invest widely,
  3. to raise funds by levying a subscription on members of the Association in the District,
  4. to award grants, including grants to one or more of their number.
  5. to engage one or more of their number or relations, either directly or through an a connected company or firm, to provide on a commercial basis service which they are suitable qualified to provide,
  6. to grant honoraria, including honoraria to one or more of their number and
  7. to reimburse one or more of their number from the DSC’s funds for all or part of any expenses reasonably incurred in the course of their duties.

The District Trustee Board shall consist of:

Ex officio members: The District Chair. Lead Volunteer Bleanau Gwent, District Secretary. District Treasurer, Explorer Scout Commissioner, and District Scout Network Commissioner.

Elected members these should normally be four to six in number, the actual number must be the subject of a resolution by the District Scout Council.

Nominated members: persons nominated annually by the Lead Volunteer Blaenau Gwent and whose nominations are approved at the District Annual General Meeting, and Co–opted members: the number of co-opted members must not exceed the number of members who may be elected. Provided that

  1. at the time of their appointment. The number of nominated members must not exceed the number of elected members.
  2. persons ineligible to be charity trustees may not serve on the Committee,
  3. nominated members and co-opted members need not already be members of District Scout Council and
  4. when considering the appointment of co-opted members, the committee shall use its best endeavours, if necessary, to ensure that at least two members of the committee are aged 18 years or over, but less than 25 years.


The Area Chair and the Lead Volunteer Gwent shall have the right of attendance at meetings of the District Trustee Board.

The District Trustee Board may fill casual vacancies in their number by interim appointment until the next Annual General Meeting of the District Scout Council.

The District Trustee Board shall appoint an Appointments Advisory Sub-Committee and such other sub-committees as it decides. The District Chair and the Lead Volunteer Blaenau Gwent shall be ex-officio members of all sub-committees. The District Trustee Board shall appoint the chairs, secretaries and other members of all such sub-committees (who need not be members of the District Scout Council), provided that the membership of any fund-raising sub-committee must include at least two members of the District Trustee Board (in addition to ex officio members). No Section Leader or Assistant Leader should serve on such a fundraising subcommittee.

The Appointments Advisory Sub-Committee shall be responsible to the District Trustee Board for the process of assessing the suitability of all adult applicants for appointments within the District and for associated matters, including applications for change of appointment, the periodic review of existing appointments and the cancellation of appointments. The District Trustee Board shall set the terms of reference of any other sub-committees.

At meetings of the District Scout Council, a quorum shall consist of such number of members present in person as the District Scout Council shall by resolution have determined. However, if a meeting of the District Scout Council is not quorate, it shall be rearranged for a date, time and place decided by the District Trustee Board and the rearranged meeting shall proceed whether or not a quorum is present. The quorum at meetings of the District Trustee Board and its sub-committees shall be prescribed in Bylaws,

Except as provided in clause 9 below, decisions at meetings of the District Scout Council, the District Trustee Board and its sub-committees shall be determined by a simple majority of the votes cast in by those entitled to vote. The chair of meeting shall not have a casting vote and, in the event of an equal number of votes being cast for and against a proposal, it shall be declared that the proposal has not been carried. Electronic voting (such as email) is allowed for decision making of the District Trustee Board and its sub-Committees when deemed appropriate by the Chair. In such instances at least 75% of committee members must approve the decision. The District Trustee Board and its sub-committees can meet by telephone conference,  video conference as well as face to face in order to discharge their responsibilities when agreed by the appropriate Chair.

No alterations shall be made to this Constitution except by resolution of the District Scout Council at a meeting of the District Scout Council at which at least two thirds of the votes cast in person by those entitled to vote are in favour of the proposed change or changes. Particulars of the proposed change or changes must accompany the notice calling the meeting.
District Scout Council 12
District Trustee Board 6
Campsite Committee 3
Appointment Advisory Committee 3

Policy, Organisation and Rules

The main purpose of Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) is to describe how the Scouts is structured, organised, managed and governed.

View Policy, Organisation and Rules

Key Policies

The Scouts have key policies that all members, groups and districts must follow. These are set out in Chapter 2 of POR. 

  • Equal Opportunities Policy
  • Religious Policy
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Safety Policy
  • Vetting Policy
  • Youth Member Anti-Bullying Policy
View Key Policies