BROCKS

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Last Updated :  00:56:00. 17 September 2009

The "U" word!!!!

 

Explorer Scouts are a section of the Scout Association, which is the most successful uniformed youth organisation in the world, with over 378,000 members in the UK. It has a uniform which consists of blue combat type trousers with a stone colour shirt and scarf, but on a lot of occasions a plain stone-colour polo shirt can be worn instead of the shirt.

 

Brocks Explorers also have a slightly different policy on uniform to the younger sections. Whilst it is a uniformed section of a uniformed Scout movement, it is strongly activity based and there is also a wider social aspect in the programme - some meetings are purely social gatherings of people who all happen to be Explorers! Our policy is therefore that the uniform shirt with awards, badges, etc, is worn on formal occasions such as St Georges Day and Remembrance Sunday, and any other similar type of situation - a fund-raising event, for example - where we are "on show". We therefore only wear the uniform shirt on a limited number of occasions during the year, and as it is relatively expensive and not really the sort of thing you would wear to go clubbing or to a party, the Unit sponsors this item. When you join, the Unit will provide this to you on permanent loan for the length of your time in Explorers, and you just return it to us in good condition (keeping your badges of course) when you leave or retire at age 18.

 

Either the shirt or polo shirt can be worn on other occasions where the unit is in contact with the public and we want to show that we are part of a movement of which we are proud to be members. Dress on all other occasions will be appropriate to whatever is going on, but for physical activities the polo shirt/trousers combination is often ideal - after all, that is what it was specifically designed for. It helps your good clothes to stay that way and eliminates any wondering about what other people will be wearing; will I be too smart or too scruffy compared to everyone else, will my colours clash with anyone else, will anyone else be wearing the same? - this of course applies to the girls as well as the boys......

 

What's all this going to cost?

 

Nearly everything comes with a cost and the costs in Explorers tend to be slightly higher than the younger sections simply because we get out and about more and have a strong emphasis on outdoor activities. The Explorers themselves are also older and can do virtually anything an adult can do.  A good analogy for the costing structure is a membership of a Social or Sports Club, or Professional Association. There is a membership fee which supports the organisation itself, its buildings, staff, services, etc, and then a one-off charge per event - "pay as you go", which relates solely to the costs of that event. An evening listening to a guest speaker probably only incurs his travelling expenses, whilst a weekend away includes travel, food, accommodation, etc.

 

Similarly our costs fall into two categories:

 

A.  The membership cost.

 

At present the intention is to keep in step with our partner Scout Group at Badger Hill and charge a subscription of £44 per term or £11 per month which will be used for these purposes:

- Approximately £35 per year will go to the Ampthill & Woburn District as our membership fee, some of which is then passed on to County and to National level to provide the Scout Association structure, which includes providing insurance cover for all members whilst on Scout activities, and considerable support, advice and backup to everyone involved in Scouting.

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