Hitchin District Scouts

Part of a global Scouting population of over 28 million with a UK membership of 500,000, there are nearly 700 people actively involved in Scouting every week in and around the Hertfordshire market town of Hitchin.

2009 was the Centenary of Scouting in the District

Hitchin, in common with people in almost every country of the world, celebrated with a number of events through the year. Further details are available on our Centenary page.

Did you know that just about anyone - male or female from the age of 6 years upwards can be involved in Scouting and there is no upper age limitation any more! The possibilities, as we enter the second century of Scouting, for fun, adventure and friendship are almost endless: some would say the only limit is that of your imagination (and a bit of Health and safety as well!).

Baden Powell's original idea, core values and ethos are being maintained, but they are being applied to life as it is now, not as it used to be.

Scouting, the largest co-educational youth organisation in the world, exists to contribute to the development of young people, by helping them grow up to be self-reliant, responsible and caring citizens. Scouting is open to those of all faiths and offers equal opportunities to all young people in the community, regardless of their gender, social, religious or ethnic background.

So, as they say, "how do you do that?"

The local Scouting Organisation:

The young people's Scouting is organised into "Sections".
Beaver age ranges run from age 6 to 8
Cubs run from age 8 to 10 1/2
Scouts take on people from age 10 1/2 to 14
Explorers run from age 14 to 18 and,
Network caters for age 18 to 25

The sections are organised into "Groups" which can include Beavers and/or Cubs and/or Scouts, depending upon local needs and available leaders and adults. There are pages on our site for each group, which advise where and when they meet and also brief details about their group and the activities they really enjoy.

There are 12 Scout groups in and around Hitchin, including villages such as St Ippolytts, Ickleford, Pirton, and Little Wymondley. Within the groups there are a mixture of 33 sections in total, with approximately 550 young people attending Scouting meetings every weekday evening.

The Explorer section is run centrally at District level, lead by our District Explorer Scout Commissioner. There are currently (as at January 2007) some 45 Explorers attending the two "Units" as they are called.

Network Scouts are organised on a regional level, to cater for the older teenager and twenty-something men and women. Many will be studying at colleges or universities and, as a result, activities will often be organised to coincide with half-terms or vacations. There is a North Herts Network, called BALiNET, which meets in Letchworth.

Leaders and adults in each section of every group run exciting, challenging and fun programmes during each school term, appropriate to the age range of their section. There is a good mix of indoor and outdoor activities and, as you can imagine, the older the age range of the section, the more adventurous their programme tends to be. The young people, as they move into older sections gradually take more responsibility for themselves, others and, even programming events for themselves, supervised by leaders/adults.

Adults need to be aged 18 to lead or help within Scouting. However, the talents and energy of young people, particularly between the ages of 14 and 18, are being directed, where there is the wish of the young person, towards assisting within groups. Not surprisingly, these volunteers are known as "Young Leaders". Hitchin District has a growing cadre of Young Leaders, who help at meeting nights on a regular basis. They are managed by a nominated individual and, there is training specific to the Young Leader role.


Groups

Each group is managed or co-ordinated by someone called a Group Scout Leader (or GSL). Their role is to help their section leaders, manage training and co-ordinate the activities of the group as a whole. In Hitchin, we are short of several of these official appointees. Their roles are currently being covered by someone else, who probably also has another Scouting role as well. You do not need any extensive Scouting experience to be a GSL: the main requirement is to be able to manage/lead a team of adults and to get on with people.


District roles and teams

Each section within the District is co-ordinated by someone called an Assistant District Commissioner (or ADC for short!). In Hitchin, we are very lucky to have someone representing each of the sections: Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. The District Explorer Scout Commissioner (or DESC - pronounced DESK!) also forms part of the "District Team", with the "District Commissioner". These roles are designed to support the sections and groups on a day-to-day basis, answering leader queries and providing advice and guidance where appropriate.

Hitchin District is also very fortunate to have a "Service Crew" called HiDEOUS. What does that mean? Even people in Scouting locally ask this question…It is Hitchin District Eccentric Old Useful Scouts… A name that was dreampt up by the members of this elite crew. A team of adults, aged 18 and over, again uniformed or not, as they choose, help to organise and run a series of events every year for sections and/or the whole District. Many members have other roles within Scouting, but have so much fun that they seek even more challenges and, of course the social aspect which is vital, right across the Scouting movement.

In a typical year, HiDEOUS will be involved in events such as Activity Days for Beavers and Cubs, Survival Camp for older Scouts and Explorers, the Swimming Gala, our annual St George's Day Parade through the streets of Hitchin, the Soap Box Derby (go-kart racing!) and much, much more! It can be really hard work, but it's great fun as well - just ask a member of HiDEOUS, if you see one!

Like any organisation the size of Scouting, even locally, there is a governance structure. This applies particularly when the organisation is a registered charity, as Hitchin Scouting is. There is a valued team of non-uniformed trustees, to make sure the finances and administration are run properly. This is called the District Executive Committee, which meets 4-5 times per year. There is a similar structure within each group, to ensure that everything is managed as it should be.

Leaders and adults form the bed-rock of the Scouting organisation and, with the exception of a small paid staff at Headquarters in Gilwell Park, everyone is an unpaid volunteer! Each week, some 150 adults invest several hundreds of hours in the development of the young people in their charge at section meetings.

However, whether a uniformed leader or adult helper, our people offer whatever time they have available. That can range from every week, to once per month, or even just occasional help, particularly where they have special skills to offer.

The phrase "leaders and adults" is used deliberately, as adults do not have to wear the uniform to help Scouting: it is their choice.

Scouting in Hitchin is successful and growing and, we have waiting lists of young people (particularly for Beavers) at most groups. Why you might ask? There could be a number of reasons, such as premises issues, but mainly it is due to a lack of leaders and adults. We need your help to continue the high quality Scouting that our young people enjoy.

If you would like to know more about Scouting in and around Hitchin, whether as a young person, parent or potential leader, you can contact the District Commissioner,
Graham Woolley, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or telephone 0845-094-6031.

We look forward to hearing from you!