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Bedfordshire Scouts
County Commissioner John Duley has set his 5,600 family of Scouts and
leaders a real challenge for 2007 in his New Year resolutions. As the
movement heads for its second century, he wants more adult helpers, more
opportunities for fun and adventure and more responsibility for the
young people in his charge.
John Duley is no
armchair commander. He believes in getting out and doing things. Just
months before he took on the county's top Scouting job in May 2006, he
was climbing in the Columbian ice fields of the Canadian Rockie
mountains with his wife Jane a Cub Scout Leader. Since then he has been
travelling around the county giving encouragement and a sense of
direction to the 79 Scout Groups who occupy this kidney-shaped area in
the East Midlands.
John said, "In
Bedfordshire we need around 100 new leaders every year just to break
even. I want to grow our Scout population by increasing adult numbers as
well as retaining the leaders we have. In 2005 we added just four new
leaders. This year I want to see if we can add at least 40."
John added, "The job
spec includes trying to keep up with today's youngsters who have an
insatiable appetite for adventure. Any adult who joins us can expect to
have their imagination stretched, their taste for thrills satisfied and
their leadership skills honed to perfection. As an entry on a CV, a
Scout Leader award has few equals. In Luton and Dunstable and the
surrounding villages we have 35 thriving groups but we could add more if
we had more leaders. "
John went on, "The
challenge and adventure of Scouting often takes us into uncharted
territories. This year for the first time, Scouts from the UK will climb
Mount Everest. In a world where health and safety is on everyone's mind,
we recognise the opposing forces of safety and the thrill of adventure
and work to satisfy both. The result is that Scouts today can take part
in over 200 activities that range from abseiling to zorbing (that's
racing downhill on a large air cushioned ball).
 
"And how do you make all
this happen?" John questioned. "You involve young people. Give them
responsibility. Let them have a say in the direction and future of the
movement so that they can make a real difference." It's a challenge that
the Scout movement's founder, Lord Baden Powell, would have been proud
to put his name to. |