Sea Scouts

(10 1/2 - 14yrs)

Day: Thursday

Summer (1st week of May until beginning of Sept)

  • Time : 7pm-9pm (dusk)

  • Location: West Oxfordshire Sailing Club (WOSC)

Winter (Sept - April)

  • Time : 7:30pm-9:30pm

  • Location: Cokethorpe School gym


The Scout Troop is run and supported by a team of trained scout leaders.

The joining age is 10 1/2yrs for both boys and girls.


During the summer we meet at a local Sailing Centre, WOSC, where we allow the Scouts to either learn to Sail or Kayak or both. Most Scout groups stop meeting during the summer holidays, but this is the best time for us!

The winter season consists of evenings spent at Cokethorpe School learning key Scouting skills, like fire lighting, compass and map work, rope work and playing team games.

For information on what badges are available to Scouts and where to position on the uniform, go to Scoutbase - Scout Badges & Awards.

Events

Activities

Two main events:

We do expect all scouts to attend St George’s day parade usually held on the Sunday nearest to 23rd April.

We do expect all scouts to attend The Remembrance day parade usually held on the Sunday nearest to 11th November.

Regular repeat camps:

May half term sees the RN Sea Scout Summer Camp for ages 12 and over. A week long camp staying on HMS Bristol, Whale Island, Portsmouth.

This is a great week of activities or chance to gain a nautical qualification in sailing, power boating or kayaking.

Summer camp in July; surf camps, water activity weeks, and grand adventures abroad.

CPCW – County Patrol Camping Weekend, early October, camping competition for patrol, scouts get to do it all for themselves.

Also there could be boating and sailing weekends from Portsmouth, Kayak trips down the Thames and survival camps.


Water Activities

We spend our summer Thursdays from first week of May to the first week of September at West Oxfordshire Sailing Club (WOSC).

Get there for 18:30 to ready boats for the session, Flag break is at 19:00, we come off the water 30 mins before sunset to get the boats away.

Parents are asked to help with putting away boats and running the b-b-q – warm food and a drink of coke go down well after an evenings sailing and paddling. WOSC is a lovely place to spend a summers evening, by the water or walking around the lake.

The group has brought together a great range of water activity kit; kayaks and canoes, dinghys, buoyancy aids and helmets.

Leaders hold various water based qualifications between us, and we have BCU instructors, RYA Dinghy and Power boat instructors, RYA power boat level 2, RYA dinghy level 2, RYA Narrowboating (inland waterways) and RYA Day Skipper (yachting).

Activities are run under the Scout association POR (policy, organisation and rules), which means that all equipment has to be checked - to be safe to use, Instructors and adult helpers hold permits issued by the scout association to prove they are able to run activities. Scouts can also gain permits to show that they are at a level to look after themselves, whilst taking part in activities as long as an instructor is present for that activity.

Expectations

Expectations of a 1st Standlake & Cokethorpe Sea Scout.

  1. All Scouts are expected to attend St Georges Day Parade in Witney (always keep the afternoon of the nearest Sunday to 23rd April free).

  2. All Scouts are expected to attend the Remembrance Sunday service in Standlake or Northmoor (always keep the morning of the Sunday nearest to the 11th November free).

  3. We have a very high standard and ask that all Scouts turn up to all meetings looking smart and in the correct uniform (See Scoutbase for information on uniform). Scouts should bring scruffs (clothes to do activities in) to meetings.

  4. A high standard of good behaviour is expected at all times. It is advisable for Scouts to turn up ten minutes before the start time as it is important for us to start on time as we often have a tight programme.

  5. Scout Subs are £15 a month, and can be paid in several ways.

  6. At least one parent must attend the safety talk/AGM (this will always be held on the last Thursday of April).

  7. The Scout group likes and needs parental support, we really need help at least for one fundraising event a year and support and attendance at as many other fundraising events as possible. Fundraising means your child gets to use better equipment have more fun and do interesting activities and outings, Fund raising helps us offer camps and events are cheaper to all and sometimes free.

  8. Some parental support we need is during the summer water activities to help load canoes and put away sailing boats, kit etc after the session.

  9. Please let us know if you cannot attend Scouts. If a Scout misses three consecutive meetings without a good reason or without letting a leader know it will be presumed that he/she has left and the place will be offered to the next person on the waiting list.

  10. We want our scouts to enjoy themselves and have fun, but we will also expect discipline, whilst taking part in adventurous activities we need scouts to do as asked, immediately, it is important for everyone’s safety.

  11. Therefore: All Leaders and Instructors have the right to refuse to take a Scout out on an activity if it is felt that it is not safe to do so.

  12. Scouts are expected to have fun, take part in new and exciting activities, make new friends, learn life skills and have fun.

Monthly Subscriptions

Subscriptions are £15 per Month ideally paid direct to bank by standing order. Please contact the Treasurer for details of the Group bank account.

Uniform

  • Sea Scout Jumper

  • 1st Standlake & Cokethorpe Sea Scout Polo Shirt

  • Necker Blue and White (pressed and rolled correctly)

  • Woggle

  • Black Shoes (polished to high shine)

  • Black Socks

  • Sea Scout White Hat With Tally band

  • Scout Belt (must be central to trousers or skirt and clean)

  • Black Smart School Trousers (pressed with a seam down the front and back) or

  • Scout Navy Blue Activity Trousers (pressed with a seam down the front and back) or

  • Black Skirt (Girls) A- Line Knee length pressed and worn with black tights).

  • Please remember to always bring a change of clothes with you for activities.

  • Always keep your uniform neat while at Scouts because an inspection may be done at the end of the evening.


Sea Scout Jumper

Badges and Awards for Sea Scouts

Sea Scouts may achieve the same awards as other Scouts. The challenge awards can be adapted to achieve a more nautical bias to enable Sea Scouts to build on the skills training they receive.

Scout Activity Badges

There are many activity badges that can prove to be particularly suited to Sea Scouts to recognise their achievements or the following of an activity for a period of time. In addition there are the three Nautical Skills activity badges which combine a number of activities together with maritime tradition and associated skills.

  1. West Oxon District Badge (left) & Oxfordshire County Badge next to it
  2. Badge 2
  3. Badge 3 Challenge Badges
  4. Badge 4 Leadership Award
  5. Badge 5 Scout Membership
  6. Badge 6 Activity Badges
  7. Badge 7 Staged Activity Badges
  8. Badge 8 Moving on award
  9. Badge 9 Participation awards
  10. Badge 10 Chief Scout's Gold award
  11. Badge 11 RN Recognition Badge
  12. Badge 12 Union Flag
  13. Badge 13 Awards
  14. Badge 14 Name Tape - 1st Standlake & Cokethorpe Sea Scout Group