News
Tribute to John 'Gordon' Richards 1928 - 2010
Former County Commissioner, John Gordon Richards, known to everyone as Gordon, passed away on the 29th April after a long illness and just a few days short of his 82nd birthday.
Gordon joined the Scout Movement in the late 1930’s as a Wolf Cub with the 3rd Nuneaton (St Mary’s) Group. He progressed to their Air Scout Troop eventually becoming a Rover Scout. At the age of seventeen he enlisted into the army and served for a period in the Far East, but he kept his Scouting contacts up wherever he went.
After demob he became involved again in Nuneaton Scouts and was asked to start the Nuneaton Morman Group. When his work transferred him to the Sheffield area he became a Rover Scout Leader with the 3rd Dronfield Group and a District Cub Scoutmaster in Chesterfield. Eventually, in 1966, he and his late wife Alma came back to Warwickshire and became resident in Witherley, near Atherstone. And of course he got involved with the Atherstone District as Group Scout Leader with1st Grendon Sea Scouts and Assistant District Commissioner and later District Commissioner for Atherstone in 1971.
He was offered the role of ACC Special Duties before taking on the prestigious role of County Commissioner for Warwickshire. At this point Gordon, dedicated as he was to his Scouting role, together with his Guide Leader wife Alma decided to move to Ryton-on-Dunsmore so as to be ‘nearer the centre of the county’.
When his 10 year term as C.C. was near the end, he, together with the late Les Alfrey, set up the Warwickshire County Scout Fellowship in September 1986 to help keep together ex-County Scouters who had completed their terms of office. He was also an early member of the Griffin Fellowship, which helped with special needs children.
In 1990, while also holding the role of County Chairman, Gordon was made an Honarary Scouter of Warwickshire as a thank you for all of the work he had done in the name of Scouting. Gordon’s service was also recognised by the Scout Association with awards starting with the Medal of Merit, plus Bar, the Silver Acorn plus Bar and in 1994 the highest accolade, the Silver Wolf.
One of Gordon’s main interests in Scouting was his Museum of Scout and Guide Memorabilia. This started with his camp blanket when a Scout, and by the mid 1980’s was large enough to ‘take on the road’. So with the help of the County Fellowship it was exhibited all over the county and reported on by the local CWR and Anker Radio stations and most of the county press. The Museum finally came to rest at what is now called the Alfrey Activity Centre.
Back in 1971 Gordon was selected to lead the County Contingent to the World Jamboree in Japan, so one of the more recent highlights of Gordon’s Scouting was when the County Fellowship spent a day at the 2007 World Jamboree held at Hylands Park in Essex.
Although he had not been well for several months Gordon still relished the idea of a trip to the Alfrey Activity Centre to see the ‘gang’ and have a quick look around the museum, even if only for an hour or so.
On a personal note, Gordon has been a friend of both my wife Margaret and myself since our early childhood days and I owe my Scouting career to the friendship and help I have received from Gordon.
He will be greatly missed by his son Paul, grand-children, great grand-children, the County Fellowship and certainly by everyone in the county Scouting world.
Tribute written by Geoff Russell
Chairman, Warwickshire County Scout Fellowship
Gordon's funeral has already taken place.
Donations in Gordon's memory can be sent for the benefit of the County Scout Museum. Please make cheques payable to M.G.Evans & Sons Donations Account, and send to M G Evans, Funeral Directors, Holmville House, Long Street, Atherstone CV9 1AX
9th July 2010
New County Commissioner Appointed for Warwickshire
I am pleased to announce that having considered some very strong candidates the search for a new County Commissioner for Warwickshire has successfully concluded. Andy Shorter was offered the role and I am pleased to say has accepted.
We shall now begin the hand-over process and induction, although a formal start date for Andy’s appointment has yet to be confirmed.
Andy holds a number of appointments in Warwickshire, including Assistant Explorer Scout Leader in Nuneaton, Nuneaton District’s representative on the County Executive and Warwickshire’s Jamboree Unit Leader.
I should like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took part in the process including the selection committee, nominees and all those who took time to nominate a candidate.
I am sure you will join me in offering Andy our very best wishes as he steps into his new and challenging role and I trust he will be given the same level of support that I have enjoyed during my time in office.
Yours in Scouting,
Dave Bramston
Regional Commissioner
West Midlands
1st April 2010 David finishes on a high!
We are also delighted to announce that David has been appointed as Regional Commissioner for the West Midlands. In his new role, David's primary responsibility will be to directly manage the team of County Commissioners in the West Midlands and support the strategic management and development of the Region.
Sid Russell, the County Chairman said: ‘David has been an outstanding County Commissioner for Warwickshire. He has not only overseen consistent year on year growth for 4 years in succession, but has also gathered a strong team who have delivered such highlights as the Centenary celebrations, Scouting 101, and sent two Jamboree contingents to the 2007 Jamboree. Warwickshire will miss David but we wish him every success in his new role and look forward to working with him in his new capacity.’
Sid Russell is chairing the search panel who have been convened to review nominations for the role of Warwickshire County Commissioner. The closing date for nominations has now passed and a short list of candidates has been put forward to the HQ Appointments Panel.
Whilst the recruitment process is underway it will be ‘business as usual’ for David in Warwickshire.
Safeguarding Young People using today's technology
Guidance and information to ensure that when using use text, email, facebook, etc., that we are doing so within the Scout Association's guidance has been added to the Media Centre page (under County drop down menu).
Photography Guidlines
Guidance and information on photographing Scouting activities has been added to the Media Centre page (under County drop down menu)
Warwickshire's Jamboree Adventure!
In October 2009, we started to recruit 36 young members from Warwickshire to apply to join in the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden in July and August 2011. Four roadshows were held around Warwickshire to show young people how the Jamboree changes lives.
If you did not manage to attend one of the roadshows and you are keen to find out more. Please click on the slide show* to see the main information shared at the roadshows.
The selection process is now underway. Those successful will be offered a place by the end of November and will need to have accepted their place and supplied a £125 deposit by 13th December 2009.
Andy Shorter, Contingent Leader at andyshorter2001@hotmail.com
HQ Advice on Swine Flu issued 10/07/2009
The following advice is based on information from the Directgov website.
Scouting activities
Activities should continue as normal but leaders of activities should be alert.
Any youth Member with flu-like symptoms should be returned home as soon as possible and should contact - but not visit - their GP and seek treatment.
Symptoms
The symptoms of swine flu are broadly the same as those of ordinary flu but may be more severe.
The typical symptoms are:
• sudden fever
• sudden cough
Other symptoms may include:
Headache, tiredness, chills, aching muscles, limb or joint pain, diarrhoea or stomach upset, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing & loss of appetite.
Further advice including international travel advice is available on the Directgov website.
Safe Scouting
In June 2008 we were all shocked and sadden by the reported death of a Suffolk Beaver Scout whilst on a Colony outing. Click here to read an open letter from Warwickshire Scout County Commissioner David Bramston to all adults working within Warwickshire Scouting.
2007 Centenary Celebrations
Warwick Scouts were on Guy's Tower at Warwick Castle to renew their promise a s part of Scouting's Sunrise, celebrated all round the world at 8am on August 1st.
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Kineton Scout Group at the War Memorial in the centre of Kineton
Rugby District's Scouting Sunrise images
We had articles in the following newspaper articles - Rugby Observer website - click here
Scouts’ Sunrise
On Wednesday August 1st at 8am, 28 million scouts from 216 countries will join together to renew their Promise as part of the Centenary celebrations of the Scouting movement.
It will be 100 years to the day that Lord Baden Powell, the founder of the Scout movement, held his first camp at Brownsea Island when twenty (20) boys from a cross section of society came together for an eight day camp.
The worldwide ceremonies are not just a look back at the 100 years of scouting, but a look forward to a new century of the biggest youth organisation in the world. Countries from as far afield as New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Canada, Qatar, and France will be holding Sunrise events, and it is estimated that 450,000 scouts from the UK will be taking part.
Locally, Scouts in Rugby will be holding their event at ‘The Close’, Rugby School from 7.45 to 9 am. The Rugby Rokerby Lions breakfast club will be providing them with breakfast, and churches across Rugby will be ringing their bells at 8am. Balloons of Peace will be released, followed by a party. The Rugby Scouts also hope to link with the World Jamboree via 3g phones.
In Warwick, Scouts will assemble at Warwick Castle at 7am and will proceed to Guy’s Tower. At 7.30 the Sunrise ceremony will begin, finishing with a renewal of the Promise at 8am. The scouts will then go to St. Nicholas’ Church where bells will be rung. This will be followed at 9am by a breakfast in the park.
Peter Duncan, the Chief Scout, in his message to the country’s scouts, said, "I hope you're all as excited as I am about being part of an event that I think is unique in human history - the gathering together of young people of nearly every nation on earth, in celebration of one hundred years of one worldwide organisation."
"By being part of Scouting, you are helping young people sow the seeds of a future harvest of peace and harmony. You are helping young people understand their relationship to the planet they live on, to conserve and protect it for future generations. And, as equally as important as all that, you are helping young people enjoy the laughter and spirit of adventure that Scouting stands for."