Page 6 - Scouts NSW Annual Review

6
A Message from the Chief
I am both honoured, and privileged, to be your new Chief Commissioner.
To support my goal of revitalising Scouts NSW to have a prominent, new and exciting role in the community, I will energetically pursue, consistent with our Strategic Plan 2016-2018, the following seven strategic priorities:
» Membership growth;
» Further building trust;
» Positive and enabling culture;
» Active youth engagement;
» Youth safe environment;
» Stronger community engagement, and
» Financial sustainability.
A substantial amount of work has commenced to progress each priority within an integrated framework.
A prerequisite for success in revitalising Scouts NSW is to understand the issues at the grassroots level. To this end, I have participated in some 300 Scouting events over the past 10 months, across every Region and every youth section, listening to the views of our leaders, supporters and professional staff. This has enabled me to re ne, with my team, our plans to rejuvenate Scouting.
Our plans will require time to take effect, noting Scouts NSW has experienced a further loss in overall membership in the past year. Our strategy now must be to arrest
this decline and position us for strong, sustained growth. Considerable effort and discipline will also be required.
Youth safety is, and will always be, the highest and unequivocal priority for me – our youth members, their parents and our communities deserve nothing less from us. We presented two submissions and two progress reports to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and developed a comprehensive action plan. We subsequently appeared before the Royal Commission on 6 December 2016 to give evidence. In May 2017 we took the initiative of updating the Commission on progress. Our Board has adopted the Commission’s 10 Elements of Creating a Child Safe Institution for implementation across Scouts NSW, and commissioned an audit by the Australian Childhood Foundation.
2016 saw us celebrate the Centenary of Cubs, with a wide game of over 2200 participants from all Regions of NSW. Events culminated in a gathering at Government House hosted by our Chief Scout, the Hon David Hurley AC DSC on 31 July 2016.
The Centenary theme featured at our Cuboree, held
at Cataract Park 3-7 January 2017. Some 3000 Cubs attended and were supported by 1200 Leaders, Junior Service Leaders and other volunteers. The creativity of the activities was extraordinary, helping our Cubs to experience life long memories of their rst major Scout Camp.
There have been dozens of other activities at the District, Region and State level throughout the year. Each has focused on our youth developing leadership and team-based skills, as well as personal con dence and resilience. Dragon Skin and Scout Rally have been particular highlights. Importantly, these activities have enabled our youth to have fun and “learn by doing” in a safe, risk-managed environment.
We are now preparing for the implementation of the new national youth program. Concept workshops, as part of theYouth Program Review, have been held in all Regions, to seek the views of our leaders, supporters and staff. The new program, representing the biggest change in a generation, is expected to be implemented from 1 January 2019.