Fwd: Unpleasant experience with Scouts in Horsham - Sunday 13th May
1st Southwater GSL
From: District Commissioner <d...@horshamscouts.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2018 3:20 pm
Subject: Unpleasant experience with Scouts in Horsham - Sunday 13th May
To: Horsham GSLs <horsh...@horshamscouts.com>,
HI everyone
I am writing not because I believe any Horsham Scouts were involved in this incident but to bring it to your attention and put it in the context of the recently published TSA Vision for 2023 and one of 'Our pillars
for work' ie Perception, which states - 'Scouting
is clearly understood, more visible, trusted, respected and widely seen as playing a key role in today’s society'.http://scouts.org.uk/about-us/strategy/strategic-initiatives/
We have been advised that a group of 'Scouts' was encountered near the railway station (Barrington Road / Depot Road) on Sunday morning (13th May). The group was spread across the footpath causing an obstruction whilst the leader was consulting a map. This resulted in a pedestrian having to walk in the road to get around the group.
Another pedestrian saw what happened and spoke with the adult leader of the group.
Here is the account of the exchange;
'When I arrived at the junction I spoke to the leader about my concern that this lady had had to use the road and his reply was "well she didn't get run over" and pointed out to me thatthe children had as much right to use the footpath as anyone else. I replied that I thought he might like to teach the children to be more thoughtful of other pedestrians. He replied thatthe only thing he wanted to teach them was to map read and that I was delaying him and therefore causing more problems on the path.'
I have contacted the lady who quite rightly reported the incident and I asked if there was any thing that would help identify the group. There appears to have been none.
My thoughts are that if they were Scouts at least a scarf would have been visible. The group was however thought to be of Scout age (11- 14). It is also my view that it is unlikely that a leader from any Horsham Scout Troop would need to consult a map at that particular location and a Scout leader is unlikely to have used the term 'children' when referring to the group.
As this group was in such close proximity to the railway station they are likely to have been visitors to the area on a training activity. The group was seen a little later making their way towards the St Leonard Forest area.
I have made these thoughts known to the lady which I believe she accepts - but the incident goes to illustrate the challenge we face of how Scouting is perceived. It is good that this lady's natural assumption was 'if there's a group of young people with an adult leader consulting a map they must be Scouts'. It is after all what we are best known for - if you set aside DYB, DYB, DYB!!!! But we must also be aware our reputation can be tarnished as a result of the actions of those who are nothing to do with our Association and do not have a Law or Promise as guiding principles for behaviour and attitude.
Perhaps this incident can be used positively as an opportunity to reinforce amongst our members that;
1 - our Law and Promise shape who and what we are as Scouts
2 - it is important we are always clearly identifiable as Scouts whenever we are in public,
and the principles of always being;
3 - courteous and mindful of other people,
4 - careful and respectful in how we respond to and deal with anyone who approaches a member of the Scout Movement.
As this lady has said in her response - 'hopefully this is an isolated incident'. I am sure you share with me such hope but also that an incident like this could never happen with Scouts from Horsham District.
YiS
Peter
DC - Horsham Scouts
| To stop receiving messages from Horsham GSLs group, stop following it. |