 About us
Who the heck are we? ...and
other FAQ
In short, we are the Scout Network
for Derby South
District. What does that mean? Keep on reading...
What
is Network?
How is it
run?
Who can
join?
What do
you do?
What
does it cost?
Sounds good, how do I get
involved?
Network is many things, but
essentially it is the Scout section for 18 - 25 year olds (following on from
Explorers, which is for 14 - 18 year olds).
The main aim is just to have fun,
meeting new people, trying out new things and learning new skills on the way.
Friends are made and new hobbies found. The whole ethos of Scouting and
Network is "Everyday adventure". Its all about personal development
whilst having lots of fun at the same time. It even looks good on your CV!
And don't let the word "Scouts"
put you off - Scouting is not how many people perceive it to be! We don't sit
around tying knots and dyb-dobbing!
We run it ourselves, but have the support of the
Derby South Scout
District team and the
Derbyshire Network
team. Lynx Network is basically the Network branch in Derby South, and we are
closely tied to
other Networks within Derbyshire.
You can find out general
information about Network from the
Scout Association's
Network pages. To read the full story about Lynx
Network, click here. Derbyshire Network is taking over the world - learn more
about us here.
Lynx Network is run entirely by its
members. The programme and
all activities are organised by the members,
fundraising, promotion and recruitment is undertaken by the members, and
maintenance of the HQ facilities is undertaken by the
members. We sit down together to plan the programme every few months, then
allocate the organising of each bit fairly between us.
Whilst all members are fully involved in the running of the Network, we
do have an informal 'committee' that deals with most administrative matters -
for example the accounts, website and member records.
Although we are a District-based Network (Derby
South), we work closely with the County Network team and have two Lynx
members acting as representatives on the Derbyshire Scout Network Committee. One
of these is the current chairperson of Derbyshire Network.
Network is for anyone aged 18 - 25. Yep, anyone
at all! Many of our members have been right through Scouting, but there is
absolutely no
reason why you can't join us if you've never been involved previously. It's never too
late to start! If you're an Explorer, you can start "linking up" with us when
you reach 17 1/2.
Whilst most of our members live locally, we have a number of
members at universities in different parts of the country. Even if you're only
in Derby out of term, you're welcome to join. That's the great thing about
Network - it is flexible and you just do as much as you can/want to. We'll
keep in touch to let you know what's going on and you can just turn up when you
are about. We can even put you in touch with
another Network local to your place of study if you wish.
Our
programme is based around three core self-development areas: Skills &
Development, International and Community. We aim for a balanced programme that
encompasses all these areas, but as Network is run by its members, we are are
able to pick and choose our own activities, as long as we stick to the
Policy,
Organisation and Rules of the
Scout Association. See our
programme and photo/video
galleries to see what we've done in the past, and our plans for the future.
You might also like to read our blog, which gives a
light-hearted view on what we've been up to!
Here at Lynx we have an extremely
busy programme, packed full of a wide
range of activities and events. We're one of the most active Networks around -
our core programme revolves around meetings every Tuesday evening, with numerous
additional weekend events. On top of that, our close ties with local Explorer
units and other Networks throughout Derbyshire and beyond mean that we are often invited to
their events too! This means that there is bound to be something for you, and
remember that the flexibility of Network means you just do as much as you
can/want to.
Alongside the activities shown, some people choose to work towards their
Duke of
Edinburgh Awards, the
Queen's Scout Award
and others. Or sometimes members discover an activity they really enjoy - such
as sailing, canoeing or climbing - and go on to get instructor qualifications.
This is a personal commitment, although plenty of support is
available to those members that are taking part and the programme can be
modified to accommodate the needs of those award participants.
We also sometimes take
part in community events or get called upon by
others within Scouting to help out with certain events. Some
members are leaders in other parts of Scouting, or become activity instructors.
That's another great thing about Scouting - there are all kinds of opportunities
available, so there's something for everyone.
We try and do as many interesting
activities as we can, as cheaply as we can. That means doing occasional
fundraising and simply making best use of the skills and experience of those we
know in Scouting.
Membership of the
Scout
Association is an absolute bargain at around £20 per year, payable
each spring. As well as buying you membership of the largest youth
movement in the world, that pays for all of your insurance on Scout activities
and you get a bi-monthly magazine, including a Network supplement. You'll also
get an official membership card which will get you a discount in several places,
such as Millets and Blacks. Plus, exclusive to Derbyshire Network, we have
agreed a discounted rate at the local climbing centre.
There is currently no
membership fee for Lynx Network itself - our significant running costs,
overheads and maintenance of our HQ facilities
and equipment are at present covered by our fundraising
efforts throughout the year.
We even manage to subsidise some
of the more expensive activities - for example, the 2008 Norway sailing trip was
subsidised to the tune of £250 between four members.
Generally speaking, we pay for activities
when we do them, although some of the bigger ones occasionally require a deposit
in advance. We keep costs down by using our own (and sharing!) transport; by using
Scouting equipment & facilities where possible; and by using people we know to lead the more adventurous activities like climbing or
sailing. By doing this, we are able to do many things for a fraction of the
price it would normally cost or even for free.
Simple! Just contact us, and we
will be more than happy to invite you along to one of our events so that you can
meet us and see first hand what it is all about. There is no pressure to join
straight away - the idea is that you come along for a few events until we have
managed to convince you that yes, you do want to join; then we can get you
officially enrolled when you are ready.
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