Annual General Meetings

Information for Prospective Executive Committee Members

Why do we need a Group Executive Committee?

Members of the Executive Committee must act collectively as charity trustees of the Scout Group, and in the best interests of its members to:

  • Comply with the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association

  • Protect and maintain any property and equipment owned by and/or used by the Group

  • Manage the Group finances

  • Provide insurance for people, property and equipment

  • Provide sufficient resources for scouting to operate. This includes, but is not limited to, supporting recruitment, other adult support, and fundraising activities

  • Promote and support the development of the Scouts in the local area

  • Manage and implement the Safety Policy locally

  • Ensure that a positive image of the Scouts exists in the local community

  • Appoint and manage the operation of any sub-committees, including appointing Chairs to lead the sub-committees

  • Ensure that young people are meaningfully involved in decision making at all levels within the Group

  • The opening, closure and amalgamation of Sections in the Group as necessary.

The Executive Committee must also:

  • Appoint Administrators, Advisers, and Co-opted members of the Executive Committee

  • Approve the Annual Report and Annual Accounts after their examination by an appropriate auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer

  • Present the Annual Report and Annual Accounts to the Scout Council at the Annual General Meeting; file a copy with the District Executive Committee; and if a registered charity, appropriate charity regulator

  • Maintain confidentiality with regard to appropriate Executive Committee business

  • Where staff are employed, act as a responsible employer in accordance with Scouting’s values and relevant legislation

  • Ensure line management responsibilities for employed staff are clearly established and communicated.

All members of the Group Executive Committee are charity trustees of the Scout Group. Only persons aged 18 and over may be full voting members of the Group Executive Committee because of their status as charity trustees (however the views of young people in the Group must be taken into consideration). Certain people are disqualified from being charity trustees by virtue of the Charities Acts.

Training for Executive Committee Members

Executive Committee members must complete Module 1E: Essential Information for Executive Members within five months of appointment. You can find information about this on our Getting Started Training Page.

Meeting & Time Commitment

For most groups in Willesden without their own headquarters the Executive may only need to meet once per term, groups with headquarters may meet more often, or prefer to set up a sub-committee that meets more often to only deal with the business of running the premises.

Information for Groups Organising an AGM

Every year Scout Groups must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) within six months of the end of the financial year, i.e. before the end of September. The COVID-19 lock-down regulations have not changed this requirement; however, AGMs may be held online via video call.

At the AGM the Group Scout Council must:

  • Approve a Group Chair, nominated by the Group Scout Leader

  • Elect a Group Secretary

  • Elect a Group Treasurer

  • Review the Annual Report and Annual Accounts of the Scout Group

The Council may also:

  • Elect additional members of the Group Executive Committee (recommended one per section)

  • Appoint addition members of the Group Executive Committee nominated by the Group Scout Leader (no more than the number elected above) 

The formal business of the AGM should take no more than 30 minutes and can be combined with general feedback and entertainment from the youth section. A minimum of 14 days-notice should be given but ideally 28 days. You should have at least 10% of those eligible to attend at the meeting present.

Agenda

Items that need to be changed are in square brackets e.g. [date] and instructions are in braces e.g. {instruction} please make sure you set these and remove the instructions before sending out. It is also recommended to save the agenda as a PDF before sending it out.

If your group does not currently have a Chair you must move Item 6: Approve the Group Scout Leader’s nomination for the Group Chair, to be the first item and the meeting must appoint a chair, without a chair the meeting cannot continue.

Annual Report and Accounts

Each Scout Group must prepare accounts to include in the annual report. For all groups who are not registered charities and have an income of less the £24,999 per year follow these instructions (if not contact treasurer@brentscouts.org.uk for advice):

Zoom or Teams Meeting

If the Group registered for The Scout Association’s Zoom deal you can use Zoom to hold your AGM; it has a limit of 300 participant.

If you did not register you can use Microsoft Teams with your Willesden Scouts email address, this has a limit of 80 participants. Participants do not need to have a Willesden Scout Email address to join meetings.

I both cases do not use the meeting invite function as this will share everyones email address and will be a brach of GDPR. Copy the meeting link and then add this to the email you send out to your members.

Section Leaders

POR 3.23.b.iii states that all Section Leaders (i.e. individuals holding a Beaver Scout Leader, Cub Scout Leader or Scout Leader role) may be a member of the Group Executive Committee, subject to expressly indicating to the Annual General Meeting their wish to do so. This also extends to Explorer Scout Leaders if it is allowed in the ESU Partnership Agreement.

It is important to note that as a member of the Group Executive Committee you will be responsible for ensuring the effective management and administration of the Scout Group and, by law, will also be acting as a Charity Trustee. Thus, as a member of the Group Executive Committee you will be assuming certain legal and financial responsibilities both individually as well as jointly with the other members. Some people may be disqualified from becoming a Charity Trustee and details of these restrictions can be found in POR Rule 13.1(f) or on the Charity Commission website at www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-disqualification.

After the Annual General Meeting

  • New volunteers joining the executive committee must fill in an adult information form and complete a DBS.

  • GSL should add new members to compass and undertake DBS application with candidates.

  • Send a list of the new appointed executive members, including section leaders to appointments@brentscouts.org.uk

  • Complete the District Annual Return Form

  • If you are a registered charity, complete you Charity Commission return