About Us

Welcome to Marlborough Scout Troop. Marlborough Scout Troop meets on Friday evenings at 7 p.m. and normally finishes at 9:30 p.m. We plan to meet whenever the local schools are open for pupils. Occasionally we will finish a little later if we are going out on a hike or visit.

Your first few weeks in the Scout troop will be spent getting to know the other Scouts, many of whom you will have known previously at Cubs. The Scout troop is divided up into smaller groups called patrols. The patrols are very similar to the six you were in at cubs. Each week you will get a chance to try out a different patrol and by the time you are ready to be invested you should have a good idea which patrol you want to join.

Cubs may wear Cub uniform prior to investiture, which will take place a few weeks after you start at Scouts. The rules say what the Scout uniform is. We try to put the Scout Promise and Law into practice - not just words to learn and forget. Kindness and consideration to others is very important. The rules for the troop are drawn up jointly by the Patrol Leaders (PLs) and the Scout leaders - they are sensible rules - and are for the benefit of new scouts, as well as for everyone else.With more than thirty Scouts in the troop, sometimes you will have to do chores when others are having fun - but your turn for fun will come around because we try to be as fair as possible.You will find Scout activities more adult than Cubs because the activities are aimed at 10-15 year-olds. Scouts are expected to act older than cubs - to do things for yourselves much more - the Scout leaders or your patrol leader will not molly-coddle you or clear up after you - you must learn to do this for yourself.

Each term the programme is posted on the Scout notice board in the hall and on this website. If you miss a meeting, check with school friends to find out what's on next week or look here, just in case we are going out cycling or something. We also send out a lot of information on paper and suggest that you get a folder to keep everything together - it's up to you to know what's on each week.

We expect Scouts to do what their Patrol Leaders ask them - the PLs help run many activities. Parents should also appreciate that Scouting involves a fundamental move away from direct adult supervision. Scouts have to be able to cross roads safely without an adult when patrols are out hiking or cycling. Your PL will look after you & teach you what to do. With the PL's help we are able to organise much more interesting & challenging activities. Parents should also be aware that Scouts will at times be involved in activities that are not directly supervised by an adult.

We have four uniformed adult leaders, Andrew Eastland, Neil Davies, Sally Rhodes & Sarah Frysol plus a number of non-uniformed helpers. Between us, we contribute many hours of free time every year to run the troop and to provide challenging activities for all age ranges. Each term there is a subscription due of £20.00. This is payable to Marlborough Scout Group. We like to receive this on the first meeting of the term. Being a charity, we are careful with expenditure, but having our own hall and equipment for activities doesn't come cheap - the true cost is closer to £25.00 per term. We hold fund raising events each year to make up the difference. No Scout will be denied the chance to enjoy Scouting because of lack of money. We have special help for those who would find it difficult to afford the full fees for subs & camps and ask Parents, to please have a quiet word with one of the Leaders if necessary.

In winter we will be doing mainly indoor activities, learning skills which make camping and other outdoor activities enjoyable & safe. In summer we try to get outside every week. Each term you will also work towards at least one of the eight Challenge badges. These can eventually lead to you completing the Chief Scouts Gold award. We normally have at least one wide game each half term in which you may get rather cold and muddy. We hold occasional activities at weekends and your patrol will organise patrol-based activities at various times. If there is anything you particularly want to do you should mention it to your PL who may organise it as a patrol activity. At the first meeting of each month, each patrol holds a patrol in council meeting or PIC. This is your opportunity to have a say in the way the Scout troop is run. After the PIC, the patrol leaders get together for a patrol leaders council (PLC), this is when most of the planning gets done for future activities and if your idea is acceptable to the others it may well be used.In the summer we will have one or more troop-based camps with canoeing, shooting, climbing & absailing etc. Camps last between 2 & 5 days and usually cost £10-£20 per day depending on what activities are being organised. There are also likely to be various patrol camps happening throughout the year. Your PL will tell you more about these.