Contents
- Role of the Group Scout Council
- Membership of the Group Scout Council
Part 2 – Annual General Meeting
- Role of the Group Scout Council
- Membership of the Group Scout Council

Preamble
This constitution describes the role, membership and operation of the Group Scout Council, and the Group Trustee Board.
In the interest of openness, especially for new members of the Group Scout Council, the Group Scout Council should re-adopt their constitution at each Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Charitable Objects
Our purpose is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
Part 1 – Group Scout Council
1. Role of the Group Scout Council
- (1) The Group Scout Council has a governance role for the charity, and in particular, makes Group Trustee Board appointments other than ex officio and co-opted appointments.
- (2) The Group Scout Council has no Trustee responsibilities.
2. Membership of the Group Scout Council
- (1) Membership of the Group Scout Council does not provide any membership status of The Scout Association.
- (2) The ex officio members of the Group Scout Council are members by virtue of their role in the Scouts:
- (a) all adult members of the Group;
- (b) all Patrol Leaders of the Troop(s) in the Group;
- (c) all parents or carers of Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in the group;
- (d) the Sponsoring Authority, where there is one, or its nominee;
- (e) the District Lead Volunteer;
- (f) the District Chair.
- (3) The Group Scout Council, on the recommendation of the Group Scout Leader and Group Trustee Board, appoint supporters of the Group to the Group Scout Council. The Group Scout Council does not need to have any appointed members.
- (4) The Group Scout Council, on the recommendation of the Group Scout Leader and Group Trustee Board, appoint community members to the Group Scout Council. Community members of the Group Scout Council are representatives of the local community appointed because of their role rather than by their name.
- (5) The County Commissioner has the right of attendance at each Group Scout Council meeting in the County.
- (6) Membership of the Group Scout council ends when the:
- (a) member resigns;
- (b) member no longer qualifies as a member of the Group Scout Council;
- (c) the Group Scout Council is dissolved;
- (d) Group Scout Council membership is terminated by UK Headquarters following a recommendation by the Group Trustee Board
- (7) The total number of appointed and community members of the Group Scout Council must not exceed the number of ex officio members.
- (8) Appointed members of the Group Scout Council must each have a fixed period of appointment of not more than three years. Subsequent reappointments are permitted.
- (9) Community members of the Group Scout Council are initially appointed for a term of one year. Subsequent reappointments may be made annually at the AGM.
- (10) Group Trustee Board administration must ensure that appointed Group Scout Council members are recorded locally in the minutes of the Group Scout Council meeting which appoints them.
- (11) Group Scout Council members (whether ex officio or appointed or community) must not be recorded as Group Scout Council members on The Scout Association’s membership system.
Part 2 – Annual General Meeting
3. Annual General Meeting
- (1) The Group Scout Council shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) within six months of the end of the Group’s financial year.
- (2) The AGM shall undertake governance oversight by –
- (a) approving the minutes of the previous Group AGM;
- (b) adopting (or re-adopting) the constitution of the Scout Group;
- (c) noting the dates of the charity’s financial year;
- (d) approving appointed and community members of the Group Scout Council;
- (e) agreeing the maximum number of members of the Group Trustee Board;
- (i) for the purposes of subsection (3)(e), this number is the total of ex officio, appointed and co-opted members.
- (f) agreeing the quorum for future meetings of the Group Scout Council.
- (3) The AGM shall review the previous year by –
- (a) receiving from the Group Scout Leader, an overview of the past twelve months of activity in the Scout Group;
- (b) receiving and considering the Group Trustees Annual Report and the annual statement of accounts, approved by the Group Trustee Board;
- (c) the annual statement of accounts must have completed their examination, and have a formal report prepared by the following person(s) –
- (i) an appropriate auditor;
- (ii) independent examiner, or;
- (iii) independent scrutineer.
- (4) The AGM shall appoint –
- (a) a Chair of the Group Trustee Board;
- (b) a Treasurer of the Group Trustee Board;
- (c) other members of the Group Trustee Board;
- (d) approve the appointment of any Group Presidents or Group Vice Presidents, and note current appointments (if any), and;
- (e) appoint (or re-appoint) an auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer as required.
- (5) roles subject to appointment under subsection (5)(a), (5)(b) or (5)(c) shall follow from a recommendation, from the selection process initiated by the Group Trustee Board.
- (6) Following each AGM, the Group Trustee Board administration shall ensure that –
- (a) all appointed Trustees are recoreded on the membership system, as required by Rule 16.2.2 of The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules;
- (b) the Group Trustees’ Annual Report and Annual Statement of Accounts, including the formal report prepared by the auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer, are filed as described in Rule 5.7 of The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules.
Part 3 – Group Trustee Board
4. Role of the Group Trustee Board
- Members of the Group Trustee Board must act collectively as charity trustees of the Scout Group, and in the best interests of the charity’s members.
- Governance roles shall be distinct and separate, and shall be performed by different people.
- The Group Trustee Board must act in the charity’s best interests, acting with reasonable care and skill and take steps to be confident that –
- the charity is –
- well managed;
- carrying out its purpose for the public benefit
- complying with the charity’s governing document and the law;
- managing the charity’s resources responsibly.
- the charity is operating compliant with The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules, and the local charity regulator, including effective management of each of the Key Policies listed in Chapter 2 of The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules;
- young people are meaningfully involved in decision making at all levels;
- the Group has sufficient resources (funds, people, property and equipment) available to meet the planned work of the Group, including the delivery of a high quality programme and resource requirements of the training programme, as required by Rule 4.2.2 of The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules.
- the charity is –
- The Group Trustee Board members must collectively –
- develop and maintain a risk register, including putting in place appropriate mitigations;
- ensure that the Group’s finances are properly managed, including development and maintenance of appropriate budgets to support the work of the Group;
- maintain and manage –
- a reserves policy for the charity including a plan for the use of the reserves outside the ‘minimum’;
- an investment policy for the charity;
- a public benefit statement for the charity.
- ensure that the people, property and equipment are appropriately insured, and that any property and equipment owned or used by the Group is properly protected and maintained;
- ensure the appointment, management and operation of any subcommittees, including appointing a chair to lead the subcommittee. This should normally be one of the Group Trustees;
- ensure that effective administration is in place to support the work of the Group Trustee Board;
- appoint any co-opted members of the Group Trustee Board;
- ensure transparency of operation, including –
- prepare and approve the Annual Statement of Accounts and arrange their examination by an auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer (as appropriate) and as appointed by the Group Scout Council at their AGM;
- prepare and approve the Group Trustees Annual Report (which must include the Annual Statement of Accounts and include the final report from the auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer);
- present the approved Group Trustees Annual Report and Annual Statement of Accounts to the Group Scout Council for their consideration at the Groups AGM;
- following the Group AGM, ensure a copy of the Group Trustees’ Annual Report and Annual Statement of Accounts is sent to the District Trustee Board administration.
- take responsibility for the Group’s adherence to the Date Protection Act 2018, and the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, recognising that, dependent on circumstances, it will at different rimes act as a Data Controller and Data Processor;
- individually and collectively maintain confidentiality regarding appropriate Group Trustee Board business;
- put in place annually an open and transparent selection process to recommend to the Group Scout Council appropriate members to be appointed members of the Group Trustee Board, including the Chair and Treasurer.
- vacancies for appointed Trustees only occur at the end of their period of appointment.
- The Group Trustee Board may create sub-committees it deems necessary to support its governance function.
- The Group Trustee Board must ensure that for any sub-committee it appoints –
- its purpose is governance-focused and not operational;
- its members are agreed and approved my the Group Trustee Board;
- the Group Trustee Board Chair is an ex officio member;
- the Group Scout Leader is an ex officio member.
- Sub-committee members are not Trustees unless they are already members of the appointing Group Trustee Board.
All sub-committee members must be recorded on the membership system