Camp and Event Attendance Policy

Occasionally, we will run or attend camps, events, sleepovers or activity days outside of our regular weekly programme meetings. We refer to these collectively as camps and events, and we’ll always do our best to give you as much notice as possible when we run them.

As part of our commitment to give everyone the opportunity to earn the top award in all sections, we will encourage every young person to take part in as many of these events as possible. While attendance is not mandatory, your young person can only achieve certain challenge awards and activity badges by attending camps and events.

This document outlines the rules in place for attending camps and events.

1. This policy applies to all camps and events.
   If your young person wants to attend an event, you must agree to be bound by these rules.
2. Events are for full members only.
   Your young person must be an invested member, with a Group necker and the Scouts membership badge sewn onto their uniform, to attend events that aren’t part of our regular weekly programme.
3. If we make an error, it won’t affect you financially.
   We may accidentally send you an invitation to a camp or event that we shouldn’t have. In these cases, we will need to cancel your invitation. If you have paid any money, we will refund you in full.
4. You must accept your invitation before the confirmation deadline.
   Camps and events take a lot of organising, and we need time to arrange equipment, food, transport and volunteer availability to ensure we can run the event safely.
   1. We only allow responsible adults aged 18 who are a legal guardian or have parental responsibility to accept invitations to camps and events.
   2. You must accept invitations through Online Scout Manager before the confirmation deadline.
5. If we’ve asked for a deposit, you must pay it before the confirmation deadline.
   If we need you to pay a deposit, you must pay it in full before the confirmation deadline. Deposits are non-refundable outside of exceptional circumstances, which we will evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
6. Your young person may lose their place if you don’t pay in time.
   Unless previously agreed with the Treasury Team, and especially when there are limited places available on an event and there are people on the reservation list, we reserve the right to offer your young person’s place on the camp or event to the next person on the waiting list:
   1. If we’ve asked for a deposit and you haven’t paid by the confirmation deadline.
   2. If you haven’t paid the attendance fee by the invoice due date.
7. If your young person can no longer attend, we may still need to charge you.
   After the confirmation deadline passes, we will often need to make payments to suppliers, organisers and venues. If you change your mind after the deadline and your young person can’t attend an event, and we can’t fill the space vacated by your young person with another person from the waiting list, we will need to recover any costs that we have incurred.
   1. If you have paid a deposit, you agree that we can use this to recover our costs.
   2. If we have not requested a deposit, you agree that we can issue a cancellation invoice for any unrecoverable costs that we have incurred, and that you will pay this.
8. In exceptional circumstances, we’ll do our best to refund you.
   If something out of the ordinary has happened, and there is an emergency situation, we will always do our best to refund any fees you have paid.
   1. We will evaluate each case individually.
   2. We may still need to deduct any proportional amounts already paid to venues, organisers and suppliers for costs that we can’t recover.
9. Your young person must be on their best behaviour at all times.
   All members agree to follow the Group’s Code of Conduct, and understand the consequences of breaking it. Any members who are sanctioned under the Code of Conduct with an active yellow or red card will not be allowed to attend camps or events.
   1. If we have already sanctioned your young person and the sanction period covers any period of the camp or event, we will not invite them to the camp or event.
   2. If you have already accepted an invitation for your young person to attend a camp or event, and they receive a sanction before the event, their invitation will be cancelled.
   3. If we sanction your young person during a camp or event, they will not take part in any further activities and we will ask you to collect them from the event as soon as possible.
   4. We will handle any money you have paid in line with section 7.
10. Your young person must have the minimum required kit to attend.
    In order to run camps and events safely, your young person will need to have the minimum necessary equipment. For some activities, this may mean a sturdy pair of walking boots with ankle support. For some camps, this may mean a three-to-four-season sleeping bag.
    1. We will communicate the minimum required kit to you at least two weeks before a camp or event.
    2. If your young person does not have the minimum required items, they may be unable to participate in some or all activities on a camp.
    3. We may require a kit inspection at a programme meeting night before longer camps to ensure your young person has the correct gear.
11. If your young person’s kit is unsuitable, they may not be able to attend.
    After having inspected your young person’s kit, we may determine that it is not safe for them to attend. If we do not have any suitable spare kit and are unable to source any in time to loan you, and you cannot source suitable replacement items, your young person will not be able to attend on safety grounds. We will do our best to refund you, per section 8.
12. Your young person’s kit is their responsibility.
    You should ensure that your young person’s kit is clearly labelled. No responsibility for your young person’s personal equipment, clothing or effects can be accepted by The Group, and the Scout Association does not provide automatic insurance cover in respect of such items.