Email sent to all parents on Sunday 22 March 2020: As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately progressed over the last few days as predicted and cases have now been reported all over Melbourne, including at schools attended by some of our youth members. In line with the current suppression strategy being pursued by the Government it is important we engage in social distancing as much as we are able. Further to the e-mail you would have just received from Stewart, this unfortunately includes an early end to the Scouting term. There will be no weekly Tuesday meeting this week the 24th of March.
We will be monitoring the situation closely over the coming weeks and be in touch with more information as it becomes available, in particular when and how Cubs will re-start after the holidays. In the next few weeks to months our community will move from a suppression to a mitigation strategy at which point the restrictions on gatherings will be quite different to what they are now. What this looks like depends entirely upon how the local epidemic progresses. This is all to say that the Scouting program will look quite different for the rest of the year but at the moment it is hard to know just what that will entail. It is very likely that both our planned upcoming Pack Holiday and Cuboree will look quite different to how we have been planning. There will also very likely be changes to how, when, and the size of Group and Branch fees that are invoiced and collected this year.
Of course, Scouts is all about being prepared and adapting to change. We will be looking at ways we can deliver parts of the Scouting program virtually. As a starting point we encourage you to visit https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/scouts-at-home/the-great-indoors-badge/ where Bear Grylls and Scouts UK have put together 100 indoor and garden-based activities that align with parts of the Scout Method and program. For your Cubs’ leisure times there is also a Scout-administered Minecraft server (at https://www.scoutwired.org/minecraft/) where they can plan the the creative version of the game, which I’m assured is the non-violent version, with other Scouts from around the world.
Finally, we care deeply about you and your Cubs. Please look after yourselves, keep abreast of latest Government and medical advice on preventing COVID-19 and limiting its spread, and make the most of this unprecedented situation we find ourselves in. If you have any questions or concerns relating to Scouts, COVID-19, or in general, please get in touch with us and if we don’t know the answer we’ll help you to find it.
Yours in Scouting,
6th Melbourne Cub Scout Leaders
Rahul Barmanray (Akela), Kerry Morrow (Kaa), Jon Baker (Ikki)
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