Who can register? 

Any Leader, Rover, Venturer, Adult Helper or OP Guides can register and apply to attend ScoutHike, if they are a currently registered member of Scouts Australia or Guides at registration cut-off April 7 through to May 5 2024 

Who volunteers to help at ScoutHike? 

Anyone who loves Scouting and wants to enjoy time in a forest supporting Scouts have a fantastic weekend adventure.  Most registered Leaders, Venturers, Rovers, OP Guides and Adult Helpers are from Sydney North, South Met and Greater Western Sydney Regions – but others also come from further afield – all are welcome! 

In 2023, we had over 300 helpers at the Activity Bases and another 200 at Sleep Points. 

Jobs at ScoutHike 

ScoutHike relies entirely on the assistance of volunteer Leaders, Rovers, Venturers and Adult Helpers, who run the Sleep Points and Activity Bases and everything else needed for the event. 

There are 6 Sleep Points for ScoutHike, with different SNR Districts and the Rovers having responsibility for overseeing the running of each Sleep Point which is themed to an Era. 

All participants are allocated to a Sleep Point. 

The Scouts are allocated a Sleep Point for Friday night and a different one for Saturday night and will camp in a designated Scout area. 

All other participant volunteers (L R V AH)  are allocated to the same Sleep Point for the duration of the event. 

And will camp in the Leaders area of that Sleep Point.  Each Sleep Point caters for all their volunteers for all meals ( there is no self catering) with a fee of $60.  There is a central gathering area for adults to gather and chat – remember to byo camp chair. 

There are many jobs to help out with at your District’s Sleep Point or the Activity Bases they are running. 

Anyone not part of the Sleep Point staff – will be having fun out in the forest running one of the 29 Activity Point Bases that the scouts will be hiking to and enjoying participating in. 

All 29 Activity Point Bases have an Activity Leader, who relies on their volunteers to help run the activity.  Activities are themed to the Era of their Sleep Point and have a focus for the Scouts – so you could be in character as an Apollo Astronaut or Racing a Raptor. 

If your local unit is running a base then chat to them or your District Scout Leader about what job you could help with – remember Scouts aren’t the only ones having fun at ScoutHike. 

And if you’re not sure where to volunteer – there are 29 Activity Leaders who will always welcome an extra helper – so let us know and we can place you where help is most needed ( tick no job allocated when you register.) 

Sleep Points Leaders will coordinate and communicate with their own volunteers re logistics, set up , transport etc, with volunteers usually making their own way to the event ( some carpooling) arriving in time on Friday to set up their Activity Points in the forest and pitch their tent at the Sleep Point. 

The Scout coaches arrive in the forest from about 8.30pm, at which point car traffic in the forest is severely restricted to ensure priority is given to the coaches. 

ScoutHike is a strictly dry event, all members of HQ and the Sleep Points will always be on call for emergency management as part of our Emergency Management plan and as such, must remain alcohol free the entire time. If you consume any alcohol during the event from Friday until Sunday, you will be asked to leave. 

Another very  important role….Bus Captains 

If you really enjoy working with kids and don’t want to drive to ScoutHike, we will allocate you a seat on one of the buses.  

In return, your job is to make sure that the Scouts don’t get too rowdy on the bus, don’t annoy the bus driver and leave the bus clean.  

Over the weekend you will help out on activities etc.  

If you are interested in this job, please email the ScoutHike HQ Leader via scouthike.coordinator.snr@nsw.scouts.com.au. 

Will I see my own Scout over the weekend? 

It’s a very large forest!  And the Scouts will be super busy being Scouts and enjoying the weekend, as will you, so unless they visit your Activity Point or are allocated to the Sleep Point you happen to be at – it’s possible you may have to wait till you pick them up off the bus back in Sydney, late on Sunday, and then you can all share the adventures you had on the weekend. 

I’ve registered and will be at the event -can I transport my own Scout? 

ScoutHike is a Patrol based Activity and all members of the Patrol remain together for the duration of the entire Event, including travel by coach to and from the forest from their departure point in Sydney.  SNR and SM Scouts must travel on coaches. 

We ask all registered participants to respect the Scouting Patrol System and not withdraw their own Scout early from the event.   

What is an Adult Helper? 

Adult Helpers are individuals who attend Scout meetings and activities regularly to assist with tasks and help to “free up” Leaders so they can focus on planning and running activities and providing youth members with the best Scouting experience. 

Child safety is our number one priority at Scouts NSW. Therefore, all Adult Helpers are thoroughly screened, undergo a Police Check, must hold a valid, verified Working With Children Check and undertake two online training modules to ensure the safety of our youth members. 

Can others visit over the weekend? 

ScoutHike is an event only open to those current members of Scouting who have registered to attend. 

The forest is closed to all others for the duration of the weekend.  

How do I register? 

Register HERE!

Each person will need to register themselves. 

Registering is through the SNR website on the OLEMS system and each person requires their own user name and password (please remember them!!) 

  • Fill out the online registration with details about yourself 
  • As you complete each of the 8 Tabs – it will go green 
  • The payment for all helpers ( (L R V AH OPG) is made directly to your Sleep Point –not through the registration system. 
  • Remember to SUBMIT your registration when you have entered everything and you will receive a confirmation email. 
  • On the ScoutHike Details tab – enter your Allocated Job if you already have one OR if you have no allocated job – we can slot you in to where help is needed. 
  • All Leaders and Rovers must use their Scout allocated email as their primary email for correspondence. 

Hint – if you have used OLEMS before, you will be prompted to ensure your details are current and if you are new to OLEMS, you will need a user name and password, then relevant information, eg Membership number, WWCC number and expiry  

Last day for all registrations is 7th April 2024 

Child Safe Message for Adults

Feeling Safe – Your Rights – A message for our adult members / supporters

Everyone in Scouts, youth and adults alike have the right to feel safe and be protected from abuse. No-one is allowed to threaten you, hurt you or touch you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or afraid.

A Scout is respectful and this applies to all interactions between all participants, youth and adult here at ScoutHike. 

Youth Members have been told they can raise issues with Adults at ScoutHike, and that any concerns will be taken seriously and treated appropriately. 

If you have a concern, or a concern is raised with you, you should raise it with the ScoutHike HQ Leader. All concerns will be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately.

If a youth member chooses to raise an issue with you it is your role to:

  • Hear their concerns.
  • Re-assure the youth member you believe their concerns and it is not their fault.
  • Raise it through the most direct method to the ScoutHike HQ Leader.
  • Manage the confidentiality of the person who has trusted you with this information by only sharing the information with the people necessary to support the person raising the issue.
  • Provide the youth member with somewhere relatively private (and quite separate from the person in respect of whom they have raised their concerns – if that person is nearby) until the ScoutHike HQ Leader can attend.

DO NOT

  • Discuss specific details of the matter over the Radio network. If required ask the ScoutHike HQ Leader to come to your location.
  • Try to investigate or solve the issue.  The ScoutHike HQ Leader will take appropriate steps when they arrive and speak with the youth member.
  • Discuss the matter with others outside the chain of people required to raise the issue.
  • Tell the youth member that you can keep it confidential between you and them.

REMEMBER

  • In accordance with the Scouts NSW Child Protection Policy and Procedure, where you believe a youth member is in imminent danger – you should immediately call the NSW Police on 13144.
Imminent Danger If a young person is in imminent danger, the matter should be reported directly and immediately to NSW Police on 131 444.
  • Once you have made a report to the police, you should then take steps to inform the ScoutHike HQ Leader that a police report has been made.
  • Where mobile phone reception is unavailable at your location, or you are unsure whether the police are required, you should radio through for immediate assistance to theScoutHike HQ Leader.
  • The ScoutHike HQ Leader retains responsibility for subsequently providing an incident report to the Child Protection Team at the NSW State Office on: Tel: 02 9735 9000 or via ChildProtection@nsw.scouts.com.au. Where applicable, this must include the fact that a report has been made to the police or any other authority.

If you don’t know what to do – talk to someone at ScoutHike HQ!

It is possible that information revealed may be distressing to you. If you feel this is the case, you are encouraged to ask for help from the ScoutHike HQ Leader. They will put you in touch with a Member Support Leader from your Region or on site.

If, for any reason, you do not feel concerns of this nature which you raised at ScoutHike have been satisfactorily dealt with, please report your concerns to the Child Protection Team at the NSW State Office on 02 9735 9000 or via ChildProtection@nsw.scouts.com.au.

For more information, please refer to the Scouts NSW Websitehttps://www.nsw.scouts.com.au/about/child-health-safety/