1st Prague (Czech Republic) Scout Group z.s. Group Chairman’s Report It’s been yet another year of exciting growth for 1st Prague Scouts. At our February census, we reported 130 Scouts and 45 adult volunteers. Today, all our sections are now at full capacity, with waiting lists for all. We are now the second largest group in the Northern Europe District of British Scouting Overseas and the fastest-growing across BSO. As the Covid-19 restrictions began to lift last summer, we held our first-ever All Sections summer camp. More than 70 Scouts and leaders spent a memorable week hiking, swimming, canoeing, cycling, scooting, and, as ever, preparing wonderful cookouts. A dramatic storm on the final night meant they returned home bedraggled and with somewhat soggy kit but a great week was nevertheless had by all. Throughout the year, hikes and camps at weekends have been held for all sections, giving our young people priceless opportunities to learn valuable #skills for life. The new school year saw the Cubs split into two sections, with the Beavers and Cubs moving into new homes at the “Sokols” in Vrsovice and Kampa. The Scouts and Explorers continue to meet weekly at Riverside’s Hradcanska campus and we are hugely grateful to Riverside for its continued support once the school was again able to open its doors to us. As with so many organizations and individuals here in the Czech Republic, we were anxious to provide support to families fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Explorers led a fundraising drive, launched with an awareness-raising hike around Letna Park in March. The campaign has just closed, having reached its target of 100,000 kc. Half of the funds raised will be donated to SOS Detske Vesnicky to support its work for refugee families from Ukraine; the remainder is being used to fund the weekend events we are holding fortnightly and which are now drawing a steady crowd of familiar faces. We have also been able to welcome some Ukrainian young people into our sections. Heartfelt thanks are owed to the Russian and Ukrainianspeaking parents and Scouts who have stepped up to help them settle in. Our work has been acknowledged with gratitude from the leadership of The Scout Association and is being championed on scouting’s social media networks.
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