Issue 35 OCTOBER 2011 - Scouts Queensland

Chief CommissionerMaurice J Law, AMChief Commissioner of QueenslandFor many years now there has been a very strong partnership betweenSt John Ambulance and the Scout Associaon of Australia,Queensland Branch. This partnership has not only been throughthe running of first aid courses but through training in general andthrough the provision of first aiders at a number of our majorevents. There are a number of people who are members of or givesupport to both organisaons.During the aermath of the January Floods, St John Ambulancemade office facilies available to the Associaon for our TrainingDepartment and indeed supported that Department in a numberof ways.I learned recently that St John has submied a grant applicaonfollowing the January floods to once again support the Scout Associaonthrough the provision of first aid kits for Formaons whowere affected during the flood. I was even more pleased recentlyto be advised that this grant applicaon had been successful.Just recently the State Superintendent of St John, Darryl Clare,OAM visited the Branch Headquarters and presented to me one ofthe first aid kits obtained through the grant funds. Some of thesefirst aid kits have alreadybeen dispatched and thebalance of the first aidskits will be dispatched inthe near future. Onceagain we are appreciaveof the efforts of St JohnsAmbulance in supporngour organisaon and sincerelythank them fortheir efforts.As you will be aware from my previous arcles, October is themonth during which charter/recharter interviews will be held. Iknow a number of Region Commissioners and District Commissionershave already made arrangements to hold the charter interviewand indeed some of them have already commenced.work that has been done by so many people over the last 31 yearsof Agoonoree.The following Thursday in Cairns was the official presentaon ofawards and I understand that some footage of the presentaon atthe Agoonoree and the acvies being conducted at Agoonoreewas shown at that presentaon and exceponally well received bythose present.It is most probably fing that this award was presented at the lastAgoonoree which Michele Johnson will be Camp Chief. I congratulateMichele on her efforts over the past 13 years during which shehas aended Agoonoree and for the last six years during which shehas been Camp Chief. I know that she has placed Agoonoree on afirm foong for Melita Goff to take over as Camp Chief for the2012 Agoonoree.Unl next month I wish you good Scoung,NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL APPLICATIONS ARENOW OPEN!Applicaons are open for new appointments to the Scouts AustraliaNaonal Youth Council for the period 2012 – 2015. Applicaonswill close mid‐November. The applicaon form is available on theScouts Australia website and also on the Queensland Branch websitehp://www.scoutsqld.com.au/index.cfm?MenuID=299All applicaons should be forwarded to the Chief Commissioner’sOffice, Scouts Queensland, PO Box 520, TOOWONG QLD 4066 forBranch approval and on forwarding to the Naonal office.CHIEF COMMISSIONER PRESENTS LONG SER-VICE AWARDSThe Chief Commissioner presented Region Commissioner JennyStaddon OAM with a 40 Year Long Service award and Region CommissionerErnie Bunt with a 20 Year Long Service award at the RegionCommissioners Conference in Brisbane September 2011.”You will also be aware from my previous arcles that the criteriawhich are set within chartering are nothing more than what weshould expect from any Formaon within the Queensland Branch.Chartering is not a device to make the game of Scoung more difficultbut more parcularly a device through which mechanisms areput in place to ensure that young people get the best possibleScoung that we can offer to them and that the adults in Scoungare appropriately looked aer and acknowledged for their efforts.During this year’s Agoonoree we had a visit from the Minister forDisability Services, Mental Health and Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Partnerships, the Honourable Curs Pi who spent a coupleof hours at the camp and indeed parcipated in some of theacvies that our members and guests were involved in. At a specialmorning tea I was pleased to accept from the Minister a MinisterialDisabilies Week award in recognion of the tremendous8