Upgrade and Assessment Weekends
31 March 1/2 April 2000 Winter/Summer Hill walking |
9 - 11 June 2000 Summer Hill walking |
1 - 3 September 2000 Summer Hillwalking |
Back by popular demand
The SHQ Adventurous Activity Assessment weekend !Once again Scottish Headquarters are organising a series of Activity Skills Upgrade and Assessment weekends over the coming months details are given below but the next one is at the end of March and you will need to get your skates on to get a place.
Why do we call them ‘upgrade and assessments’ ? Well, quite simply we don’t want people to feel they are coming for some University final in ‘how to read your map’ IT’S NOT LIKE THAT. The weekends are as much about practising your own skills and getting a few tips from the Instructors from Lochgoilhead as anything else. Of course we want to see that you are safe with young people - that is the whole point of the Authorisation Scheme - but it’s not as if you are being grilled from minute one. In fact it’s quite the opposite, usually it’s the Instructors who get grilled from start to finish. Just to emphasise the point, some people have been to the 1999 weekends with no intention of being assessed - they just wanted to get in some practice and build their experience before coming back for an assessment at a later date.
These weekends are about helping YOU towards an authorisation - TRY IT, IT’S FUN.
OK so even after all that you don’t feel quite ready to come to one of these weekends - how about if we were to set up a course just for you - no upgrade, no assessment just grass roots up. What would you say to a day/weekend when we teach you all about Map and Compass, what kit you would need, where to go, how to do it all safely. Or how about a weekend away just getting out into the hills for experience in the company of Instructors? If you think this is for you get in touch with James Allan at SHQ and if we get enough names we’ll put it together.
(Extract from SSN 16)
Adventurous Activities are the backbone of Scouting and in Scotland there is little doubt that we have the best playground going. Here we will try to go over the ins and outs in a bit more detail and look at some of the myths and mysteries.
So you know it all then. - Hmmm ...
The SHQ office still gets enquiries about activity issues which seem to have evolved in
the ether and have no rational base. Cutting through the mist, these are some of the most
common myths and mysteries:
Myth - there is a height limit of 600ft beyond which you
need a hillwalking authorisation.
Nope, Nyet, Nine, Non, Nah, Naw !! = NO HEIGHT LIMIT. But height limits can be applied to
an individual’s authorisation on the recommendation of an assessor.
Mystery - at what point do I need an authorisation for
hillwalking?
When you go into "Areas remote from habitation where bad weather is normal and good
weather the exception.." "But not including the populated valleys or low lying
ground associated with these regions". In Scotland these are: Galloway Hills,
Southern Uplands, Grampians and Cairngorm Massif, North West Highlands, Arran, Inner and
Outer Hebrides and the Orkney and Shetland Isles. More on this later.
Myth - I must have some form of qualification to get an
authorisation.
Nope, Nyet ... etc. Only experience, ability and first aid training. (First Response is
the minimum)
Mystery - who needs qualifications?
Assessors - the people who assess you on your ability as part of the process of getting an
authorisation.
Myth - the authorisation scheme only applies to the Scout and Venture Scout Sections.
Definitely NO. The Scheme applies to everyone.
Mystery - how do I get an authorisation?
EASY! See the GREEN section
for the latest information.
If you are thinking about water activities it is safe to assume that you will always require an authorisation. Canoeing, Sailing, Windsurfing etc. all require an appropriate authorisation. The only water activity not requiring an activity authorisation is swimming but there are still rules to be followed. Factsheets are available from SHQ free of charge.
What about outdoor centres and other commercial providers?
No problem. You will not need an authorisation as you are buying the services of the
centre. It is however advisable to check on their insurance and (in the case of
adventurous activities) their AALA License. Bear in mind that Scout Centres and those of
other voluntary organisations, providing activities for Scout Members do not need a
license.
| Pain in the AAAS ? I can’t get an authorisation because my Area has no assessors, it’s a real pain in the ****!! The Adventurous Activity Authorisation Scheme (AAAS) has caused some problems in Areas around Scotland but there is no longer any excuse for not getting an authorisation. LAST year we ran three excellent weekends around Scotland and helped assess just over 90 authorisations. Everyone who came had a great couple of days. The only complaint - no porridge for breakfast. Folks aged from their teens to their fifties came from as far as Manchester to take part. All were pleasantly surprised at the relaxed atmosphere and the approachability of the instructors. "The whole point is to get people the best authorisation we can, not put them through some horrific exam" said Jeremy Game of Lochgoilhead. It’s hardly surprising when you consider that all the instructors are volunteers in the movement themselves and understand what the scheme is all about. While the weekends are aimed at completing the assessments, plenty of time is given over to updating the personal skills of the participants where it is needed. Some are more able than others but at the end of the day we aim to ensure no one goes home empty handed. Everyone gets some form of assessment appropriate to their level of ability. |