On Thursday of last week I was kindly invited by the Gloucestershire Masonic Society to attend a lecture given by a Scouter from Derbyshire on the similarities and differences between Scouting and Freemasonry.  I knew very little about Freemasonry before Thursday and was pleased to learn a little more.  There are many similarities, for example members of both make a commitment to certain fundamentals which are not dissimilar, they have their own rituals, clothing and insignia and they are fundamentally community service organisations.  The biggest difference of course is that the majority of Masonic lodges do not admit women members while Scouting is now open to both sexes throughout the Movement. In view of the similarities it is not surprising therefore that a number of Scouters, past and present, feel equally at home in Freemasonry as in Scouting and consequently Freemasonry is pretty favourably disposed towards Scouting.

As a result Gloucestershire Scouts have this year received a grant of £5000 from the United Grand Charity, the central Masonic charity, to support five development projects across the county.  This money is being put to good use in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, North Cotswold and across the county and we are grateful to the Freemasons for their support.

By contrast on Sunday I attended one of our six-monthly meetings of County Commissioners from across the South West Region.  We spent a fair bit of time discussing the forthcoming conferences for DCs, GSLs and others which will be held in May and October.  If you are part of the target audience, please take advantage of this opportunity to discuss some of the big issues facing us as we seek to build this great organisation of ours in this part of the country and to share thoughts and ideas with colleagues from across the region.  The events have largely been planned by GSLs and DCs (including our own Paula Pitcher) so please support them by registering to attend one of the sessions.

We also discussed the recently compiled census figures, which paint a varied picture and the important role that media and communications play in modern day Scouting.  We have a great media and comms team in Gloucestershire but they need raw material to publish.  Please notify them of anything you might be doing that could be of interest either to other members of Scouting or the general public.  The most important thing I learnt from this session is that we can build what might seem to leaders to be the most mundane activities and events, especially camps, trips and expeditions, into eye-catching stories in which we can express other positive messages about Scouting to the general public.

We also discussed holding a regional session for those involved in development work, as they seek to build existing Groups and lay the foundations for new ones, as well as preparations for the next World Jamboree, the regional expedition to Madagascar, adult training and the review of the youth training programme.

So, whether we are Masons or more humble builders, we are all seeking to improve the world in which we live and leave a bit of a legacy for the next generation.  It does however take detailed planning and careful thought if the structures we create are to stand the test of time.  Thank you to you all, whatever you are seeking to create, wherever you are seeking to create it.  Happy Easter.