County Commissioner, Richard Hames, has announced that 18th Scout Leader, Simon Gates, is to become the new District Commissioner for Cambridge Scouting.

Simon, who is also a Beaver leader with the 12th, 18th and 26th Beaver Colonies, is no stranger to the majority of scouters around Cambridge. He is known to tour the district regularly and is recognised for possessing a colourful personality.

With 16 Scout Groups, 1,000 scouts and 200 adult volunteers to cater for, Simon will be taking responsibility for steering the largest district in the county, and at the age of 23 becomes one of the youngest Commissioners in the UK.

Speaking of his appointment, Simon commented;

"This is a tremendous honour and a task I will not take lightly. Cambridge Scouting is oozing with potential and it will be an exciting challenge trying to get the absolute best out of people for the benefit of our community. I hope to encourage others to bring their skills and talents to the fold so we can push the boundaries of what's possible and available for our young people. These are exciting times."

Under Development

In 2009, Simon's main agenda will focus on three main areas; Communication, Support and Teamwork. His first responsibility will be to form a "youthful but experienced" District Team. So far he has made one appointment, 16th Cambridge Cub Leader, Pam Butler, is to become is Deputy.

Simon is already in negotiations with 5 ex-scouters about reviving a Scout Group in Trumpington and will be looking for similar opportunities to develop scouting in Girton or Arbury Park by 2012. He is also looking to revive the District Directory and Newsletter, as means to provide effective communication to all leaders.

Phenomenal Rise

Despite never being a scout when he was younger, Simon’s rise since joining the movement six years ago has been phenomenal. Originally starting out as a reluctant helper with the 18th Beavers, Simon’s drive to explore new horizons and give anything a go has encouraged him to push the boundaries on a number of occasions.

In recent years, Simon has forged a formidable partnership with Emma Roberts to open two new Beaver colonies, provided up to 40 extra places for Beaver Scouting in the north of Cambridge. They have also saved another colony from the brink of collapse.

This past year, Simon has become more Group focused, branching into management and team-building which has proved a tremendous success at the 18th and brought the 26th Beavers and Cubs closer together. However, Simon is under no illusion where his roots lie and is keen to continue scouting with the young people even in his new role;

“The young members have inspired me to be the leader I am today, for which I am extremely grateful, so in return I want to give them the tools and means to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

The Future

If all goes well, Simon and his team will have up to 10 years to develop Scouting in Cambridge. During that time, he will be looking for a successor and is confident the younger generation will be up for the challenge;

"If you look at the sort of people who are coming through the ranks, the future of scouting in the district looks bright. Not naming names, but I'm confident I've already identified one of my potential successors right here at the 18th. Time will tell and I'll be watching their scouting career with interest!"

Simon's tenure as District Commissioner begins on 1st January 2009.