Jargon buster
Jargon buster
Executive Committees are known as Trustee Boards. This came into effect for members in Scotland in July 2023, and all others from April 2023. 'Executive Committee' and associated wording will still be visible on Compass and the website as we move to our new way of volunteering.
To learn more about what we are doing to improve how we volunteer at Scouts, visit the Volunteer Experience webpages.
Here’s a quick guide to some of the terms, names and acronyms you might come across in a Trustee Board. However, if anything is said that you don’t understand, then don’t be afraid to ask.
ABSL - Assistant Beaver Scout Leader
ACC - Assistant County Commissioner
Accounts - This is a document which the Treasurer produces to show all the other trustees the financial situation of the charity.
ACSL - Assistant Cub Scout Leader
Action Points - A list of tasks from the previous meeting that need to be completed.
ADC - Assistant District Commissioner
AESL - Assistant Explorer Scout Leader
Agenda - A document sent to Trustees ahead of a meeting outlining the topics to be discussed.
AGM - Annual General Meeting - where new Trustees are appointed and the annual report and accounts reviewed.
Annual Report - The document produced by the Trustee Board for presentation at the AGM which will include legally required information and a review of the past year and plans for the year to come.
AOB - Any Other Business – Often seen at the end of a meeting agenda. It is best practice for any other business to be only about urgent items that have arisen after the agenda has been circulated.
ARC - Assistant Regional Commissioner
ASL - Assistant Scout Leader
BSL - Beaver Scout Leader
CC - County Commissioner
Charity trustees - The people who are responsible for the running of a charity. In Scotland only OSCR registered charities have charity trustees.
Constitution - This is the rules which the Trustee Board must follow. This can be found in Policy, Organisation & Rules and there may be a locally produced document to follow which adds specific local needs to the document of the charity to follow.
Co-opted trustees - If a Trustee Board needs a new member with a particular skill set, or to do a particular task, they may recruit someone specifically to take on that role. Anyone who joins a Trustee Board in this way (between Annual General Meetings) is known as a co-opted trustee.
CSL - Cub Scout Leader
CTM - County Training Manager
CYC - County Youth Commissioner
DC - District Commissioner
DESC - District Explorer Scout Commissioner
DESC (YL) - District Explorer Scout Leader (Young Leaders)
DSNC - District Scout Network Commissioner
DYC - District Youth Commissioner
EGM - Extraordinary General Meeting – a meeting similar to an AGM but which can be called (in line with the governing document) at any time to consider a significant problem within the charity.
ESL - Explorer Scout Leader
Ex-officio Trustees - The term used for those roles which are automatically on the Trustee Board.
GDPR - General Data Protection Regulations – data protection law that covers the EU and UK.
Governing document - The policies by which the charity is run by and includes the constitution and other rules in Policy, Organisation & Rules.
LTM - Local Training Manager
LYC - Local Youth Commissioner
Minutes - This is a document to capture key discussion points, decisions made and outcome of votes.
OGM - Ordinary General Meeting – A meeting called at a time other than when an AGM might happen when a number of important issues are on the agenda that the Scout Council might need to consider.
POR - Policy, Organisation & Rules (of the Scout Association)
Quorum - This is the number of people required to be present at a meeting for votes and decisions to be made. The number should be set at the AGM.
RC - Regional Commissioner – In England a line manager who manages a number of County Commissioners. In Scotland a line manager who manages a number of Districts. In Wales a line manager who manages a number of Area Commissioners.
Regulator - The organisation set up by the Government to support and govern charities. In the UK there are three main regulators for different parts of country: The Charity Commission for England & Wales, The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man governments each have their own charitable governance offices.
Reports - Often verbal updates made at the meeting, but can also be a written report with detail on a topic for trustees to review.
Scout Council - The Scout Council has a governance role for the charity and, in particular, makes Trustee Board appointments other than ex- officio and co-opted appointments. Check POR 5.4 to understand who’s a member of the Scout Council.
SL - Scout Leader or Section Leader
TA - Training Advisor
TSA - The Scout Association, operating as the ‘Scouts’
Trustee Board - The team of volunteers who work together to make sure Scouts is run safely and legally.
YL - Young Leader – An Explorer Scout helping with another youth section. Sometimes confused with an adult leader aged between 18 and 25.