Perhaps you are an experienced event organizer or it’s your first go at planning an event, no matter your experience the starting point is about the same. Take a look at the Event Management Playbook. This webpage will help you determine the scale of your event. Note – the Event Management Standard and Playbook were originally written and intended for large scale high-risk events like a National Canadian Jamboree, Pacific Jamboree or International Jamboree. Most events that Councils and Groups participate in fall under the “low-Risk” category and should be planned using the “Council ('Low-Risk') Event Planning and Approval Template” and associated guidance. This template will walk you through all the event planning steps. If your event is a bit bigger or riskier it will fall under the “medium” or “high” risk category. These higher-risk categories require more complex planning processes. Please consult the Event Management Playbook and talk to your CK3 if you are looking to organize an event in the higher-risk categories.   

We know Council events can create whirlwind for CK3s. To better allow CK3s to focus on their core business of supporting groups, our vision for events is to empower, as much as practical, local event planners (Event Management Teams) to continue organizing and running great events. Under this vision, the CK3 (or delegate) will continue to be the final go- or no-go decision-maker, but the majority of working decisions and activities will be executed by the Event Management Team. CK3s are discouraged from being involved in every step of the event planning (e.g. attending planning meeting, planning logistics) for that we have Event Support Scouters.

Event Support Scouters are dedicated Scouters that work with event organizers to ensure the successful planning of events. They report to the National Events Commissioner and may be supporting events inside and out of their home Council. While they do not report to CK3s they will certainly work closely with them to ensure events meet CK3 approval. The CK3 may also choose an Event Support Scouter to act as the event approval delegate. A complete role description can be found here.  If you have Scouters interested in becoming Event Support Scouters forward them this form.

To ensure all events across the country are conducted in the same safe, fun, Scouting manner it is important we all use a consistent approach and associated resources. The Council Low Risk Event Template is largely unchanged from what has been in use for the last 5 or more years. Similarly, most of the materials made available in the Event Management Playbook have been adapted from resources previously used by Councils and will look similar to what you are to use today.

You can start today. The event standard and associated mandatory requirements have been in place since January 1, 2021, all other support and guidance elements of the updated event planning process are ready for use as of August 30^th 2021: https://modxtest.scouts.ca/resources/event-management-playbook/home.html

The Event Assessment & Approval Procedure (scouts.ca) outlines the risk classification for events. More simply, a short, small event will be classified ‘low-risk”. With increasing Category 2 and 3 activities, longer duration, or larger attendance will drive a higher risk categorization. Those classified ‘low’ or ‘medium’ will be managed locally at the CK3-level. The Events Commissioner and / or Event Support Scouters will assist in the risk-classification. A provisional assessment based off event history has been developed to guide CK3s. That said – all events need approval at the early planning stages before commitments are made.

As part of the financial consolidation project, event transactions will also be moved to One Scouts.  As part of the approval process, the event management team submits a completed Event Approval Template together with a detailed budget. The CK3 will review the budget and any requests for financial or staff support and provide approval for the plan which may include a request for money for deposits and equipment needed before cash in-flow from registration.

Take this as an opportunity to educate them on the event planning standard and process. Then invite them to take the needed steps to ensure event compliance. If they are still unwilling to follow the event planning process inform them their event cannot proceed.

There are three broad categories of risk: High, Medium and Low. Classification is based on Location, Frequency, Experience of the event planning team, Attendance, Duration, Program elements, and Incident management. A complete breakdown can be found here Event Assessment & Approval Procedure (scouts.ca)