2010 Stores Plan

We need to organise the stores!

First morning – completely empty stores, the garage, the lockers, and the table room and organise all the equipment into piles on the floor of the hut. Hank up the ropes, throwaway obviously destroyed or damaged equipment, attempts to associate loose items with their parent groups (tents and cookers), inventory the good kit, divert damaged or incomplete kit to people who can repair it.  Separate out tents, poles, dollies, guidelines, tent pegs, and tent equipment. Return all equipment to the shelves which will have been labelled while the kit is out on the floor. Prepare list of storage boxes required to properly store the kit and transport it to and from camps. Dispose of all the excess tables, pioneering equipment, broken poles, broken bicycles, excess craft materials, broken computer monitors, damaged ropes, etc.

Second morning — take all the tents, poles, dollies, guidelines, tent pegs and tent equipment to a very large field and put all of the tents up. Ensure each tent has all of the pegs, ropes, dollies, poles, fitments, ground sheets, and other accessories. Label every part of every tent with a clear identifying number or colour (spray-painted, coloured tape, indelible ink, or stitching).  Where poles have unusual assembly patterns, number the poles appropriately.  Identify any tent which requires repair and diverted to an appropriately qualified person or company. Identify any tent which requires missing parts to be purchased or manufactured.  Photograph all tenants in their complete state. Return all complete tents to their bags, clearly labelled, and complete (that is all tent bags should contain the complete equipment required is to erect it, including pegs and mallets, and with a clear label on the back as to the poles required to assemble the tent if they are not in the bag.)

Third morning – prepare several copies of the   Inventory, with photographs, and provide them to section leaders and to group.  Chase up and recover any equipment sent out a repair, and return it to stores. Clean and polish all cooking equipment, stoves, and barbecues.  Make up complete set of cutlery and crockery, which may also require checking through the kitchens and craft cupboards. Check all gas storage, and gas fitments.  Check all lanterns. sweep and clean all areas. Prepare a list of kit that is missing and must be purchased, and prepare a budget for purchases for 2010.

Sit back, have a cup of tea, or a beer, and smile at a job well done.

P.S.  I know that there are other leaders around the district who would be prepared to help. As I said above, this is not a complete solution.  The complete solution also requires the group to have a dedicated adult with experience of running activities, and managing kit, who is responsible for stores as Quartermaster.  I do not have the skills to repair some of the heavier equipment or tentage, and go into outside firms could incur significant cost. I believe the group should advertise this position as soon as possible.