| Student Scout and Guide Organisation | |
| Type: | council |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| F-Date: | February 1967 |
| Members: | 959 (2022) |
| Chiefscouttitle: | Chair |
| Chiefscout: | Jack Woodward |
| Website: | https://www.ssago.org |
The Student Scout and Guide Organisation (SSAGO) is an association that provides support to individuals who are students at colleges and universities in the United Kingdom. It caters to Scouts, Guides, and those who have not been affiliated with a Scout or Guide Association. SSAGO is particularly focused on individuals interested in the aims, objectives, and methods of both The Scout Association and Girlguiding, UK.
Numerous universities host Scout and Guide Clubs affiliated with their respective Student Unions. Although, union affiliation is optional for a club to be part of SSAGO, many choose to do so. In cases where a university or college lacks a dedicated club, students have the option to become Individual or "Indie" members of SSAGO.
The activities of these clubs typically include organising weekend and evening events throughout the term, as well as longer events during university holidays. SSAGO sponsors a termly Rally, open to all Club and Indie members, organised by a different club each term. Additionally, an annual formal event known as a Ball is hosted.
The Oxford University Scout and Guide Group stands as the oldest known example of a Scout and Guide Club in the United Kingdom. Upon completing their university education, many SSAGO members opt to join the Scout and Guide Graduate Association (SAGGA).
Informal Scout and Guide Clubs existed as early as 1915 when the first generation of Scouts grew out of the Scouting age yet wanted to keep some sense of fraternity. Some early organisations at colleges were known as Baden-Powell Guilds and Saint George Guilds. A world equivalent to this exists today in the International Scout and Guide Fellowship, or ISGF. Some of the first clubs were set up in university towns, such as Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, and London. Inter-club activities were run intermittently until 1927. By 1920, Rover Scouts had been set up for people over 18 but many people were also part of Scout and Guide clubs. University clubs banded together to form an Inter-Varsity organisation while College-based clubs formed a similar setup. It was not until 1947 that inter-club meetings started again, and even then only for the Varsity clubs (those from universities, rather than colleges). Only two colleges (Loughborough and North Staffordshire) were admitted to Varsity. No other colleges were admitted, partially because of snobbery in the old red-brick establishments. The Federation of Scout and Guide Clubs in Training Colleges was set up in 1956 for colleges, and a year later it formed the Intercollegiate organisation. In 1967, the Intercollegiate and Inter-Varsity merged to form SSAGO due to the dwindling number of colleges as many became universities.
SSAGO was 40 in 2007, to celebrate this event a special emblem was designed and the Summer Rally was replaced with a Reunion Event held near Lincoln in July. Whilst this event was run as a Rally there were some noticeable differences; there were fireworks on Friday night, all members old, and new, and SAGGA (who themselves are celebrating their 50th Anniversary) were invited to attend along with visits from prestigious guests such as Liz Burnley the current Chief Guide.
United Kingdom Scout and Guide Clubs and Rovers Crews were responsible for establishing an international Student Scout and Guide event called the Witan, named after the Anglo-Saxon gathering of the wise called a Witan. The first two such events were organised by the Oxford University Scout and Guide Group at Gilwell Park in 1959 and 1961.[1] [2]
Rally is a national camp, held once every term where SSAGO clubs around the UK meet up to socialize and participate in a weekend of activities. The size of a rally can vary from around 100 to over 250 people. The three rallies are held each year in February, June, and November and, as they are hosted by different clubs each time, they offer an opportunity for participants to visit new places. The host club for each rally is chosen at the previous year's national SSAGO AGM.
Each rally has a theme chosen by the host club, which is incorporated into the rally through the different activities on offer across the weekend. Often, this includes experiences such as walks or hikes, on-site activities, visits to nearby attractions, or simply an afternoon off with which to explore. In addition, rallies can also include a ceilidh and themed fancy-dress competition.[3]
| Year | Event | Location | Host Club | Theme/Name | Dates | Attendance | Clubs Attended | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Lancaster Superhero Rally | Guys Farm Activity Centre, Lancaster | Lancaster | Superhero | - [4] | 197 | 24 | |
| 2015 | Bangor Disco Rally | Felin Bach, Bangor | Bangor | Disco | - [5] | 102 | 21 | |
| 2015 | Cardiff Carnival Rally | CRAI Activity Park, Cardiff | Cardiff | Carnival | - [6] | 240 | 26 | |
| 2016 | Feb-U-Rally | Woodhouse Park, Bristol | SAGUWE | Wallace and Gromit | - [7] | 213 | 28 | |
| 2016 | Southampton Dino Rally | Butchers Coppice, Bournemouth | Southampton | Dinosaur | - [8] | 171 | 30 | |
| 2016 | Space Rally | Rough Close Scout Campsite and Activity Centre, Coventry | Indie | Space | - [9] | 261 | 32 | |
| 2017 | Best of British Rally | Glenbrook Outdoor Activity Centre, Bamford | Sheffield | Best of British | - [10] | 243 | 31 | |
| 2017 | Leeds "Around the World" Rally | Bradley Wood Scout Campsite, Leeds | Leeds | Around the World | - [11] | 168 | 25 | |
| 2017 | Plymouth "90s" Rally | Sid Vale Scout Campsite, Devon | Plymouth | '90s | - [12] | 161 | 23 | |
| 2018 | Witan in a Weekend Rally | Scout Park, London | The Young Goats | Witan/Europe | - [13] | 320 | 38 | |
| 2018 | Cambridge Duck Rally | The Jarman Centre, Cambridge | CUSAGC | Duck | - [14] | 212 | 28 | |
| 2018 | Lancaster Fantasy Rally | Guys Farm Activity Centre, Lancaster | Lancaster SSAGO | Fantasy | - [15] | 243 | 29 | |
| 2019 | Nottingham Outlaw Rally | Walesby Forest, Nottingham | SNoGS | Robin Hood/Outlaws | - [16] | 271 | 35 | |
| 2019 | Scot Rally | Lapwing Lodge, Glasgow | Scotland | Scottish | - [17] | 120 | 30 | |
| 2019 | Birmingham Chocolate Rally | Alfrey Activity Centre Broadwater, Warwickshire | BUSAG | Chocolate | - [18] | 310 | 38 | |
| 2020 | Roman Rally MMXX | Briarlands Activity Centre, Bristol | Bath BUGS | Roman | - [19] | 294 | 39 | |
| 2020 | Survival Rally | Cranham Scout Centre, Gloucestershire* | UOBGAS and PLUGS (jointly) | Back-to-Basics | - / - [20] | N/A | N/A | |
| 2020 | Build-A-Rally | Virtual Event* | Southampton | Construction | - [21] | 151 | 33 | |
| 2021 | Green Rally Yellow Rally | Virtual Event* | Millennial Millards (Members from several clubs) | Green and Yellow/Milton Keynes | - [22] | 326 | 39 | |
| 2021 | Viking Rally | Moor House Adventure Centre, Durham | NUSSAGG and DUSAGG (jointly) | Viking | - [23] | |||
| 2022 | Rally Of Games | Overstone Campsite, Northampton | Individual members from different groups | Boardgames | - < | |||
| 2022 | Rali Cymru (Wales Rally) | CRAI Activity Centre, Newbridge | The South Welsh Clubs(SUGS, MSAGM Aber SSAGO, USW, SSAGS) | Wales | November 18, 2022 -November 20, 2022[24] | 297 | 33 | |
| 2023 | CentenaRally | Tawd Vale Adventure Centre, Ormskirk | LUSSAGO | Centenary | March 3, 2023 - March 5, 2023 | 235 | 26 |
In addition to the three rallies, there is also an annual ball hosted every year by a chosen SSAGO club. The ball provides an alternative to the camping and outdoors often associated with Scouting and Guiding by offering a formal meal, dancing, and another chance to socialize with other SSAGO members.
Typically balls will be themed, with accommodation available nearby, varying from hotels to scout huts depending on the participants' budget. Balls offer a packed evening program, giving everyone a chance to make new friends, catch up with old ones and have a great night outside of the campsite. Often, the ball will include activities nearby to help participants make a weekend of the event.
| 2015 | Southampton Ball on a Boat | MV Ocean Scene, Southampton | Southampton | Nautical | March 21, 2015[27] | 128 | 18 | |
| 2016 | Leeds Northern Lights Ball | Marriott Hotel, Leeds | Leeds | Northern Lights | [28] | 146 | 23 | |
| 2017 | Bath Masked Ball | Guildhall, Bath | Bath | Masquerade | [29] | 178 | 22 | |
| 2018 | Yule Ball Ball | The Bristol Hotel, Bristol | SAGUWE | Harry Potter | [30] | 169 | 27 | |
| 2019 | Aber does ABBA Ball | Marine Hotel, Aberystwyth | Aberystwyth SSAGO | ABBA | [31] | 135 | 28 | |
| 2020 (2021) | City of Steel Ball | Kelham Island Museum | Sheffield StinGS | Sheffield | /[32] | N/A* | N/A* | |
| 2021 | WomBall | Rough Close Campsite, Coventry | BUSAG | Recycling | September 11, 2021** | 87 | 25 | |
| 2022 | Once Upon a Ball | Keele Hall, Staffordshire | Various Members | Fairytale | April 30, 2022[33] | 194 | 25 |
There are currently more than thirty universities with a SSAGO club. There are also at least ten that no longer exist. The Universities with a functioning SSAGO club are:
Also open to students from Aston University, Birmingham City University and University College Birmingham
(including Anglia Ruskin University)