Section Information

INTRODUCTION TO BEAVERS

Beaver Scouts are the youngest section of the Scouting family. Their activities are based around making things, outdoor activities, singing, playing games, going out on visits, investigating nature, listening to stories, learning how to be safe and most importantly, making new friends.

Beavers are usually aged between six and eight years old, though they can be as young as five and three quarters.

A group of Beaver Scouts is called a Colony, and each Colony can be split up into smaller groups called Lodges.

Beavers have a Promise and Motto, but there is not a Beaver Scout Law. The concepts of the Scout Law should be presented to Beavers through games, storytelling and other informal devices.

INTRODUCTION TO CUBS

Scouting is one of the great success stories of the last 100 years. From an experimental camp for 20 boys on Brownsea island in 1907, it has spread to 216 countries and territories, with an estimated 28 million members.

Cubs is the second section of the Scouting movement, originally started in 1916 for younger brothers who wanted a 'look-in'. In nearly a century, the section has constantly evolved and adapted its programme and methods to meet the changing needs of each generation of young people, and these days admits girls as well as boys.

Cub Scouts are young people aged between 8 and 10 1/2, who make up the second section of the Scouting family, between Beavers and Scouts.

During their time in the Pack, Cub Scouts will get a chance to try lots of different activities like swimming, music, exploring, computing and collecting.

There are a range of badges available which Cub Scouts can wear on their uniforms to show everyone how well they're doing.

Cub Scouts also get to go on trips and days out, to places like the zoo, theme parks or a farm. Sometimes they will be able to go camping with the rest of the Pack and take part in all kinds of outdoor activities.

INTRODUCTION TO SCOUTS

'Scouting has given me a fantastic opportunity to do lots of activities and things that people who are not in Scouts don’t get to do. It’s about having fun with good friends.’

Scouts are the third section of the Scouting movement. From the first experimental camp for 20 boys in 1907, the movement now has an estimated 28 million members worldwide, and in the UK alone there are over 499,000 boys and girls involved in Scouting. An increase in adult volunteers means that more and more young people are now able to take part in their own big adventure.

The Scout Section is for young people, usually aged between 10½ and 14 years. A young person can come into the Troop at 10 and may stay until they are 14½ years old. The Scout Troop is the third section in the Scout Group, above Beavers and Cubs.

Scouts are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities as part of their programme. Participation rather than meeting set standards is the key approach, and for the Scout who wants to be recognised for his or her achievements there are a number of Challenges awards and activity badges.

Scouts take part in a Balanced Programme that helps them to find out about the world in which they live, encourages them to know their own abilities and the importance of keeping fit, and helps develop their creative talents. It also provides opportunities to explore their own values and personal attitudes.

Being outdoors is important, and half the programme is given over to taking part in traditional Scouting skills, such as camping, survival and cooking, as well as a wider spectrum of adventurous activities, from abseiling to zorbing.