About Us

Beaver Scouts are young people usually aged between six and eight years old. They belong to the first and youngest Section in the Scouting family. Young people can join Beaver Scouts in the three months leading up to their sixth birthday. They can move to the next Section, Cub Scouts, between eight and eight years six months.

Easily recognised by their distinctive turquoise sweatshirts, Beaver Scouts enjoy making friends, playing games, going on visits and helping others. They usually meet together once a week in a Beaver Scout Colony.

There are loads of fun things that you can do as a Cub Scout. You will get a chance to try lots of different activities like swimming, music, exploring, computing and collecting. If you do them properly you will get a badge which you can wear on your uniform.

Cub Scouts also get to go on trips and days out, to places like the zoo, theme parks or a farm. Sometimes you will be able to go camping with the rest of your Pack. This will mean you sleeping in a tent and doing loads of outdoor activities.

The Scout Section is for young people, usually aged between 10 1/2 and 14 years. A young person can come in to the Troop at 10 and may stay until they are 15 years old. The Scout Troop is the third and final Section in the Scout Group.

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 both the traditional Scouting skills, such as camping, survival and cooking as well as the wide range of adventurous activities, anything from abseiling to yachting.

The international aspect gives Scouting a special appeal and many Scouts now travel abroad during their time in the Section. In 1998 2,000 Scouts from the UK attended the World Jamboree in Chile. Even more are expected to attend the World Jamboree in Thailand in 2002/3.

Explorer Scouts are young people, usually aged between 14 and 18 years old. They make up the fourth Section of the Scouting family. There are many types of Explorer Scout Units, some may be linked to your local Scout Group, others may be based around different activities.

Not all Units meet each week, because you will often be out and about at weekends or in the holidays doing activities. There will be times when you will be busy doing other things such as exams, and being an Explorer Scout will have to fit around these.

As an Explorer Scout, you will get the chance to work with other Explorer Scouts in your District, not just your Unit. By doing this, you will get the chance to do many more activities, not just the ones your Unit organises.

All members of The Scout Association between 18 and 25 years are members of the Scout Network. As a member of the Scout Network you could be:

• A member of a local Network
• A Leader with another Section
• A Helper of Skills Instructor
• A member of the Scout Fellowship
• A member in another capacity

Local Networks, can be based at County, District or Group; some may be focussed around a specific activity or location, e.g. Gang Show, Activity Centre, climbing or canoeing. Scout Network programmes will reflect the huge variation in Members' interests.

Some local Networks will have activities that concentrate on one area of the programme, whilst others will have a wider range. One of the key elements is the opportunity to get away, either under canvas or in other accommodation.