Who are Scouts?

Scouts are young people between the ages of ten and a half years and fourteen. They usually meet weekly at a Troop meeting. The smaller groups or Patrols are encouraged to work together to enable leadership skills and teamwork to be paramount.



The Scout Troop.

The Scout Troop comprises of a number of patrols. The day to day running of the troop is carried out by the Patrol Leaders under the guidance of adult leadership. It is the adult team of Scout Leaders, Troop Assistants and Young Leaders that plan for the longer term and ensure that each Scout takes part in a balanced programme over a period. Camps, expeditions and outdoor activities should be a regular part of the programme.

The Scout Balanced Programme.

A good troop programme will have a variety of activities, delivered by different methods covering the ‘Programme Zones’. The ‘Programme Zones’ are similar to those in the Cub Scout Pack and will therefore be familiar to the young members. Best effort is rewarded with a number of badges, including a wide range of Activity Badges which cater for individual skills and interests. The highest award in the Scout Troop is the Chief Scout’s Gold Award. The ‘Moving On Award’ will ensure a smooth transition to the Explorer Scout Section at the age of fourteen.

The adult team may comprise of Scout Leaders, Troop Assistants, Young Leaders (who are Explorer Scouts helping with the troop) and possibly parent helpers, particularly if they have a talent or skill to offer. The more adventurous activities available to Scouts have a set of guidelines to follow and these are available either through a paper copy of ‘Policy, Organisation and Rules or via the Scout Web Site. http://www.scoutbase.org.uk