What is Scouting ?

The Scout Section is for young people, both boys and girls, usually aged between 10½ 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. There are 5 Scout Troops in the District.

These are:
        1st Dunster     1st Exmoor (Minehead)     1st Porlock    
          1st Watchet Sea Scouts      1st Williton

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 2002/3
25,000 Scouts from around the World attended the World Jamboree
in Thailand. Even more are expected to attend the World Jamboree
in The United Kingdom in 2007.

Scouting is about being with friends, as part of a team, participating
fully in the adventure and opportunities of life.

 The Balanced programme


In Scouting, "programme" has the widest possible interpretation. Programme is not just all the activities that
Scouts can take part in. It includes almost anything from archery to youth hostelling. It is also how we do
those activities, known as the method, and why we do them, known as the purpose.

This means that when Leaders plan an activity for their Scouts, they need to consider both how the activity
will be done, why they are doing it and how it fits into the Balanced Programme.

The second word to consider is "balanced". The Programme is designed to help young people to grow and
develop so at it's heart are six "personal development areas". These are:

          Body         Mind        Faith and Beliefs        Relationships        Community        Surroundings

For Scouting to achieve its purpose, Scouts need to grow and develop in each of these areas, through a
Balanced Programme that offers the widest variety of activities and methods.

The Scout Leaders, working with their Scouts, are responsible for planning and delivering a Balanced Programme.

Programme Zones split the whole programme into manageable areas. Each Zone represents a different
development area in a young person's life. There are six Programme Zones in the Scout Section. They are:

         Scoutcraft and Adventure               Global              Community
         Fit for Life         Exploring Beliefs and Attitudes         Creative Expression

It is recommended that a troop spend roughly 50% of its programme time working within the Scoutcraft and
Adventure Zone and roughly 10% on each of the other Zones.

 Badges and Awards

There are lots of Awards and badges available to Scouts.

Membership and Joining In Badges
(The Membership and Participation Awards signify that a Scout has made their promise
and has participated in the programme for a period of time.)

The Moving on Award (Scout to Explorer Scout)

Challenges
(The Challenges complement the balanced programme. These have been developed to
extend Cub Scouts' skills and experience. The Challenges are optional and continue
throughout the Sections providing continuity from age 6 to 25.)
  • The Outdoor Challenge
  • The Outdoor Plus Challenge
  • The Creative Challenge
  • The Fitness Challenge
  • The Global Challenge
  • The Community Challenge
  • The Adventure Challenge
  • The Expedition Challenge

Chief Scout's Gold Award
(This badge is the highest award available in the Scout Section. It is gained by
completing: the Outdoor Challenge, plus four other challenges, plus a personal challenge )

(If a Scout has not quite completed the requirements for the top award before they move on to
the Explorer Scout Unit, they may complete it in their early weeks in the Explorer Scout Unit.)

Activity Badges
(There are 70 Activity badges specially designed for the Scout section, along with the four
Staged badges. Additionally there are three awards to be completed in association with other
sections of your Groups.)

The International Award
The Faith Award
The Environment Award

 Membership, Joining In & Moving on Award
The Challenges
Chief Scout's Gold Award
Environment, Faith and International Awards
 TheScout Promise


The Scout Promise is:

I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to God and to the Queen,
To help other people
And to keep the Scout Law

 The Scout Law


The Scout Law is:

A Scout is to be trusted.
A Scout is loyal.
A Scout is friendly and considerate.
A Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts.
A Scout has courage in all difficulties.
A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property.
A Scout has self-respect and respect for others.
 The Scout Motto

The Scout Motto is:

Be Prepared