WHAT IS SCOUTING
ALL ABOUT?
Adventure Your Way!
The Purpose of the Scout Movement is to contribute to the
education of young people in achieving their full physical,
intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potentials as
individuals, as responsible citizens, and as members of their
local, national, and international communities.
Scouting's program for 21st Century Australian
young people places your child at the centre of the
program where personal development occurs in
challenging, fun, adventurous, and inclusive ways.
The youth program is organised around five
age-based Units. This helps cater for the
changing developmental needs of children and
young people, promotes personal progression,
ensures young people are at the centre of their
Scouting journey, and builds a supportive
environment.
As your child grows and progresses through
Scouting, it is the support from peers that is
often a key contributor to a successful transition
from one Unit to the next. As such, each Unit
functions with a peer mentoring system. This
helps facilitate transition to the next Unit, even
before the youth member is ready to move. As
Scouts get older, they will become more
independent and are able to work with youth
members from across other age Units.
All activities in Scouting are implemented using
The Scout Method, a framework consisting of
eight equally important elements. Whether it is
through community involvement; nature and
the outdoors; learning-by-doing; the patrol
system; youth leading, adults supporting;
personal progression; symbolic framework; or
the Promise and Law, young people are
empowered to set goals and collaborate to
achieve them.
Scouting is about seeking and gathering
information. It is about a process of learning,
and acquiring skills and knowledge. The
Scouting experience is complementary to formal
education, contributing to the physical,
intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual
development of young people.
A Scouting youth member will learn some basic
knowledge about Scouting and their age-group's
Unit when they join, with the support of their
scouting peers and adult Leaders.
The youth program is organised around five
age-based Units. This helps cater for the
changing developmental needs of children and
young people, promotes personal progression,
ensures young people are at the centre of their
Scouting journey, and builds a supportive
environment.
As your child grows and progresses through
Scouting, it is the support from peers that is
often a key contributor to a successful
transition from one Unit to the next. As such,
each Unit functions with a peer mentoring
system. This helps facilitate transition to the
next Unit, even before the youth member is
ready to move. As Scouts get older, they will
become more independent and are able to work
with youth members from across other age
Units.
All activities in Scouting are implemented using
The Scout Method, a framework consisting of
eight equally important elements. Whether it is
through community involvement; nature and
the outdoors; learning-by-doing; the patrol
system; youth leading, adults supporting;
personal progression; symbolic framework; or
the Promise and Law, young people are
empowered to set goals and collaborate to
achieve them
Your child will make the Australian Scout Promise
and pledge to live by the Australian Scout Law
when they join the Movement. These represent
the values for the Scout Movement, values that
all Scouting members around the world commit to
living by.
Individually, and collectively, all members agree
to live their lives guided by the values expressed
through the Promise and Law. Whilst each
National Scout Organisation may have a unique
Promise and Law, all must be inspired by the
original created by Baden Powell, the founder of
Scouting. They are a commitment to the
Principles of Scouting, which include duty to self,
duty to others, and duty to god.
Scouting is a community - a community of youth
and adults working in partnership for the
improvement of themselves as individuals, as well
as society more broadly. It is an international
community, comprised of members from over 160
countries around the world. Each National Scout
Organisation functions differently, adapting to suit
the needs of the society they operate within.
Through the Scout Program, young people are
provided with a range of opportunities, locally,
nationally, and globally
Plan>Do>Review is a tool used in the Scout
Program to engage youth members in developing
and running an active program in which everyone
can individually develop and enjoy
By being involved in a process like
Plan>Do>Review, young people learn the values
of working together to achieve a common goal,
listening to others' opinions, achieving
consensus, sharing knowledge and skills, and
celebrating achievements together. Involving our
youth members in planning their program helps
youth and adults learn to work together, and to
develop skills like creative problem solving,
leadership, collaboration, and communication
skills. It promotes a dynamic and democratic
experience in the Scout youth program.
Across all Units, youth members in the Scout
Movement work in small teams, which we call
'Patrols'. It is recognised that through Patrols,
many of Scouting's learning-by-doing
experiences are encountered with peers.
Working in Patrols provides opportunities to
develop soft skills including leadership,
teamwork and communication, as well as
building a sense of responsibility and belonging.
The Scout Program offers one continuous
learning journey, with each Unit representing
another adventure. The Personal Progression
Framework provides a structure for the
experience of individuals within this. It
represents the elements of the journey that all
youth participating in the program will
experience, as well as challenging those who
wish to gain even more personally from their
Scouting experience.
On any journey, not everyone wants or needs to
reach the summit, and that's ok! The
Achievement Pathways has been designed to
offer many paths. There are many interesting
routes to choose from.
As a parent or guardian, you might need to
support your young person in discovery and
exploration and managing their time. This does not
mean you do the work for them, but instead they
might seek your assistance or guidance to
complete a task. Achievements of youth members
will be recognised in a lot of ways including
ceremonies and the awarding of certificates and
cloth badges.
As a parent or guardian, you might need to
support your young person in discovery and
exploration and managing their time. This does
not mean you do the work for them, but instead
they might seek your assistance or guidance to
complete a task. Achievements of youth
members will be recognised in a lot of ways
including ceremonies and the awarding of
certificates and cloth badges.
Scouting is a movement that can take you
many places, and is not just for the young
person. Your family will also have the
opportunity to become a part of the Scouting
community. This is not necessarily about you
taking on a specific role, but about the new
friendships that you, as a parent or guardian,
might make through your young person's
involvement in the Movement. As a parent or
guardian of a young person in the Scout
Movement, you might be asked to assist in
Group events and fundraising initiatives. This
forms part of the life of the Scout Group.
Once again, we welcome your family to the
Scout Movement.
For additional information please talk to the
Group Leader and Unit Leader.