St. George's School | 34th Scouts Group

The Five Sections

At whatever age, a young person in the Movement is a ‘Scout’.

The training Program spans a 5-25 age range, divided up into five Sections. Each Section has its own identity, ethos and style. They all have adult support which varies in style in the different age groups.

A Beaver Scout Colony has members aged between 5 and 7
A Cub Scout Pack has members aged 8 - 10½.
A Scout Troop is for young people aged from 10½ - 14 years.
A Venturer Company is for young people aged from 14 – 18
The Junior Leader Corp is for the senior scouts and Venture scouts from 14 and older being seconded to different Sections to help and to learn about leadership skills to prepare as future leaders.

The 34th St George’s Scout Group offers the following sections: Beaver, Cub, Scout, and the Ventures.

The Purpose of Scouting

The Scout Association has a clear purpose:

To help young people achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as Members of their local, national and international communities.

Even if we can’t solve all the problems in the world, we can help to make it a better place. We do this by helping young people to develop as active members of the community.

Scouting makes a positive contribution to society by helping young people to develop as active members of the community:

who are self-reliant
who are caring
who are responsible
who show commitment.

Scouting works well when young people enjoy learning by doing in partnership with adults. They do this by:

taking part in a variety of activities and new experiences
exploring the outdoors
participating in teams
taking responsibility for themselves and others.

Our method for giving young people the opportunity to learn by doing is called the Program. The Program is a seamless progression of training, activities and awards that covers everything that young people do in Scouting from the ages of 5 to 25.

The Program involves helping young people to grow in six Personal Development Areas, these are:

Body
Mind
Faiths and Beliefs
Relationships
Community
Surrounding

All adults in Scouting have a responsibility to make sure that the Program is fun and exciting. We must also make sure that it is safe. The Scout Association’s policies, rules, code of behaviour, advice on Child Protection and safety policy are there to help adults make sure the young people in their care stay safe while they enjoy themselves and learn. There are special training and requirements to take young people on nights away, and to lead adventurous activities such as mountaineering and water activities.

The Scout Group

The Scout Group is where Scouting happens locally for the Sections. Scout Groups are the bases for the 'family' of Scouting for those aged 5 to 18. Younger Members are able to feel confident and happy about moving through the Sections at this local level. It is within this framework of the Scout Group that the Law and Promise are fulfilled. The Group also provides a secure base for the development of the individual young person.

Scout Groups work because they offer a close level of support for the young people in their care. They know the community and the needs of its young people.

When a young person joins a Section their parents are usually expected to:

support the young person
show interest and support the Section's activities
support the local Group in fundraising, social activities, offers of skills and other help, where appropriate.

What makes Scout Groups successful is their ability to:

deliver enjoyable high-quality Programs for young people
focus on the fun and friendship that Scouting brings
involve parents/carers
respond to local needs
be positive and progressive.

Ideally, the Group will be led by a Group Scout Leader (GSL) who will make every effort to ensure that each Section in the Group has an adequate leadership team. They will also ensure that the development of the young people is co-ordinated throughout their progress in Scouting. An essential part of this process is the support to all of the adults who are involved in Scouting.

The GSL is helped by those adults who work directly with the young people and by the Group Committee. The Chairperson leads the Group Executive Committee, which provides support to the Group through administration, fundraising and a very wide range of support activities. Once a year the Group must hold an Annual General Meeting of the Group Council (including of all adults connected to the Group). The AGM reports on the year’s events and elections of the Group’s Officers and Executive will take place. This provides a forum for comment and future planning.

Fundraising is an important part of the Group’s activity as money will be necessary for:

maintenance and repair of the Group Headquarters
equipment for camping and expeditions
events - activities and outings
training of Leaders
day to day activities - indoor and out
administration and insurance cover

The Group should be an integral part of the community that it serves, both providing help to the community and receiving support from the community to carry out its work with young people.

Downloads

- Scouts Information Pamphlet

History

Scouting is an international movement with over 28 million Members worldwide spread across 216 countries and territories. The number of countries, recognizing the values of Scouting and accepting its principles is steadily increasing.

During 1991, girls were admitted to the Beaver Scout, Cub Scout, and Scout Sections. This complemented the admission of young women to the Venture Scout Section in 1976.

The Principles of Scouting

Scouting has three key principles:

Duty to Self
Duty to Others
Duty to God

Everyone in Scouting expresses their Membership and acceptance of the key principles by making the Scout Promise and following the Scout Law. The Scout Promise and Law gives a distinctive ethos to the practices of the Movement and acts as a bond with Scouts worldwide.

Financing

Scout Groups, Districts and Counties/Areas are entirely self-financing. A Membership Subscription is payable by all Members of The Association to meet local and national support costs. The way that these costs are met are by the Section asking Members to pay regular subscriptions, to meet some of the costs and through regular fundraising.

Adult Support

At all stages, adults work with the young people they lead. They provide young people with exciting and challenging experiences and then help them use those experiences in their personal and social development.

The Association naturally places great emphasis on safety when arranging challenging and adventurous activities and in ensuring that all of the young people involved are safe from harm.

Leaders are encouraged to develop their own skills through formal and informal learning experiences and sharing ideas with each other. A network of specialist Trainers, Developers and Administrators supports this.

34th Scouts Group