Scouter

Manual

Proposed new Youth programme handbook - under construction

Draft Scouter Manual
Comments to progdev@scouts.ie 2007
HANDBOOK ENABLING LEADERSHIP
PARTICIPATION

HANDBOOK ENABLING LEADERSHIP PARTICIPATION ...................................................... 1

THE PROGRAMME CYCLE ............................................................................................................ 2

ELEMENTS OF THE SCOUT METHOD & THE GROUP LIFE.............................................. 6

SYMBOLIC FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................... 22

LEARNING OBJECTIVES - THE PERSONAL JOURNEY .................................................. 27

REVIEWING PERSONAL CHALLENGES ................................................................................ 36

REVIEWING ADVENTURE SKILLS ........................................................................................ 40

THE ACTIVITIES ........................................................................................................................ 42

THE PATROL SYSTEM................................................................................................................ 46

THE SCOUT LAW & SCOUT PROMISE.................................................................................. 53

ROLE OF THE SCOUTER............................................................................................................ 60

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT & LEADERSHIP .............................................................................. 65

ORIENTATION IN THE SECTIONS ..................................................................................... 70

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THE PROGRAMME CYCLE

“Patience has more to do with success than almost any other quality
Boys can see adventure in a dirty old duck-puddle... Without adventure, life
would be deadly dull”
…. Robert Baden-Powell

The Programme Cycle is the

way in which we implement the
Youth Programme in each
Scout Group.
Throughout the Programme
Cycle Scouts will decide and
organise their own programme
experience, working in small
teams and supported by the
Scouters.

There are three phases in a

Programme Cycle:
• Planning
• Doing
• Reviewing

The Scouts are involved in all three phases in a manner which is appropriate to their
age.

PLANNING
Planning will begin with the Scouts deciding on the Adventure, this will be the big event
that the Group will work towards for the year.

They will then propose Activities and Events which will help them prepare for the
Adventure. Activities are generally short in duration, having a particular focus or
purpose.

Events are longer in duration, they may take a few hours (such as a weekly gathering of

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the Section or Patrol) several hours (such as a hike or sail training day), or a few days
(such as a camp or regatta). Each Event will usually incorporate a number of Activities.
Each of the Activities carried out during the Event may have different objectives and
provide different experiences for those involved.

There are 4 –Phases to the Planning;

1. Conducting Personal Evaluations and a Troop assessment, leading to the
development of theme proposals.
2. Proposing and selecting activities within these themes.
3. Organising particular activities.
4. Developing these activities to take account of the Learning Objectives of those
taking part.

Activities are the vehicle we use in

Scouting to achieve learning.
Individual learning will depend on a
number of things including different
styles of learning, different levels of
learning (cognitive, emotional and
behavioural) and different
experiences of the same activity. In
selecting the Activities and Events
each Scout will consider what will
help them to achieve their Learning
Objectives and develop their
Adventure Skills. Consideration
should also be given to the different
methods proposed by the Activities, it is usually best to have a variety of methods to
appeal top all and to maintain interest. Once the Activities have been decided, Scouts
will set themselves specific Personal Challenges to achieve the Learning Objective they
have chosen for this Cycle. They will also decide what to do to meet requirements for
any Adventure Skill they are interested in progressing. In this way, the programme of
Activities and Events will enable the Scouts to make progress with their Learning
Objectives and their Adventure Skills.

DOING
Activities should be fun and give everyone involved a sense of achievement. They should
be challenging and provide opportunities for each Scout to achieve their Learning
Objectives and to develop their Adventure Skills. It is important that there is a
practical application when learning skills, otherwise the relevance of the skill is lost,
and much of what is learned will be forgotten.

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The Scout Method will be used in all Sections:
• Young people will achieve their Learning
Objectives and develop their Adventure skills
through practical activity; Learning by Doing.
• Where practical, all of the Youth Programme will
incorporate Nature and the Out of Doors.
• The Scout Law and Promise Law will form the code
of behaviour we apply to everything we do.
• The Youth Programme will create a unique age-
relevant identity, designed to increase the young
person’s sense of adventure. This is called the
Symbolic Framework.
• Scouts will work in small groups so that everyone
can share responsibility and develop leadership
skills.
• The Scouter provides advice, support and guidance so that each Scout is able
to play an active part in planning, running and reviewing their Programme
experience.
• Carefully selected Activities and Events will be used to foster a spirit of
Service.

REVIEWING
Review is a fundamental part of the Youth Programme, and will be done on a regular
basis and in every Section. Scouts will be involved in the Review in a manner appropriate
to their Age Range.

Each Activity will be reviewed in a brief and simple way, as it finishes. In reviewing the
activities we evaluate them both informally and formally.

Informal evaluation is most useful to indicate how the Scouts feel about the level of
participation, activity, inclusion, enjoyment, etc. This can be done in many creative ways,
using smiley faces, arts and crafts, movement, games, quizzes, etc.

Formal evaluation is used to enable us to assess how the objectives have been met and
what lessons have been learnt. To be effective this will take more preparation and more
time. It can be in the form of an artistic display, drama, music or even a game or
discussion, but must have a concrete outcome. It is important to be aware that
individuals will experience different levels of understanding and achieve different

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learning outcomes from the same Activity.

Evaluation should review each individual’s Personal Progress. It should cover their
progress with the Learning Objectives and the Adventure Skills. Each Scout will
consider their own Personal Progress and will have their conclusions confirmed by
another Scout or a Scouter. The purpose of the review is to give each Scout a
realisation of what they have achieved and to encourage them to challenge themselves
further. Reflection is the name we give to the Scouts own assessment of their Personal
Progress. Acknowledging achievement is a very important part of the Programme Cycle.

As each Programme Cycle comes

to an end, it will be reviewed and
the outcome will be used to help in
planning the next Programme
Cycle.

For more ideas see www.scouts.ie,

link to programme development
and see Evaluation Techniques
document. There are also many
other books such as ‘the
Evaluator’s Cookbook’ which offer
interesting ways of evaluating
learning outcomes.

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ELEMENTS OF THE SCOUT METHOD & THE GROUP LIFE
Self-education, that is, what a boy learns for himself, is what is going to stick by him and guide
him later on in life . .… Robert Baden-Powell

WHAT IS THE SCOUT METHOD?

Taken individually,
many of the
educational tools
which make up the
Scout Method are
used in other forms
of education –
working in teams on
projects, for
example.

In Scouting,
however, these
different tools are
referred to as
elements of the
Scout Method – as
each one is only one
part of the whole.
The fact that all of these elements form a whole and are used as a system is part of
what makes Scouting unique.

The fact that Scouting’s method is referred to as the Scout Method (capital “M”) is
because it is composed of several different educational tools.

The Scout Method is what it is because the elements that make it up are coordinated
and balanced. If some instruments are missing from an orchestra, or out of tune or too
loud, the orchestra will never sound tuneful and harmonious. The same applies to the
Scout Method, we must use all of its elements.

TO provide the best Scouting experience, Scouters must be able to understand the
interactions between the various elements of the Scout Method, adapting them to

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every situation and to each individual.

FROM THE CONSTITUTION:

The significance and importance of the Scout Method as a whole can not be
underestimated, a fact which is emphasised in the 4th item of the ‘Fundamentals’
section of the Constitution of Scouting Ireland.

“Scouting Ireland achieves its aim through a system of progressive self-education,

known as the Scout Method, the principal elements of which are:
• Voluntary membership of a group which, guided by adults, is increasingly self-
governing in its successive age groups.
• Commitment to a code of living as expressed in the Promise & Law, the meaning
of which is expanded as the member grows towards maturity.
• The provision of a wide range of attractive, constructive and challenging
activities, including opportunities for adventure and exploration both indoors
and outdoors.
• The provision of opportunities for leadership and responsibility.
• Learning by doing.
• Encouragement of activity in small groups.
• An award scheme, which encourages participation in its full range of activities
and provides recognition of individual and group achievements.”

A CONTINUALLY ROTATING CIRCLE

The Scout Method can be described as a continually rotating circle, where
all of the elements are intertwined and at the same time relevant to the
members in the Section. All of these together help to form the ‘group
life’ and the ‘learning environment of the Patrol’. Together they support
the young person’s sense of belonging, their sense of fun and adventure, their
confidence in their own ideas and their own ability, their development.

• The Scout Law is a code of conduct, and it sets out the principles that guide us in
language that can be readily understood by the young people in each Scout Troop. The
Scout Law gives Scouts and Scouters alike the values which must become the
cornerstones of our lives if we are to be Scouts. The Promise is a voluntary and
personal commitment to do our best at all times to live in accordance with the Scout
Law. Each Scout has the same rules to guide their behaviour and their interaction with
each other. Each has a common goal; ‘To do my Best’ and to be the best that they can
be.

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“The Scout Law is the foundation on which the whole of scout training rests.” “It invites the young
person to make a commitment concerning his/her own personal development.” … Robert Baden
Powell

• The Symbolic Framework sets the scene for life in the Patrol and in the Troop. It
creates an atmosphere of adventure and discovery. It is emphasised by use of
terminology, tradition, ceremonies, stories, games, etc. Even in the name they give
themselves and their Patrol, they have already developed a bond. In the names, titles,
themes and identities that make up their Activities and their life in the Patrol they
create an atmosphere where everyone has a place. In the stories they create to make
the Activities better, they build a world where everyone plays a character, and can
learn from the role they play as much as from the task completed. It is of vital
importance to create a Framework that is appropriate to the age of the Young People
involved. The Symbolic Framework created in the section is perhaps the most powerful
tool for effective programme delivery. It brings life and excitement to everything
Scouts do.

• The Patrol System (small team system). Within each Patrol, the Scouts organise their
life as a group and decide on, organise and carry out their activities. This is done with
appropriate adult guidance according to the age range of each Section. Each Scout has
a specific responsibility, which he or she carries out for an agreed length of time. In
this way each Scout can contribute to the life and welfare of the Patrol and the
success of their Activities. Involvement in this way is important to the development of
each Scout. One person will have the role of the Patrol Leader, and must be
acknowledged by the others to be the leader of the Patrol. In some circumstances
Patrol Leaders may be appointed by the Scouter, but it is usually better if they are
chosen by their peers. They will assume a general coordinating role and ensure that
everyone is plays their part. They will ensure that each Scout has the opportunity to
take part in the decisions and to be fully involved in the life of the Patrol.

“The object of the Patrol system is mainly to give real responsibilities to as many of the boys as
possible, with a view to develop their character” …. Robert Baden Powell.

• Service to others is fostered by the habit of individual good turns and simply helping
each other out. This encourages teamwork within the Patrol, as together the team can
achieve so much more. It also enables the Patrol to work together to help others.
Service to others in Scouting is often the first real interaction that Scouts have with
people in their community, outside of their homes and schools. It consists of Activities
and projects which bring the Scouts closer to those most in need. It generates a
permanent willingness to help others. It encourages community awareness and
involvement, leading to active citizenship.

• Life in nature is a special and vital part of the Scout Method for the Troop. It is a
special environment in which to carry out the many Activities of all the Sections in the

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Scout Group. The whole of the Scout Programme must be
structured around the outdoors. If this is not happening we are
losing an essential part of Scouting. Interaction with nature
enables young people to find and define themselves, their place in
the world and their relationships with others. Nature is where an
appreciation for the immensity of the world can truly be felt. It is
a real experience, even when controlled. It has risks and
consequences and is a tangible experience. As we interact with
nature we learn to understand its power, and also how fragile it is. These things help us
understand the forces of nature and how we must nurture and protect it. Interaction
with nature also offers us many opportunities to explore our own spirituality and to
appreciate the group life we have, it strengthens our bond with life.

“God has given us a world to live in that is full of beauties and wonders and He has given us not
only eyes to see them, but minds to understand them, if we only have the sense to look at them in
that light.” …. Robert Baden-Powell

• Learning by doing is attractive to young people. It facilitates their integration into the
group. It helps them to discover their abilities and it encourages an interest in
exploring, adventure and discovery. Learning by doing means that Scouts learn as part
of the Activity, They learn with and from each other, as a result of first hand
experiences. This part of the Scout Method allows each Scout to experience the
knowledge, skill or activity for themselves, and to progress to more challenging
activities as they learn. It is not only limited to ‘doing’ in the sense of learning practical
or manual skills. It also applies to other areas of development, such as responsibility,
leadership skills, interpersonal skills and planning. In this way ‘Games’ play an important
part in our Programme, because in Scouting all of the games we play have a purpose and
they usually promote some form of learning.

• Adults and Young People in Scouting operate in harmony with each other. The young
people and the adults share the same ideal and commitment; they are united by the
same Promise and observe the same Law. They are therefore partners, committed to
the same goal: the full development of the individual young person. For this partnership
to work there must be mutual listening and respect. The adult helps the young person to
learn by listening to the young person, being prepared to talk with them, valuing their
contributions, instilling confidence, reassuring them, and creating a safe environment in
which the young person can experiment and discover. The adult supports the young
person to help them achieve what they undertake, develop their confidence in
themselves, discover their limits, and face moving on to another stage in life. They need
reference points, including adults they can talk to. The adult should ensure that
incidents and events are evaluated and put into perspective, so that knowledge is
derived and skills are absorbed. The role of the adult in the organisation and

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presentation of the programme in Scouting Ireland is an ever decreasing one as the
young person develops through the sections. Equally the role of the adult as a ‘coach’
and ‘mentor’ rather than a leader comes more and more to the fore as we move through
the Sections. The adult is always responsible for ensuring there is an educational
content to the Programme, and for the safety and well-being of the Scouts.

• Personal Progression, and the stages our Scouts reach along their Personal Journey
should be celebrated in the group as a whole. There is no better motivation for a young
person than acknowledgement by their peers for what they have achieved. The
progression of all Scouts along their Personal Journey brings variety and challenge to
the Patrol as the individuals are pursuing different Learning Objectives, or at least
different Personal Challenges for the same Learning Objective. The Patrol can play an
important part in helping each other recognise some things about themselves, as well as
deciding on the best way forward for them. The Patrol can also play a very important
role in the review process.

MORE ABOUT GROUP LIFE

All the elements of the Scout Method have to feature,
in an age-appropriate form, in the Method for each Section. Each element will be
adjusted according to the characteristics of each age range; such as the capacity for
autonomy, degree of demand for responsibility, need for emotional security, methods of
expression, capacity for cooperation within the group, etc. Consequently, the role of
the Scouters in the Section will also vary according to the age range in question.

What else is involved………

• Young people (individually and as Patrols)
• contributing to all the elements of the Programme for themselves.
• Adults (their relationship with young people)
• in a supporting and encouraging role.
• Activities (how we do things – learning by doing)
• the Activities, Events, projects and adventures which make up our
Programme.
• Learning Objectives (the goals we set ourselves)
• what it is we set out to achieve, with everything we do.
• All of this achieved through the Scout Method by participation in Group Life.

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Scouting in the Troop:
• Adults supporting young people
• Adults learning from young people
• Young people contributing to their own development
• Young people receiving training
• Activities with the purpose of achieving Learning Objectives
• Activities organized and achieved in the frame of the Scout Method
• The Scout Method understood by everyone
• The Scout Method used in a balanced way

All of this coming together to create a group life where:

• Scouts work together
• Scouts learn from each other
• Scouts learn by doing
• Scouts learn through activity
• Scouts are supported by Scouters
• Scouts challenge themselves
• Scouts support each other
• Scouts help each other recognize their achievements
• Scouts plan and organize their activates

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• Scouts respect each other
• Scours have FUN

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THE SCOUT METHOD – A PROGRESSION – A JOURNEY

Discovery
Tracker Scout Explorer Scout Rover Scout General Notes
Scout
Personal • Directive • Exploratory • Challenging • No interpretation • Continuous
Progression of objectives personal learning
• Task-based • Guidance • Questions for
interpretation of regarding personal • Take ownership of • Establish personal
objectives objectives discovery of objectives goals
objectives
• Re-visit objectives • Developing • Take responsibility • Recognition of
Scout skills • Advanced for personal progress
• Review Challenges
Scout skills development
• Acknowledge
• Specialised Scout
achievement
skills
Introduction to
Scout skills
Skills allow for
more activity.

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 Discovery
Tracker Scout Explorer Scout Rover Scout General Notes
Scout
Promise & Law • Agree rules of • Set rules • Develop code • Live the Promise & • Rules of the Game
behaviour together of behaviour Law
• Code for living
with universal
• Simple wording • Code of living • Develop charter
values • Personal
understood by all based on universal
• Growing commitment
• Young people values
• Activities to awareness of
develop • Do your best
strengthen values • Commitment on
awareness of
understanding Departure • Practical
• More relevance
application
• Not learning these involvement
• Commitment through activities
by rote
• Small for life
Knowing the
• Understand values community
• Understand meaning, more
projects
• Following the rules responsibilities important than
• Practical knowing the
applications in words by heart.
group

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 Discovery
Tracker Scout Explorer Scout Rover Scout General Notes
Scout
Patrol
• Introduction to • Role of leader • Leader as • Adult as • Progressive,
System
self-governing is to support guide coach/mentor democratic self-
team and co-ordinate (resource) government
• Independent
• PL has a role in • Team system Patrol system • Task-based teams • Roles for each
direct leadership operates more Scout
• Teams of • Opportunities for
of Patrol. fully
friends. leadership for all • Regular Patrol
• High ratio of • Teams are Scouts Leaders Council’s
• Each Scout
leader involvement autonomous
takes • Troop is a • Troop Council
• Introduction to • More ownership of a community run by
• Youth-Adult
involvement in independent role in the Scouts
partnership
decision making and defined patrol, and
• Personal Challenges
for all members roles for all develops it. • Develop skills,
identified and
around activities, members, all talents through
• Scouts choose executed by
and personal with leadership experiences
their own individuals, often
challenges opportunities
Personal within Troop
• Members • Patrols agree on Challenges, and activities.
contribute to Personal Patrol chooses
Patrol identity Challenges and activities to
activities facilitate
them.
• PL’s council
organising • PL’s council
programme contribute to
running Troop

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• Troop Council
run by young
people
Responsibility
shared

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 Tracker Scout Explorer Scout Discovery Scout Rover Scout General Notes

Symbolic • Aspirational • Factual/ real life • Provides a setting

Framework for Youth
• Imagination • Adventure • Re-inforce, • Journey &
Programme
apply and Departure
• Fantasy • Exploring wider
evaluate the • Stimulates the
boundaries • Following your path
• Discovering your message imagination
immediate locality • Role models • Making real choices
Explorers • Real-life • Symbols, themes,
• Identifying with heroes • Decisions with stories, notions
characters from a • Stories give implications
• Inspiration • Provide a purpose
story Understanding
• Preparation for the for activities
values and • Discovering
• Understanding real world
nuances and applying • Make it easier to
better because of
your own • Plan for life understand the
the story. • Names of
everything abilities significance
• Exciting names for • Taking your place in
changes and • Striving to be society • Create adventure
things.
becomes more the best you and excitement
meaningful • Enjoying the
can.
adventure

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 Discovery
Tracker Scout Explorer Scout Rover Scout General Notes
Scout
Service
• Caring • Bigger and • Causes • Big projects • Contributing to
longer term society
• My house, my • Group projects • VSO (Voluntary
garden, my village, • Suggest service Service Overseas) • Caring for others
• Self-initiated
my estate projects type projects and the world
• Take around us
• Helping each other • My community • Global
responsibility
• Sense of
• Understanding • Together or as
• My country fulfilment
the significance individuals.
• Understand • Understanding of
the joy of our place in the
giving world

• Appreciation of
others

• Active Citizens

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 Tracker Scout Explorer Scout Discovery Scout Rover Scout General Notes

Learning by Doing • Taking part • Boundaries • Take responsibility • Know what and • Learning as a
within relaxed to for their own why learning result of
boundaries set allow more learning takes place first-hand
by Scouters active • Learn from • Understand experience
• New participation Activities (self- personal • Not just
experiences • Supported by evaluate) objectives and practical or
• New skills Scouter • Set their own rationale manual skills
• New boundaries • Take ownership • Taking on
adventures • Learning to learn • Facilitate others responsibility
• Learning • Passing on skills learning • Learn from
through • Facilitated by both
activities Scouter successes and
failures
• Learn through
practical
activities
• Project
method

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 Tracker Scout Explorer Scout Discovery Scout Rover Scout General Notes

Nature • Introduction to • Hikes & treks • Increasing • Projects in out- • Nature and
(Out of Doors) Nature based • Outdoor challenge in of-doors the out-of-
on a project exploration patrols; monitored • Expedition doors is the
• Activities in • Extended by leader • Training setting for
the outdoors. camping • Increasing • Preservation Scouting
• Walks • Exploring challenges in • Conservation • Provides
• Camping nature Patrols • Appreciation physical
experience • Water • Backpacking • Understanding challenge
• Water Activities • Discover how • Spirituality • Connecting
experience • Supported by nature works with the
Scouter • Explore the skies universe
• Understand • Water challenges • Building
conservation • Discover their community
community • Responsibility
• Spirituality for the
• Scouter in environment
background • Fun
• Conservation

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 Tracker Scout Explorer Scout Discovery Scout Rover Scout General Notes
Role of Adult • Manager/Guide. • Co-ordinator • Facilitator/mentor • Mentor/Coach • Partnership
• Encourages • Encourages • Support • Motivates the between young
ideas involvement involvement of all group person and
• Provides • Identify new Scouts • Aware of adult
resources and experiences • Facilitate new individual • Facilitate
activities to • Supports challenges and development self-
accommodate programming ideas • Helps Scout to development
personal on Personal • Provide stimulation identify and of the young
challenges and Challenges and for personal review Personal person,
adventure skills Adventure challenges and Challenges. through the
• Helps Scout to Skills adventure skills • Legal, Moral and identification
identify and • Helps Scout • Helps Scout to Safe and on-going
review Personal to identify identify and review of
Challenges. and review review Personal personal
• Provides safe Personal Challenges. challenges.
environment Challenges. • Ensure safe • Provide
• Enables young • Supports environment support to the
people to take young people young people
basic in taking • Fire
responsibility responsibility imagination of
• Encourages in all roles young people
young peoples • Ensures safe
involvement in environment
planning and
implementing
programme

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SYMBOLIC FRAMEWORK

“By Rovering, I don’t mean aimless wandering, I mean finding your way by pleasant paths with a
definite object in view, and having an idea of the difficulties and dangers you are likely to meet
with by the way.”
…..Robert Baden-Powell, “Rovering to Success”

BASIC CONCEPTS
Scouting’s Aim and Programme is all about the development of young
people.
How we deliver our Programme is through Fun, Adventure and Challenge.
How we package all this is through our Symbolic Framework.

The concept of the Symbolic Framework is applicable to the whole

Programme. It allows the concepts of Scouting to be tangible, appealing,
more meaningful and to be understood. It conveys Scouting as fun, adventurous & caring
and it allows subconscious, informal & enjoyable learning through use of the imagination.

FROM THE BEGINNING

Baden Powell created Scouting because he perceived that Victorian society was
becoming far too self-centered and was in danger of breaking down. He decided that
the best way to improve society was to improve the attitudes and values of its
members, and it was easier to do this with the young.

The purpose of Scouting has always been about the development of the individual, but
even then, the packaging was important.

BP proposed three very different themes when he created Scouting:

• Firstly, for the Scout Section. This was based on what he knew would be
attractive to young people, from his experience with the military. The idea that
military ‘scouts’ were the adventurous, ingenious, capable, daring, young lads;
grouped together for support, heading out to explore the surroundings before
the army advanced.
• To build a framework for the Cub Scout Section he chose ‘The Jungle Book’,
where all the characters lived together in quite a small area. All had very
different characters and attributes, they had to compromise their own needs

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 to support each other. The stories of The Jungle Book were well suited to the
age of those he wanted to attract, and were an excellent tool for creating
exciting and imaginative programmes.
• Later came Rovers. The framework for this Section was based around a
journey; travelling and exploring; on land, along rivers and over lakes. All the
time moving forward, with purpose, choosing a direction, exploring new
territories, giving service, embracing spirituality, finding themselves.

OUR OWN FRAMEWORK

Scouting Ireland proposes a framework that revolves around a ‘journey’ for each of our
Sections. Each has its own images and language and its own place in the path.

• The Tracker Scout is an adventurer in their immediate locality, discovering new

things about themselves, their patrol, and their abilities.
• The Explorer Scout is able to go further, with the Patrol or the Troop, to
explore outside the immediate locality, becoming more involved with others and
becoming more independent.
• The Discovery Scout has very few limits in the search to discover new things,
to explore new places, focus on some particular skills, to reach out and have
meaningful involvement in the community.
• The Rover Scout is coming to the end of the journey through Scouting, and it is
important that at this time is used to prepare for the journey through life.
Completing the objectives Scouting helps them to set, becoming autonomous,
responsible, supported, committed.

But we need to have more than this:

A clear Symbolic Framework, with suitable names, symbols, roles, ideals and
terminology, can help create a much more creative and imaginative Programme. Each
symbol, theme, ceremony, award and special word we use in our Programme on a week-
to-week basis forms part of the overall Symbolic Framework of Scouting today. They
mix to ‘tell the story’ of Scouting

We have examples:

For instance, the Tracker Scout Section could be based on ‘Celtic Mythology’. Based on
our own heritage, it weaves a colourful, imaginative tapestry through the programme and
makes the everyday chores and tasks exciting and interesting.

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The Explorer Scout Section doesn’t have to look very far to be inspired. There are
many explorers and adventurers over land, sea and air. There are explorers alive today,
and some who lived century’s ago, all of whom conjure up ideas and imaginings of a
magical world.

For Discovery Scouts there are also many opportunities to focus their Scouting
Programme on many interesting and enlightening people. Those who discovered whole
continents, those who made medical or engineering breakthroughs,

Our Air Scouts and our Sea Scouts have aeronautical and nautical themes which they
use very successfully to ignite the enthusiasm, and imagination of their members.

For Rover Scouts, we propose a Symbolic Framework based on a Journey. This Section
is the completion of their Personal Journey in Scouting. Preparing them for their
journey through adult life, with symbols that represent the choices they will make and
the roads they will choose to travel.

AWARDS
Within each Section the Scout passes through a number of Stages of Development. At
the end of each Stage the Scout is awarded a badge. It is important to recognise not
only the fact that they have achieved something but that they are now moving on to the
next Stage. This recognition could be in the form of a token that they might take with
them to help them move forward. The Symbolic Framework can act as a useful source of
ideas for suitable awards. Here are some examples:

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Tracker Scout Karabiner and Small first aid Scout or Peri

mini torch kit Whistle
Explorer Scout Roamer Compass Flint striker Canvas
Sheet**
Discovery Pen Knife Star Chart Picture/Craft
Scout **
Rover Scout Forked Stave Personalised Leather CD/DVD **
Woggle ** Friendship
band

** This canvas sheet when brought on future activities can act as a shelter for the
Scout and when joined with other sheets can serve as a bivvy/shelter/tent… the sky’s
the limit.

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** These items would be made/crafted by the Scout’s own Patrol to symbolize the
moving on and to act as a reminder of friendships made and the impact the Scout has
had on the Patrol they have worked with.

TERMINIOLOGY, GAMES, CEREMONIES, etc.

Having adopted a particular Symbolic Framework for your Troop, it is important that it
is reflected in every aspect of the Programme. Terminology, symbols, flags, names,
totems, stories and games take on a new life. These contribute an important element to
the ‘group life’ you must create in your Section. Their place and importance must be
recognised.

Stories are used to create atmosphere, form the basis of a game, build an adventure, a
creative exercise, or a personal challenge. The normal, common or everyday terms for
places, people and things can all be adapted from the stories, to have new and increased
meaning.

Symbols are used to add to the adventure, mark progress, signify achievement, have
fun, be creative and for various type of ceremonies.

Ceremonies play a very important role, and can take on a life of their own through the
Symbolic Framework. Even simple things like the opening and closing of your meeting
should be marked with an appropriate ceremony. Each day of your camp should be
marked with a ceremony, to acknowledge the beginning of a new day, and to take the
time at the end to reflect on what has been achieved. Every activity should begin and
end with some ceremony where you acknowledge why it is you have come together and
what you have achieved by doing so. Ceremonies do not have to be formal affairs, and in
most cases should be led by the Scouts themselves, but they, and the symbols used in
them are special, because of the respect awarded to them.

HAVING A FOCUS
It has been shown that when a Scout Group has a specific focus, is much more likely to
be successful, both in delivering an attractive and exciting Programme, and in delivering
on the aim of Scouting. If the focus is a particular type of Activity, the success is
often because they simply ‘do as they say’, and the Scouts know that they will have
plenty of experiences with the activities they have chosen to participate in. When young
people work together with a collective responsibility, and a common understanding of
the task, their environment, and the requirements for reaching their goal they become
much more involved. If everyone is aware of their responsibilities, their importance in

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the team, their role, right down to the care and maintenance of the equipment, they
respond well.

Symbolic Framework is perhaps the most powerful tool for effective programme
delivery.
• It sets the tone
• it creates or dulls the initial excitement
• it fires or kills the imagination
• It communicates the vision or the lack of it
• It expresses the best of Scouting, or shows up the obsolete
• Get it wrong and Scouting withers
• Get it right and Scouting grows
• It is magic

Now it’s up to you.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES - THE PERSONAL JOURNEY

Scouting is a non formal educational movement, and our Learning Objectives are a
fundamental element of our method.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. ...William Butler Yeats

WHY USE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Every human activity is directed at achieving objectives, even if it is not expressed as

such and even if we are not aware of it. In Scouting Ireland we have a set of objectives
which we propose to our young people through the ‘Aim of Scouting’. We call these the
Learning Objectives and they cover 6 areas of growth.

These objectives help to:

• Develop all the dimensions of the personality.
• Establish a framework by which each young person can achieve that purpose in
accordance with their age and individual character.
• Serve as a basis on which to assess their personal growth.

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT

The Learning Objectives for each of the Sections is therefore a proposal which offers
each individual Scout the opportunity to identify specific challenges which mark their
progress towards the Learning Objectives. We call these the Personal Challenges.

The interplay between the proposal and each young person’s aspirations never ceases:
the proposal is always there, the challenges are always personal (perhaps unique to the
individual) and the process is always directed at ensuring that each young person
becomes everything he or she is able to be.

FINAL OBJECTIVES AND SECTION OBJECTIVES

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Scouting’s proposal of objectives takes two forms: the Final Objectives and the
Learning Objectives for each age range, or the Section Objectives.

The Final Objectives set out the kind of development that young
people might expect to have attained in each growth area by the
time they have completed the youth programme. They are also
the Section Objectives for the Rovers.

The Section Objectives for the younger Sections are a sequence

of steps towards each of the Final Objectives and they help the Scouts make plans and
measure progress on a gradual basis,

For the younger Sections PERSONAL CHALLENGES are presented in the Scout’s
Handbook for each Learning Objective for each age or Stage of Development within the
Section. These are suggestions for things each Scout can do to help them to see that
they are making progress towards the Section Objectives.

MAKING OBJECTIVES PERSONAL

The Learning Objectives for the age group are presented to the young people in the
Scout’s Handbook. Each Scout must be involved in their own journey, and they should be
invited to choose the individual tasks and challenges that will help them make progress
towards the Section Objectives. The process is relatively easy, but it does require a
certain amount of focus. You can facilitate this in small groups. This process involves
the Scout him/herself, the Patrol Leaders Council and a Scouter. One Scouter can only
successfully do this for a small number of young people, perhaps a Patrol or a same-age
group Often it will be very helpful to draw out the issues related to the Section
Objectives to help the Scouts choose the most appropriate challenge for them. For
each Learning Objective they may choose one of the Personal Challenges suggested by
the handbook for their age or Stage of Development. They may also make-up their own
Personal Challenges instead, providing they do the job. They will also decide what
Activities they will organise to help them to carry out their Personal Challenge. These
may be Activities in the Patrol or Troop programme, or they may be something better
done at home or elsewhere outside of the Scouts Activities. The same Scouter who
helps a Scout select a Personal Challenge should help them to review how well they have
done at it and whether they feel that they have made good progress by doing it.

How the Scouts learn to assess their needs relative to each of the Learning Objectives,
and the imaginative, inquisitive and creative approach they take in deciding on Personal
Challenges will, be very much influenced by the Scouter, particularly in the younger
Sections. This process is a very important part of the Programme Cycle.

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Take for example, an objective that says: ‘Do your Best’. You
may instigate a discussion that challenges the young people to
think of anything they have done recently, how they approached
it, if they gave it the time and effort it deserved, thought about
what they were doing, and tried to do it as best they
could…Some of these things might have been successful, some
not – this doesn’t matter. This could cover a huge range of
things, from something small they have done at home, to something much bigger they
have done in the community. You should also encourage the Scouts to reflect on (or
think about) what they have learned from their different experiences and how they can
use this learning in other situations.

The Scout’s interest in attaining the objective is stimulated by a number of things.

Depending on the individual, they may include the following:
• discussions with and encouragement by the Scouters
• the internal life of the Patrol as a learning community
• the support of their fellow Scouts
• the sense of achievement, remembered together, and noted in their handbook
or logbook
• the recognition they receive in the Troop and Patrol
• the achievement of the badges for the different progress stages
• the testimonies of those who are presented as models of the growth areas

SETTING PERSONAL CHALLENGES

To understand what each Section Objective is designed to help the
young person achieve, it is important to understand the
corresponding Final Objective. It is also useful to know the
Educational Trail for the relevant Area of Growth, as shown here:

Area of
Educational Trail
Growth
Social • Having a sense of belonging in a group, through friendship
and interaction.

• Developing an understanding of social issues in my

communities, and recognising my responsibility to
appreciate cultural diversities.

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 • Having fun.
Physical • Understanding my body and my physical capabilities, while
developing skills through appropriate physical challenges.
Intellectual • Having the ability to create ideas, leading to a plan of
action and carrying it through to its conclusion using
common sense.

• Being able to plan and analyse and take on board the

consequences of my actions.

• Having the ability to understand how a team works, and my

role within it.

• Having the ability to evaluate a situation and follow

instructions as appropriate.
Character • Accepting myself and recognising my own potential for
growth and what it is I can become.

• Developing myself in a manner consistent with a set of

values and with mutual respect and understanding for
others.
Emotional • Having the confidence and security to be aware of and
express my emotions, and to understand and accept them.

• Learning how to deal with situations and people I meet

every day while having respect for other people’s emotions
and being aware of the impact of my actions.
Spiritual • Having an understanding and acceptance of myself and my
value as a unique human being, and an equal acceptance of
the value of others.

• Having respect for myself and others and the world in

which we live.

• Having a sense of responsibility for my environment and my

place in it.

• Developing a personal awareness of a higher being and an

expression and exploration of a faith

If a particular Scout need some assistance to choose an appropriate Personal Challenge

you could help by posing some questions to them about the particular Learning

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 Objective. Here are some examples:

Identify Demonstrate the

Know my Demonstrate that I
the ability to believe in
strengths and use can learn from my
things that I myself. Accept my
them to strive to experiences and
do well and abilities and be
accept the outcome
content with them
fm ti ns
Sections Questions

Rover Describe what you like about yourself

What good things do others say about you?
What qualities would you like to develop?
Explain how you can do this?
Set yourself a challenge!
Discovery How do you learn from your experiences?
How do you ensure that you don’t repeat any mistakes
you’ve made, or how do you improve on what you’ve done
before?
How do you access the impact that your actions have?
What challenge will help you with this?
Explorer What are you good at
How do you know this?
What would you like to do better?
What small steps can you take to make some of this
happen?
What should your challenge help you do?
Tracker What activities do you do?
Which do you like best and why?
Which do you find hardest and why?
What can you do to get better at some of these?
How can you make the best of what you do well?
Choose a challenge for this that you will enjoy.

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PROGRESSION AND UNITY
Objectives can be seen to have two features – progression and unity. They follow-on
from Stage to Stage and they are inter-related across the Growth Areas.

This means that we cannot leave aside or omit objectives, or choose to do some one year
and leave the rest for later. Young people “interact” with all the objectives set out for
their age Section, at their Stage. Their efforts to progress, their self-assessment and
their assessment by others are based on all the Learning Objectives.

In the latter part of each year, as there will be fewer Learning

Objectives left for each Scout to complete, the Programme
planning may need to be more flexible to enable each Scout to
complete all of their objectives.

ACKNOWLEDGEING ACHIEVEMENT
Baden Powell tells us that acknowledgement of their achievements by their peers is one
of the most important motivations to a young person to do more. This is why we have
Badges and other items to mark achievement. In each of Section we have a number of
stages of progression, which ensure that our Scouts will have visited each Learning
Objectives either 3 or 4 times while they were in that Section.

We acknowledge achievement as follows:

• Badges or stickers for the Scout’ handbook awarded on completion of the
Learning Objective for a Stage.
• Cloth Badges for the Scout’s uniform awarded when the Scout begins a new
Stage.
• Badges or stickers for the Scout’s poster awarded on completion of the Stage.

REVIEWING OBJECTIVES
See also chapter “Reviewing Personal Challenges”

When you are reviewing progress with a Scout it is important to realise that it is not
just a case of seeing that the tasks have been completed, it is more important to see
what development has taken place. Because the Learning Objectives all aspects of
personal development it is not enough to look at how the Scouts are progressing within
the confines of the Patrol or Troop. You also need to be aware of how they are
progressing in other areas of their lives.

The Learning Objectives are assessed by the Scouts themselves, by their peers and by

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the Scouters, who observe their progress over a long period of time. In practice, the
Patrol and the Scouter responsible for monitoring it are observing and assessing all the
time. At the end of a Programme Cycle everyone involved, including the Scout
him/herself, shares their opinions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES IN THE SECTION

Tracker Scouts

• The Scouter guides the Tracker Scout in choosing the Personal Challenges that
they will attempt during the Programme Cycle.
• Tracker Scouts should achieve their Personal Challenges as much as possible by
participation in the Activities and Events. The choice of Personal Challenge may
be influenced by the programme that is planned, or the other way around.
However, ultimately each Tracker Scout decides for themselves what the
Challenge should be.
• Suggestions for Personal Challenges are provided in the Trackers Scout
Handbook. They may select one of the suggested options, or agree an
alternative one which suits them better. The Scouter helps the Tracker Scout
to choose/amend a challenge based on their needs and abilities. When the
challenge is chosen, the Scouter will clarify the link to the Learning Objective,
so that the Tracker Scout knows what they are trying to achieve by taking on
the challenge.
• The evaluation of the Personal Challenges for Tracker Scouts will be a simple
straightforward process. The Scouter will ask questions to determine whether
the Tracker Scout has made progress with the Personal Challenges e.g. What
did you learn about …? How do you feel about …?

Explorer Scouts

• Each Explorer Scout will choose Personal Challenges for

themselves. The Patrol may help with this choice.
• The Explorer Scout will take into account the Activities and Events that have
been planned. As much as possible they will try to choose Personal Challenges
that can be achieved through participation in those Activities and Events.
• A Scout may choose one of the Personal Challenges suggested in the Explorer
Scouts Handbook. Alternatively, they may choose their own, either by amending
a Personal Challenge from their Handbook or suggesting a new one, so long as it

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 is appropriate to achieving the Learning Objective.
• The Scouter will review the selection and may advise the Explorer Scout based
on their knowledge of the Explorer Scouts’ needs and abilities. The main thing
to keep in mind is the principle that the Explorer Scout should take ‘one step
forward’ in respect of the Personal Challenge. The Explorer Scout must be
aware that this is what they are trying to achieve by taking on the Personal
Challenge.
• In the latter part of the year, as there will be fewer Learning Objectives left
for the Explorer Scouts to complete, the Programme planning may need to be
more flexible and/or more focussed to enable each Explorer Scout to achieve
the remaining Learning Objectives.

Discovery Scouts

• The Discovery Scout will choose a Personal Challenge for themselves. The Patrol
may help with this choice.
• The Personal Challenge will, as much as possible, be compatible with and
incorporated into the programme planned by the Patrol.
• If the Discovery Scout wishes, the Personal Challenge may be broad enough to
address more than one Learning Objective, but this must be agreed at the
outset.
• The Discovery Scout will record the Personal Challenge that they have decided
to do in their logbook.
• When the Personal Challenge is achieved and reviewed, this is also recorded in
their logbook.
• Personal Challenges will be reviewed by the Scout, and also by the Patrol, a
friend, a teacher or instructor, or the Scouter, where relevant.
• There is also a chart to record each Scout’s journey through their Learning
Objectives.

Rover Scouts

• The Rover Scouts will choose projects that enable them to achieve the Learning
Objectives. These are the Section Objectives for the Rover Scout Section and
also the Final Objectives that Scouting Ireland proposes.
• They may also plan sub-projects or challenges to achieve those Learning
Objectives not covered in the main project(s).

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 • Shortly after the Rover Scout joins the Rover Scout Section, he/she will spend
some time developing a ‘Personal Plan’ which will encompass all of their Personal
Challenges which will help them to achieve their Learning Objectives. Each
Stage for the Rover Scout will involve him/her reviewing and revising their
individual ‘Personal Plan’.
• The Patrol will discuss the Learning Objectives that each member is working on
and agree how these will be incorporated into the projects which will be
undertaken.
• They will be recorded in the Rover Scout’s Logbook.
• The Rover Scout’s Personal Plan will lead progressively towards preparation of a
Personal Life Plan which will coincide with departure. Because their purpose is
the achievement of the Final Objectives, the personal plan should take in
consideration not only their life in the Rover Scout community but all aspects of
young people’s life.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give

....Sir Winston Churchill

“Why worry about individual training? ... Because it is the only way by which you can educate. You
can instruct any number of boys, a thousand at a time if you have a loud voice and attractive
methods of disciplinary means. But that is not training - it is not education”
….Robert Baden Powell - Aids to Scouting

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REVIEWING PERSONAL CHALLENGES

The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.
.. ..Robert Maynard Hutchins

The aim of education is the knowledge not of fact, but of values ...Dean William R. Inge

Learning Objectives are a fundamental part of Scouting. We achieve them through Fun,
Adventure and Challenge. They are not an end in themselves, but the vehicle advised by
our founder, enabling us to achieve our Aim. The Personal Challenges our Scouts set for
themselves should then be fun, adventurous and challenging as well as being a way to
help them learn more, have a better understanding, or strengthen their values.
Reviewing Personal Challenges is a very important part of the Programme Cycle. It
acknowledges the individual’s achievement along their personal Journey, and helps them
take the next step. It should happen at regular intervals, perhaps every month or six
weeks, to contribute to the Programme Cycle for the next period.

INFORMAL AND RESPECTFUL

When the Personal Challenge is complete, the Scout reviews their progress in achieving
the Learning Objective. This is done in conjunction with a Reviewer who may be a
Scouter, Patrol Leader, friend, parent, etc. depending on
the young person’s age and the nature of the Personal
Challenge. This can be quite an informal process, but
should still show respect for the effort made. Personal
challenges are not marked as if they are exams or tests,
they are about the young person doing their best, and
advancing towards achieving the Objective. Try to be imaginative and creative in your
approach and your Scouts will learn a lot from you to help them to help each other.

CONSIDER FINAL OBJECTIVES

Your Scouts will have set themselves a Personal Challenge, perhaps with the help of
their Patrol or their Scouter, with the intention of learning something to help them
achieve the Learning Objective in question. The Scouter will have taken into account
how the Scout has been developing, Section Learning Objective they are working on and
the corresponding Final Objective they were working towards. In helping the Scout
review their achievement, the Scouter should consider the Final Objective and the
progress which has been made towards that.

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STAGES AND BADGES
It is worth remembering that each of the Section Objective for your Section should be
achieved while the Scout is in your Section. But they will visit each one either three or
four times, roughly once each year or so. So at each visit they only need to have
advanced or taken ‘one step forward’ towards achieving the Section Objective. During
their final year in your Section however, when the Personal Challenge is being reviewed
it should be obvious at this time that the Section Objective has been achieved. To
acknowledge the progress towards each of the Section Objectives, at each Stage a
badge (sticker) for the Scout’s Handbook is awarded. When the Scout has been
invested and is ready to begin working on the Section Objectives, the Stage Badge
(cloth badge) is presented to show to all the stage they are at, and to encourage them
to advance along their journey in Scouting. This is worn on the left arm for all to see,
and will be replaced by the next Stage Badge when all the Learning Objectives have
been visited at least once. This will be a great achievement and so the badge should be
awarded with appropriate ceremony.

TOOLS FOR GROWING

Personal Challenges are the tools we use to help our Scouts discover their own way to
grow. However, simply completing Personal Challenges will not automatically guarantee
that they are really making progress towards the Section Objective. For example they
should not be encouraged to think that they can complete a Personal Challenge by just
turning up for an Activity. The Personal Challenge they select should, in the first place,
provide a specific focus towards achieving the objective, then, through the experience
and knowledge acquired through the Activity, the learning will come. After a Scout has
completed the agreed Personal Challenge, they will discuss the outcome with a
“Reviewer”. The Scout himself/herself is always the first assessor of their own
progress with the Personal Challenges.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED…

When the Scout comes to the Reviewer, they will discuss the Activity, Event or
Challenge which they have completed. They should also discuss the effort they have put
in and how they feel they have gotten on. If the Scout and the Reviewer both agree
that the Scout has made progress in moving towards achieving the Section Objective
then this can be noted by the awarding of a badge (sticker) to be placed in the Scout’s
handbook. But if either the Reviewer or the Scout believes that the Scout still has not
yet done this, they can agree on a new, additional Personal Challenge that will help the
Scout make further progress.
After the Scout has completed this agreed Personal Challenge, if the Reviewer still

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doesn’t agree that the Scout has made reasonable progress towards achieving the
Learning Objectives and the Scout feels that they have, then the Scout has the right
to determine that they have in fact made progress towards the Section Objective. This
follows the principle that it’s the Scouts own development and therefore he/she has the
last word.

QUESTIONS TO HELP
Each Scout is an individual with different abilities and needs. Also each Scouter and
every situation is different. So the task of helping Scouts to review their progress is
very much an individual thing. However the following questions, or some like them, may
help you and your Scouts to review their Personal Challenges.
• How did you decide on the ‘Personal Challenge’ you choose?
• Did you find it difficult to find something?
• Where did you get the idea from?
• What helped you choose?
• Did you have help deciding what your Personal Challenge should be?
• Where was the challenge for you in doing this?
• Did you have help you start your Challenge?
• Did you change along the way?
• Was it difficult to do in the beginning?
• Did it get easier as you went along?
• What helped?
• Did you look to anyone for help?
• Did some of the others do it also?
• Did you do it together?
• What part did you play?
• How do you think this helped you to (what the objective says)?
• What did you learn about (what the objective says)?
• Were you trying to do your best to complete the challenge?
• When things got difficult what did you do?
• When you weren’t sure what to do next, what did you do?
• Are you happy with how you completed the challenge?
• Would you be interested in taking your challenge further?

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 • If you were doing it again would you change anything?
• How has this changed your view on ( ‘objective’)
• Are you happy that you know more about (what the objective says)?

What ever the questions you ask, it’s important to bear the following in mind. Your role
is to helping the Scout to understand what they have achieved. Sometimes with the
best intentions things do not turn out as planned. We can learn from all experiences. It
is most important to recognize the effort and to encourage them further.

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REVIEWING ADVENTURE SKILLS

Adventure Skills are a complementary part, but not an integral part of our Progressive
Scheme. However they have a valued place in the Scouting experience.

INCREASING ADVENTURE AND CHALLENGE

The Adventure Skills presented are chosen to allow us to carry out all of our Scouting
adventures and activities in a safe and competent manner. Approached correctly they
will provide our Scouts with a sense of pride and confidence
that comes though developing a knowledge and level of
competency in the skills areas they choose. Some will also have
the ability to pass on their skills to others. It is very important
that the level of adventure increases, according to the skills
learned, showing acknowledgement in real terms. This is much
more motivating for most young people, than the awarding of
badges without the relevant change in programme.

ADVENTURE SKILLS AWARDS ARE SPECIFIC

Adventure Skills Awards indicate that the Scout has achieved a specific level of
knowledge and ability in relation to an Adventure Skill. Therefore, the Scout must be
able to carry out the skill safely and competently and have the knowledge required. The
Scouter should support the Scouts appropriately in planning, tracking and focus on
improvement, this will help to ensure that each Scout achieves the Adventure Skills
Awards they decide to pursue.

THE WORLD AWAITS…

These awards are very challenging and it is not envisaged that a Scout would be in a
position to pursue them all. It is much more likely that each Scout will favour a few of
the Adventure Skills, and more likely that a Troop will only be able to support some of
the Adventure Skills. The number of Adventure Skills each scout pursues will probably
decrease as they move through the Sections as they narrow their focus to become truly
competent in their favoured Adventure Skills. This may mean the Rover Scout following
perhaps just one or two of the Adventure Skills through to the end of their time in
Scouting, and their life beyond it.

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OUTSIDE CERTIFICATION
A lot of preparation has been put in to aligning the Adventure Skills requirements with
those of outside bodies in the relevant skills areas, with the intention of making outside
certification easier to attain for the skills learned within Scouting. The requirements
must be reached and maintained for the programme to work.

QUSETIONS, GAMES OR CHALLENGES

It is certainly necessary to ensure that a Scout knows the Adventure Skill he has been
working on, and there are many ways of doing this. In Scouting we should follow the
Scout Method here, just like everywhere else. This makes life in the Patrol much more
interesting and rewarding for the Scout who is presenting his new skill.

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THE ACTIVITIES

In Scouting young people learn by doing. In the Section, this means that we do
everything in the form of Activities. The Scouts are the main actors in these Activities.
They are often the ones to propose and always the ones to choose them. They take an
active part in preparing, carrying out and assessing them.

The Activities help give the Scouts the personal experiences which enable them to
develop the behaviour patterns envisaged in the Learning Objectives. So the Activity is
one thing – something everyone does together; and the Experience is another –
something that each individual has during the Activity.

The real learning comes from the experience, since

this is the personal relationship that each Scout has
with reality. An Activity of itself may be judged to
have been successful or not. Either way, it is the
personal experience that each Scout draws from the
Activity that is important and we see the effect of
this in monitoring their individual progress. It will be
the experience gained from the whole range of the Section’s Activities that, little by
little, helps each Scout to achieve the Learning Objectives.

Anyone involved in Outdoor Education knows that what you gain from going on a hike has
a whole lot more to do with sociological and psychological development then with physical
exercise. Equally, in Scouting we know that building camp infrastructure is a good way
to learn about some of the laws of physics; planting a tree and helping it to grow is a
good way of coming to value nature; sharing what we have allows us to experience
solidarity; cooking our own food and cleaning the pots afterwards incorporates basic
everyday skills into the sum total of what we are like as people.

Learning by doing leads to learning by discovery, as a result of which the knowledge,

attitudes or skills we learn are assimilated in a deep and lasting way. At the same time,
this has been shown to be the best system for helping young people to develop their life
skills.

If the Activities give the Scouts personal experiences, then we must distinguish
between the Activity which everyone carries out and the Experience that each Scout
has during the Activity.

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 Activity Experience

What is happening externally, the
action which involves everyone
A tool which generates different
situations.
The internal part; it happens within each
person. It is what each person gets from
the action.
The outcome for each young person of
being exposed to these different
situations

FIXED & VARIABLE ACTIVITIES

In addition to giving Scouts experiences which help them to achieve the Learning
Objectives, Activities also serve to create the ‘atmosphere’ in the Section that we call
Scouting Life or Group Life. The dual function of the Activities enables us to distinguish
between fixed and variable activities.

Fixed Activities are: Variable Activities are:

Usually carried out in the same
way and generally relates to the
same subject.
Carried out continually to create
the right atmosphere for the
Scout Method.
Contributes in a general way to
achieving the objectives.
Carried out in different ways and refer
to varied subjects depending on the
interests of the Scouts.
Not repeated, unless the Scouts
particularly want them, there are so
many more to explore.
Contribute to achieving one or more
clearly defined Learning Objectives.

FIXED ACTIVITIES
Examples of Fixed Activities are the section ceremonies. Each ceremony is pretty much
the same however many times we hold it, and its repetition helps create a Scouting
atmosphere in the Section. The ceremonies are not intended to achieve any specific
Learning Objectives, but they are nevertheless related to
several aspects of the personality and thus contribute in a
general way to the achievement of Learning Objectives
across the Growth Areas.

Other examples of Fixed Activities are meetings, outings, the way the Patrols work,
looking after the den, the songs, games, stories, etc.

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In practice Fixed Activities tend to happen in a fairly standardised way and may not
vary much from one Group to another. However there are many variations in how they
are carried out, so we should continually review them to see if we can improve or vary
them to stop them becoming routine and losing their attractiveness and their
educational value. This is especially true in the case of songs, games and stories, each
Scouter should build up a collection over time so that a suitable song, game or story for
every occasion is close to hand.

VARIABLE ACTIVITIES
Variable activities can involve the most diverse things, depending basically on the
Scouts’ interests and sometimes the needs of the community in which the Section
operates. The content of the Activities is totally different each time and none of them
need be constantly repeated. The themes which appear among the Section’s Variable
Activities are limited only by imagination but may include skills, sports, arts, knowledge
and protection of nature, community service, family life,
intercultural understanding and learning about peace, human rights
and citizenship.

The only requirement is that the activities we propose or help to

design must be challenging, useful, rewarding and attractive.

Variable Activities will target one or more specific Areas of Growth. In terms of timing
they can range between short duration activities which may take place within a meeting
and long duration activities which may last over a month or longer, and everything in
between. As a result, there will often be two or more Variable Activities running
alongside each other. Because of the potential variety of Activities to choose from, it
may be that the expertise or knowledge required is not available within the Section or
Group. In these cases it will be necessary to seek out the resources required to
undertake the Activity, be they skills or specialised equipment.

A BALANCED PROGRAMME
The key to a really varied and worthwhile programme of Activities lies in achieving an
appropriate balance between these two types of educational activities. Remember that
the young people should participate actively in this process.

A programme with too many Fixed A programme with too many

Activities and not enough Variable Variable Activities:
ones:

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 Can make for an ‘introverted’ group,
self-centred and isolated from the
world around it.
May not prepare young people for
life.
Runs the risk of loosing the Scout
identity. Can be attractive and fun
but no ‘Scout flavour’.
Will jeopardise the cohesion and
sense of belonging.

Will affect balanced development, Will diminish the overall educational

making it difficult to assess impact of the Scout Method.
progress in each of the Growth
Areas.

In addition to variety and balance it should be clear that good quality Activities cannot
be improvised. They need to be chosen, prepared, developed and evaluated properly.
This is not to say that Activities can not, or should not be adapted. The only important
thing in adapting or ‘tweaking’ an Activity is that plenty of thought is given to what the
impact of the Activity should be, and how this can be preserved.

A good time to start this process is during the planning at the beginning of a Programme
Cycle.

FUN, ADVENTURE AND CHALLENGE

This is what our young people want to see. This is what we know to be true. This is what
we aim to deliver – but in a Scouting way, through the Scout Method, and with our Aim
and Objectives to the forefront. This does not take away from the Fun, Adventure and
Challenge, nor should it.

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THE PATROL SYSTEM
“The main object of the Patrol System is to give real responsibility to as many of the young people
as possible with a view to developing their character. If the Scout Leader gives the Patrol Leaders
real power, expects a great deal from them, and leaves them a free hand in carrying out their
work, that Scout Leader will have done more for those young people’s character expansion than any
amount of school instruction could ever do.”
………Baden-Powell, Aids to Scoutmastership, 1919

BASIC CONCEPTS

• The Patrol system is a fundamental element of Scouting

• The Patrol System is central to the Method in your Section
• The Patrol has a dual nature: as a formal and informal group/team

THE PATROL SYSTEM IS CENTRAL TO THE METHOD IN YOUR SECTION

One of the greatest motivations for young people in Scouting is the experiences they
share belonging to an informal group of friends, or a peer group. This and the drive to
explore provide the basis for the Symbolic Framework.
However, the Scout Method also uses the Patrol as a tool to achieve an educational
purpose. This makes the Patrol a “learning environment”, which gives it a formal
dimension too.

ATTRIBUTES OF A PATROL
The Scout Method gives prominence to the informal dimension of the Patrol
Scouts join the Patrol voluntarily

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 • The Patrol is a permanent and well-bonded group
• Not fewer than 5 members and not more than 8
• Patrols may be horizontal or vertical, depending on age
• The Patrol members need to have similar interests
• Activities and tasks must be appropriate
• The Patrol has its own identity
• The internal structure is flexible
• The Patrol has a single formal structure: the Patrol Council
• The status that the Scouts assign to each other helps to define internal roles
and tasks
• The Scout’s own agreed rules create the internal culture of the Patrol
• Patrol rules coincide with the Scout Law
• The Patrol Leader is elected and plays an important role
• The Patrol has symbols of belonging
• The Patrol is a place to enjoy being with friends

THE PATROL AS A LEARNING COMMUNITY

• Patrols learn by doing - Learning together in the Patrol enables a response at

the right time, decisions are sometimes instinctive, results often immediate and
obvious
• In the Patrol, Scouts learn as a team through a sequence of Activities, and
their different experiences in those Activities
• Behavioural change that encompasses the “whole” person, all facets of their
personality
• Scouts learn to learn
• The Scout Method creates a “learning field” for the Patrol
• The Patrol encourages each Scout to become involved in the local community
• The Patrol is also interested in the wider community
• The Patrol can be single-sex or mixed
• The Patrol works on the basis of the Scout Method
• Interaction between the Patrols takes place in the Troop

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THE PATROL AS AN INFORMAL GROUP
Each young boy or girl should have a free choice as to which Patrol they would join and
the Patrol should have the choice of accepting them. Young people prefer to be with
people they like, people they feel comfortable with, friends with similar interests. Every
Scout should be in the Patrol in which he or she feels accepted and able to operate.
This dynamic can prove uncomfortable for some Leaders. They may try to run Activities
from the perspective of the Troop, that is, from the overall viewpoint of the four or
five Patrols that comprise it. In doing this they may be inclined try to even out the
Patrols, to make them more or less the same as each other. But this is not compatible
with the Patrol System. What is important is that the Patrols should be genuine groups
of friends, not that the Troop looks balanced or evenly distributed. We must learn to
view the Troop as a federation of Patrols, each with its own identity and each working
well of itself.

HOW MANY?
There is no “ideal number” of members for a Patrol, but experience suggests that
between 5 and 8 is best.

Patrols do not operate better for having a certain number of members, but as a function
of the relationships they build together.

VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL PATROLS

With a vertical Patrol, where young people are of varying ages, it can
prove difficult to generate shared interests and carry out Activities
adapted to the ages of all the Patrol members. There is also a
difficulty in attaining a strong bond, with a sense of belonging for everyone. However,
the diversity means that the older members can help the newer ones along, because
they are at different stages of development.

With a horizontal Patrol where young people are of similar ages, it is easier to find
activities that are attractive to all of them. However as all the members leave within a
relatively short period, it is more difficult to create traditions and ensure the
continuity of the Patrol with new members.

APPROPRIATE PATROL ACTIVITIES

The choice of Activities carried out by the Patrol should be in keeping with the abilities
of its members and the materials available. The allocation of tasks among Patrol
members should be in relation to their abilities and skills. If the Activities are not

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sufficiently challenging and the tasks are minimal, then they will lack motivation. On the
other hand, if the Activities are beyond the Patrol’s ability or the tasks are very
demanding, they may end up feeling frustrated. Both feelings will affect the cohesion of
the Patrol and consequently its stability.

THE PATROL COUNCIL

The Patrol Council should be a formal platform for making relevant decisions in the
Patrol. All the members of the Patrol should take part, coordinated by the Patrol
Leader. The Patrol Council may meet whenever the Patrol considers it necessary. These
meetings should not be so frequent that they turn into the regular Patrol meeting,
which should be more operational. The resolutions of the Council may be recorded in the
Patrol’s record book.

The business addressed by the Council must be relevant, for example:

• Approving the Patrol’s activities for a Programme Cycle and Activities to
propose for the Troop to carry out.
• Evaluating Patrol activities and long-duration activities.
• Contributing to the self-assessment of each Patrol member, with constructive
comments.
• Electing a Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader.
• Defining and assigning roles in the Patrol and assessing performance.
• Administering the resources of the Patrol.

A FLEXIBLE STRUCTURE
All Patrols have a kind of spontaneous internal structure, which is constantly evolving.
Young people differ in age, experience and temperament. They all come to occupy and
adapt different positions in the group as they get to know each other, as they grow, and
as older members leave or new members join.

In the Patrol, the Scouts assign status among themselves according to age; length of
time in the group, experience, personal abilities and specific skills. This helps the Patrol
to work well and it ensures everyone has a constructive role. Here are some of possible
roles:
• Patrol Leader, who is responsible for the main leadership, coordinates the
Patrol and represents it at the Troop Council.
• Assistant Patrol Leader, who assists, and deputies for the Patrol Leader when
they are unavailable.

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 • Secretary, who is responsible for the Patrol Book, keeping a record of
agreements and reminding all the members of their commitments and deadlines.
• Treasurer, who administers the Patrol’s finances.
• Quartermaster, who looks after the Patrol’s materials and distributes the work
of maintaining them among the other members.
• Cook, who ensures that the Patrol continually improves the quality and variety
of its meals.
• First Aider, who keeps the Patrol’s first aid kit and makes sure that everyone
knows the main rules of safety and first aid.
• Gamesmaster, who knows many games and always has a good one to propose.
• Arts Master, who is responsible for songs and for a good performance in all
things artistic.
• Campfire Leader, who understands the different elements in a good campfire.
• Other responsibilities that may arise from the needs of the Patrol organisation.

The Scouts should rotate these positions every so often although they may be re-
elected to the same ones if the Patrol Council is in agreement.
Practicing these roles, assessing them continually and making changes to them
constitutes a gradual learning process.

RULES IN THE PATROL

Peer group rules coincide with the Scout Law. Scientific research has shown that the
rules that are accepted within informal peer groups of young people include those which
encourage mutual trust based on truth, loyalty, and commitment among its members. It
is easy to see the impressive coincidence between such rules and the values inherent in
various articles of the Scout Law.

The moment the members of a Patrol accept the Scout Law in their lives, the Patrol will
begin to play its dual role as a peer group and learning community. No matter what age a
Scout is, acceptance of the values of the Scout Law and a commitment to Scouting
through the Promise is vital.

As we conclude our analysis of the Patrol as an informal

group, we must emphasise that the Scouts main motivation
in belonging to it is being with a group of friends. This is
its distinguishing feature and it must never be lost.

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BASED ON FRIENDSHIP
For different reasons, a Patrol may take longer to attain the Learning Objectives than
we, the Scouters, expect it to. Indeed, its performance may even occasionally decline.
But if it continues to be a community of friends who are happy to be together, it will
always be possible to get it back on track. A Patrol cannot be expected to function as a
“learning environment” unless it is a “form of organisation” based on friendship.

LEARNING IN THE PATROL

The kind of learning that happens in the Patrol is aimed at generating a change in
behaviour, be it in terms of knowledge (knowing), skills (knowing how to do) or attitudes
(knowing how to be). It is not just gaining knowledge –which is basically what happens in
the classroom or in a study group- but growth of the person from within, in all the
dimensions of his or her personality: socially, physically, intelligence, will, character,
feelings and emotions, solidarity and spirituality. It is learning that encompasses the
“whole” person.

On all these levels, learning within the Patrol provides for the response at the right
time, which means that instead of accumulating facts and data in their minds until they
may be needed later, young people put the information they learn to practical use at the
appropriate time.
Once learned, facts and information are easily forgotten if they are not used to deal
with real problems. In the Patrol, learning occurs when a fact, which is related to a
specific subject, is assimilated at the very time it is needed. If a young person is helped
by an older, more experienced Scout the first time they have to make the meal in camp,
learning to combine the different ingredients under the helpful observation of the
other, teaching and learning come together in a single act.

LEARNING TO LEARN
One of the advantages of this
cyclical learning is that the young
people do it almost without
realizing. If the Scouter gradually
encourages the Patrol Leader to
realise that their main role is to
keep this “wheel” turning, then this
will become a way of life for the
young people.
By becoming aware of this cycle, young people not only learn, but they also learn to
learn. This will benefit them in all aspects of their life.

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SCOUTING IN THE COMMUNITY
The Patrol encourages the Scouts to become involved in the local community. The local
environment offers a splendid opportunity for service. The Patrol can become involved in
many ways where an individual would find the challenge too great. Many local community
organisations never learn the purpose of Scout Groups, or they believe that Scouts are
fine in themselves but not much use to anyone else.
The Patrol is also interested in the wider community. The wider community begins
where the local community ends. By wider community we mean the city, region, country,
indeed even the world. In Scouting Ireland, this also means the Scout County, Scout
Province, the national association, the European Region and the World Organization of
the Scout Movement.

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THE SCOUT LAW & SCOUT PROMISE

“The boy is not governed by DON’T, but led on by DO.

The Scout Law is devised as a guide to his actions, rather than as repressive of his faults.”
……. Robert Baden Powell – Aids to Scout Mastership 1944

An essential aspect of the Scout Method is an invitation to adhere to certain personal,

social and spiritual principles. These principles constitute a value system that is shared
by Scouts all over the world. Different National Scout Organisations have their own
wording, but they all express the same set of values. These make up our Scout Law and
the Scout Promise.

THE SCOUT LAW

A Scout is to be trusted.

A Scout is loyal.

A Scout is helpful and considerate to all.

A Scout has courage in all difficulties.

A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property.

A Scout has respect for self and others.

A Scout respects nature and the environment.

THE SCOUT PROMISE

On my honour I promise that I will do my best, to do my duty to God, to serve my

community, to help other people and to live by the Scout Law.

Or

On my honour I promise that I will do my best, to do my duty to ‘insert Spiritual

Reality’, to serve my community, to help other people and to live by the Scout Law

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WHAT ARE THEY?
The Scout Promise is a voluntary commitment made to ourselves in front of our peers to
do our best and to make the Scout Law an integral part of our lives. It is necessary that
a Scout understands fully the implications of this, before making the Promise.

The Scout Law is much more that an orderly arrangement of ideas. It is a code of
conduct that is offered to us as a way to choose or steer the course of our life. What is
more, it is an invitation to make those values part of their personality. If we are to be
consistent, we need to think and act in accordance with our values. Only in this way can
our values become instruments through which we observe, interpret and experience the
world.

The aim of Scouting is to develop the young person socially, physically, intellectually, in

character, emotionally, and spiritually ... so that they become integrated, responsible

members of society. THIS SEEMS TO BE PARAPHRASED< WOULD BE BETTER TO

WRITE THE AIM ASIS IN THE CONSTITUTION.

The Scout Law and the Scout Promise and Law act as the fundamental blocks to achieve
this aim. In essence they promote: respect, commitment, achievement of personal goals,
integration into society, cultural understanding, intercultural understanding. They help
us to structure our development. They facilitate the interaction between individuals and
teams. Each Scout makes a voluntary commitment to become a better person by striving
to apply the elements of the Scout Law in their daily life.

ONE PROMISE
Scouting Ireland currently has one Scout Law and one Scout Promise for all ages. Steps
are being taken to introduce separate versions of the Scout Law and the Scout Promise
that suit the age range in each Section. In the interim the Scouters in the younger
Sections may have a greater role to play in ensuring that each Scout has a real
understanding of the essence of the Law, and the commitment asked of them in their
Promise.

GROWING ALL THE TIME

In general children at the age of 7 need rules and boundaries for stability. They will
accept authority, and are very trusting. They are learning to understand the difference
between right and wrong and are able to relate to others as different to themselves.

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Children from about the age of 10 become capable of logical reasoning, and gradually
move towards moral autonomy. They are able to judge people on the basis of their
actions and pick out features of personal character. They no longer have blind faith in
authority. They begin to judge for themselves their own actions and the actions of
others.

Towards the age of 12 children accept

rules as a form of contract between
people. Rules are therefore no longer set
in stone, but can be changed by mutual
consent. Later on, moving towards the age
of about 15 young people begin to grasp
the principal of universal values. Moral
principals can then become associated with
a social ideal, rather than a social reality.
This is in fact the threshold of the ‘adult’
concept of moral law, which entails a
discerning respect and a democratic
attitude.

This emphasises one area where the Scout

Law and Scout Promise are ever present.
But when we look closely we find that like the other elements of the Scout Method, the
Scout Law and the Scout Promise are an integral part of our programme, our activities,
our behaviour, our experiences, and our growth.

THE SECTIONS AND THE SCOUT PROMISE

Tracker Scouts

Group orientated activities.

• Develop awareness through fun and games, simple activities and through the out
of doors.
• The aim of the activities should be focused on a simple understanding of the
elements of the law and promise.
• A method of demonstrating what they have learned can be used.
• Ensure that the programme is challenging and rewarding.

Things to be aware of:

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 • The programme should be adaptive to the young person’s individual needs.
• It should be progressive.
• Ensure nobody is excluded from the programme or activities.

Do’s and Don’ts:

“The boy is not governed by DON’T, but led by DO.” ….. Baden Powell – Aids to
Scoutmastership

Do encourage Don’t use negative language or put anyone down

Do support Don’t shout
Do praise Don’t use complicated language
Do evaluate
Do reward

Role of the Scouter:

• The Scouter is in charge, providing ideas to give each Scout a quality learning
experience.
• The Scouter develops the Programme in an imaginative way to allow the Scouts
to use their imagination.
• The Scouter links the method to the Scout Law and Scout Promise.
• The Scouter offers praise and encouragement whenever they can.

Explorer Scouts

• The Scouts awareness of the Scout Law and Scout Promise is developed.
• The Scouts responsibility is increasing.
• The Activities become more challenging but still fun and exciting.
• More emphasis on the out of doors.
• The Scouts should be encouraged to identify methods of assessing learning.

Things to be aware of:

• Boys and girls develop at different rates.

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 • The young person becomes more aware of their physical appearance.
• The pressure on the young person as they move school and look for new friends.
• Discipline may not be readily accepted.

Do’s and Don’ts:

“The boy is not governed by DON’T, but led by DO.” ….. Baden Powell – Aids to
Scoutmastership

Do encourage Don’t use negative language or put anyone down

Do support Don’t shout
Do praise Don’t use complicated language
Do evaluate
Do reward

Role of the Scouter:

• The Scouter provides assistance but allows Scouts to attempt Activities on
their own
• Scouts should come up the ideas themselves. The Scouter should provide the
initial challenge, and then offer ideas if requested.
• The Scouter, with the help of the Scout, should link the method to the Scout
Law and the Scout Promise.
• The Scouter offers praise and encouragement whenever they can.

Discovery Scouts

• The Scout should take a more active role in designing and implementing the
Programme.
• The Scouts responsibility is increased.
• The out of doors is more widely used as a tool of the Scout Law and the Scout
Promise.
• The Scout should be able to demonstrate and discuss how they implement the
Scout Promise into their lives and understand the benefits.

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Things to be aware of:
• There will be pressure on the Scouts due to external factors e.g. exams.
• The Scouts will be exposed to peer pressure.
• There is further emotional strain on the Scouts as they are starting to develop
relationships.

Do’s and Don’ts:

“The boy is not governed by DON’T, but led by DO.” ….. Baden Powell – Aids to
Scoutmastership

Do encourage Don’t use negative language or put anyone down

Do support Don’t shout
Do praise Don’t use complicated language
Do evaluate Don’t isolate any individual Scout
Do reward
Do give the Scouts full responsibility

Role of the Scouter:

• The leader is there to facilitate and support the young person.
• They are more a supervisor.
• Offers encouragement.
• Administration and record keeping.
• Ensure the young person keeps ‘on track’.

Rover Scouts

• Scouting takes on more of a social role

• The Scout can now take on full responsibility
• The out of doors should still be used in developing a better understanding of
the Scout Law and the Scout Promise.
• The Scout should be encouraged to live the Scout Law and the Scout Promise
and hopefully at a point where they want to live it.

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Things to be aware of:
• Exams and external pressures will continue to be a pressure on the Scout due
to external factors e.g. exams
• Structured meetings may not always suit the needs of the Scout
• Relationships will play an important part in their development
• The Scout will probably enter third level education or employment

Do’s and Don’ts:

“The boy is not governed by DON’T, but led by DO.” ….. Baden Powell – Aids to
Scoutmastership

Do encourage Don’t use negative language or put anyone down

Do support Don’t shout
Do praise Don’t be demanding
Do evaluate Don’t isolate any individual Scout
Do reward
Do offer guidance

Role of the Scouter:

• The Scouters role is supportive, ensuring that the Scout does not step outside
limits, e.g. social, legal etc
• Ensures the Programme is implemented
• Promotes the Scout Law and the Scout Promise as a tool within Scouting
• Ensures meetings and Activities take place.

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ROLE OF THE SCOUTER
The role of the Scouter in relation to the Youth Pogramme is very similar through all of
the Sections, although your relationship with the Scouts will obviously be different. The
amount of direct responsibility you have in the Pogramme will also change. As we are a
non-formal educational movement, we have the responsibility to educate. As a youth
movement involved in the development of active citizens within the community, we have
a responsibility to that community.

Contributing to the development of a young person, and helping them reach their best
potential, is a real honour, and we must do our best at all times to facilitate this as best
we can. We can not expect to know everything ourselves and so we partake in the
training offered by our Association. We also learn as much as we can from other
Scouters, from the Scouts themselves, and from any number of things we find in our
everyday lives. When it comes to skills and Activities that demand more knowledge or
ability than we have, we get in touch with someone who knows and can help us. As the old
saying goes: ‘any job worth doing is worth doing right’. As scouts we know this to be
true. We also know as Scouters that working together we can achieve anything we set
our minds to.

The role of the Scouter can be broken down as follows:

• Overall responsibility for safety, perceive and

controlling risk

• Educator:
• Knowing the Scouts in your Section.
• Responsible for development of each individual Scout.
• Ensuring the Scout Method is continually evident.
• Devolving skills and knowledge.
• Helping each Scout achieve their potential.

• Facilitator:
• Ensuring your Scouts understand their commitment to Scouting before
taking their Promise.
• Encouraging and enabling involvement of Scouts in deciding on their Personal

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 Journey and the Programme Cycle for their Patrol and Troop.
• Ensuring the correct atmosphere in the Troop to encourage Scouts to
express themselves freely, and facilitate challenging Activities.
• Enabling review of their progress with their Learning Objectives and
Adventure Skills.
• Ensuring that each Activity is evaluated, and the learning outcomes realised.
• Knowing how Activities should be run.

• Motivator:
• Providing encouragement to Scouts to achieve their full potential.
• Encouraging exciting and challenging Activities and experiences.

• Role model:
• Willing to learn and grow as a person yourself.
• Aware that young people look up to you and follow your example.

• Team member:
• Working as part of a team of Scouters in the Troop, in the Group, and in the
community.

DIRECT PROGRAMME INPUT

Your direct input in choosing, planning and organising the Programme and Activities of
your Section will decrease as the Scouts progress through the Sections, and become
able to take on more and more responsibility for this themselves.

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In all sections it is possible for your Scouts to have responsibility and be involved in the
decision-making process, but this will obviously differ depending on each Scout’s
abilities. This is not to say that the role of the Scouter is any less important, or
necessary, it just changes from being more of a ‘facilitator’ role to more of a ‘mentor or
coach’.

For Tracker Scouts:

• Scouter presents alternative ideas, and outline programmes and help the Scouts
to choose which they wish to follow.
• Scouter helps the Scout’s understanding of their Learning Objectives by asking
questions and comparing situations to something happening in the Scout’s life.
• Scouter will organise games, drama, craft exercises, etc, which will help review
and evaluate the Activities and Objectives achieved.

For Explorer Scouts:

• More interaction with the PL Council.
• More individual involvement in decision-making.
• Scouter ensures everyone has the opportunity to be heard.
• Scouter helps Scouts identify their Personal Challenges.
• Scouter ensures the Scout Method is evident at all times.
• Scouter ensures a number of different methods used in Activities.
• Scouter helps Scouts realise the Objectives from their experiences.

For Discovery Scouts

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 • Scouter ensures PL’s Council works effectively.
• Scouter ensures everyone is happy with their role in the Patrol and Troop.
• Scouter ensures the Scout Method is evident at all times.
• Scouter motivates Scouts to challenge themselves, and ensure there is variety
in their Activities and Experiences.

For Rover Scouts

• Scouter ensures that everyone is challenging themselves.
• Scouter ensures that everyone is included.
• Scouter ensures that the best method is used for the development of each
individual.

For a Scout Group to be successful, the Scouters must work as a team, drawing on their
own strengths, and involving others when necessary.

The overall educational responsibility is an important one. The development of the

individual Scout is paramount. In all Sections the Scouts will need facilitation and
sometimes motivation when it comes to setting themselves Personal Challenges. It is not
possible for a Scouter to be a ‘mentor’ to more than 7 or 8 people. To do the job
effectively the Scouter needs to understand what is happening in the Scout’s life inside
and outside of Scouting. They will need to help the Scout set out their Personal
Challenges, based on the Learning Objectives (not forgetting the Final Objective) in a
way that helps the Scout challenge themselves. They must review the Scout’s progress
with them, or help them review it for themselves. They should be able to help the Scout
identify the learning outcomes from the experience of the Activity, Event, or Challenge,
and move on from there.

Through all of our age sections, it is necessary to understand the importance of the
Scouter’s role as a mentor and facilitator. In the older Sections this has obviously
become increasingly more evident, but it should not be forgotten from the beginning.
This can be challenging for Scouters who are used to making plans and getting things
done. For some it will take a considerable amount of thought and planning, to achieve
this and assist, encourage and help the Scouts to achieve their Personal Challenges. If
we are to encourage active participation, at the appropriate level, the art of listening is
one we need to master. The challenges are great for the Scouter also, but the rewards
are plenty when you do step back to allow ‘learning by doing’ to work.

The Programme we have is one continuous programme, divided in to four age Sections.
It is necessary for the Scouters in your Group to work together, each understanding
their role in helping with the delivery of their part in the young person’s journey

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through Scouting. It is also useful for all Scouters to understand the Programme of
the other Sections, and it is necessary for everyone to understand the Final Objectives
that the whole programme is geared towards.

Playing your role as a Scouter, putting your stamp on what happens in your Section, and
helping develop the future of Ireland, through the development of active citizens is a
real challenge. It is also tremendously exciting and fabulously rewarding!!

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YOUTH INVOLVEMENT & LEADERSHIP
“Ask the Boy”; perhaps one of Paden-Powell’s most famous quotes, is indicative of the
founder’s opinion of the importance of Youth
Participation.

LEADING THE WAY

We in Scouting pride ourselves on the unique relationships that exist between adults
and young people, where they work together in real partnership. Our Youth Participation
Policy tells us that: “Participation of the youth members is an integral part of Scouting
and it is noteworthy that the greater the participation of the members the more
successful is the Section and the Association generally”. We are leaders in our
communities in this field, or are we? Too often it actually proves too time consuming, or
we’re disappointed with the initial results, or we expect too much, and then we take over
from the Scouts. Often too, we expect this is only relevant in our older Sections,
without realising that we have an opportunity to develop the necessary planning,
leadership and organisational skills of our members from the beginning of their time in
Scouts.

DOING THEIR OWN THING

There are a multitude of examples of young people who organise themselves
successfully without adult help all around the world. You yourself can probably
remember building a play house with friends at seven or eight years of age, unknown to
adults, or perhaps organising a garage sale from your home. Such examples from your
own memory are the most powerful evidence of young people’s competence. The principle
behind such involvement is motivation; young people can design and manage complex
projects together if they feel some sense of ownership in them. If young people do not
at least partially design the goals of the project themselves, they are unlikely to
demonstrate the great competence they possess. Involvement fosters motivation, which
fosters competence, which in turn fosters motivation for further projects.

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT MEANS:

Active participation
• Which begins with active listening, allows all points of view to be shared and
explored, ensures that everyone is comfortable enough to say what they think.

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 It means the young person is respected – strengthens responsibility & life skills.

Decision making
• Meaning that young people have a role in all the decisions made in the Patrol and
the Troop, appropriate to their age and ability. That they know their views will
be listened to and considered. That the Patrol Council plays a real role and their
decisions are respected. That they get to choose the Activities which are not
mysteriously replaced with others that the Scouter likes better.

Start at the beginning

• Learning to contribute and becoming involved from the very beginning is vital.
We cannot just expect our Scouts to become active participants in their
communities when they are ready to leave us if we haven’t given them every
opportunity to be active participants in their own Section from the very
beginning.

Personal choices
• Challenging Scouts to make responsible choices, both in what they choose for
themselves for Activities, Events, or Personal Challenges, also in how they
interact with their communities, their environment, and their God. The idea of
service to others and working together to make a better should start from the
earliest Section, and be brought through to the end.

Good of the Patrol/Troop

• To learn how to work well with other people, for the good of the Patrol, and so
the Group, and the community. To understand that the strength of the Patrol is
much greater than their number. To recognise in this the potential to tackle
challenges and injustice in society with the confidence in their ability to make a
difference.

Right to participate
• To allow Scouts to participate in their own Youth Programme. Often we mistake
a Scout’s enthusiastic participation, or willingness to share their skills, as an
indication that they have finished with our Youth Programme and are ready to
become educators in our Association.

BENEFITS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

In meaningful youth involvement, young people:
• Are empowered to be self directed.

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 • Make responsible choices about how to use their time.
• Participate as group members in making decisions that influence the larger
programme.
• Are given the opportunity to learn group leadership skills and to assume
leadership roles in planning Activities, Events, and Projects.
• Have the opportunity to “give back” by contributing to the Programme, to other
young people, or to the wider community.
• Experience a sense of belonging.

BENEFITS FOR ADULTS

In meaningful youth involvement, adults:
• Serve as mentors and facilitators for developing the skills of the young people.
• Share power in real ways with young people, which means by providing them with
opportunities for problem-solving, decision-making, planning, goal-setting,
helping others, etc.

This graph shows the appropriate trend for the involvement of Scouters and Scouts in
the organisation and running of the Youth Programme

Youth Involvement is an integral part of the Scout Method in the area of ‘The Patrol
System’ and also in the ‘Role of the Scouter’. But we are not alone in recognising its
importance. Governments everywhere, including our own, recognise the importance of
active citizenship, and strive to develop programmes for young people to help achieve
this. In doing so, and in promoting youth participation, they challenge us to face some
facts if we are serious about this subject.

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IF WE ARE SERIOUS!
Shared values are the necessary foundation, but searching questions must also be
answered to ensure children and young people’s participation is safe, sound and
effective. A recent Task Force on Active Citizenship in Ireland, promotes youth
involvement as an important element, and suggests that adults ask themselves the
following questions:

Twelve tough questions for the adults:

1. What are we aiming to achieve?
2. Where have we got to so far?
3. What will children and young people get out of it?
4. Are we prepared to resource it properly?
5. Why have we not done it before?
6. Are we prepared to involve children and young people from the start?
7. Are we being honest with the children and young people?
8. What are our expectations?
9. Are we prepared to give up some power?
10. Are we prepared to take some criticism?
11. Do we recognise this as a long-term commitment?
12. Are we prepared to build in changes long-term and not just have a one-off event?

ONE MORE THING

If we are serious about this we should consider one more thing. Active Youth
Involvement is not confined to the Patrol or the Troop, it should be much broader than
that. In reality, the three areas shown here; the Troop, the Association, and the local
community are essential and complementary, and should be
considered equally if we want to succeed in educating young
people. It is useless to favour one area of Youth
Involvement over the others. Involving young people in
decision-making at the level of the group prepares them to
take on roles and responsibilities at the other levels of the
Movement and in the broader community. In Scouting, an
educational movement, the concrete implementation of the Scout Method is the first
and fundamental element on which any Youth Involvement policy should be based.

Youth Involvement is possible when Scouters realise that Scouts should not only follow
in their tracks but also go further and improve society. Therefore, Scouters should be
convinced that their mission is to involve Scouts in decision making and to give them real
responsibilities, building leadership skills.

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YOUTH LEADERSHIP
When talking about young people in our Sections we sometimes confuse ‘leadership’ and
‘leadership training’ as being relevant only to Patrol Leaders or their Assistants. In fact
everyone in the Patrol should have a significant role, appropriate to their abilities, their
interests and their age. These roles should change and rotate regularly, so Scouts have
experience of different types of roles. Being part of a team, and working together for
the benefit of the team is one of the key points of good leadership.

In Scouting, we don't mean leadership in the sense of imposing one's will on others, but
conversely, in the sense of helping others to co-operate well: analysing and solving
problems, managing conflicts and making decisions together, setting-up and evaluating
objectives, organising and planning collective projects, establishing community rules,
progressing and enjoying life together.

Acquiring these skills is essential for future active and responsible citizens.

LADDER OF PARTICIPATION
This shows the many different stages and levels of participation. In Scouting we aim to
be standing on or near the top at all times.

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ORIENTATION IN THE SECTIONS

When joining a new Section it is important that each Scout is made to feel welcome, and
a part of the Patrol and Troop. For this they need to be involved. This is also the
Scouter’s opportunity to get to know the new Scout, while observing the young person’s
learning, their actions and reactions.

At all times, we should recognise the difference between those joining from another
Section, and those who are new to us. Those who are new will need help to understand
the concept of Scouting. Those who are new only to the Section will be able to help
them with this. Everyone also needs to learn about the new Section they have just
joined, this new environment, this part of their Personal Journey.

It is important that everybody understands all the terminology that is being used in the
Section, and understands everybody’s role, including their own.

The buddy system, where some of the current members of the Section choose to
‘buddy’ one of the new Scouts, will help to integrate and support the new Scout. If
possible the ‘buddy’ should be a friend, or someone they might know from school or
elsewhere. Choosing a Patrol for each new Scout can be difficult and the ‘buddy’ system
can help with this too.

A special effort should be made with the Programme at this time, to ensure there are
fun activities where skills are learned, and progress is noticeable.

There should at least be one outdoor Activity (afternoon/day/weekend) within 3 weeks

of new Scouts joining. They must participate and they should be aware of the planning
of this but may not be directly involved in the planning themselves. The Scouters from
the previous Section/s should attend this Activity.

There should be a further outdoor Activity within the following 3 weeks. All the young
people in the section - including the new ones - should be involved in planning and should
participate in the Activity.

New Scouts should understand:

• The concept of Scouting and the Aim of the Association
• The concept of World Scouting: world badge & world flag, Scout Sign, Scout
Handshake, etc,

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 • The Scout Law
• The Personal Journey in Scouting (objectives)
• The Scout Promise

For investiture, the Scout must be ready to make a Promise and

to commit to Scouting, this will take longer for some than
others.

At investiture the new Scouts are presented with their

neckerchief (if they were not already invested in a younger
Section), their woggle, and their Section Badge. The
neckerchief is a Group neckerchief, the woggle will reflect the
Section/s they have come from. (a proposal still being worked
on).

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