About Scouts
Scouts is the biggest and most successful youth organisation in the world. Scouts are in every part of our community. It's not called a worldwide brotherhood of Scouting for nothing.
The key to the worldwide success of Scouting is found in the Scout Method. The method is an informal, progressive approach to youth education. It uses appealing outdoor activities and games to encourage youth to learn and solve problems by themselves. The method aims to teach young members independent thinking, leadership and responsibility.
In the early years of Scouting, Robert Baden-Powell devised the four key elements of the Scout Method:
Scout Law and The Scout Promise (Scout Oath)
The Scout Law is a personal code and set of values that a Scout agrees to uphold by making the Scout Promise. The main principles of the Law and Promise are
duty to your religious belief,
duty to other people; and
duty to one’s self
The Law is not meant to be a list of commandments or prohibitions. A Scout making the Promise agrees to fulfil their Duty, live upto the Scout Law and uphold the principles of Scouting.
Learning by Doing
The third element in the Scout Method is Learning by Doing. It is a form of experiential learning in which a Scout learns through a hands on approach, by doing an activity to complete it. It reflects the active way in which we gain knowledge, skills and attitudes and illustrates Scouting’s practical approach to education.
The Patrol System
The fourth element is the Patrol System. It is the fundamental organisational structure in Scouting. The Patrol System taps into the natural human tendancy to form into small groups and work as a team. Scouts are formed into small teams under the leadership of more experienced Scouts. In the team, the individual is just as important as the team. Members of the team are motivated to increase individual skill levels of all members, thereby increasing the overall ability of the team.
Evolution of Scouting
Since those early years the Scout Method has evolved to include new elements relevant to modern values and lifestyles:
Symbolic Framework - represent concepts which Scouting seeks to promote. The purpose of the symbolic framework is to build on young people’s capacity for imagination, adventure, creativity and inventiveness. It is a way to make activities cohesive and fun, and to understand the values of Scouting.
Personal Progression - is about helping each individual to be consciously and actively involved in his or her own development. It enables them to progress in their own way and at their own pace, to gain confidence and to recognise the progress made.
Nature - The natural environment provides an ideal setting in which the Scout Method can be applied, and for developing one’s physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potential. It involves the development of constructive contact with nature and making full use of all the unique learning opportunities provided by the natural world.
Adult Support - Scouting is a youth movement, where young people take part in activities with the support of adults. The role of adults in Scouting is to be activity leaders, educators and group facilitators. In other words, they ensure that the young people participate in meaningful activities that promote the development of the individual Scout as well as the group as a whole.
