The scouting movement is the largest youth organisation in the world with 17 million members worldwide and 100000 in Australia.
It was established 85 years ago.
Today it has members of both sexes aged 6-26 years.
Scouting bases its training on practical experiences like camping hiking and water-based activities strengthening friendships and teaching self-sufficiency.
The aim remains: “To encourage the physicalmental social and spiritual development of young people so that they may take a constructive place in society as responsible citizens.”
There are 5 sections: Joey scout mobs (6-8 year olds) cub scout packs (8-11 year olds) scout troops (11-15 year olds) venturer units (15 – 18 year olds) and rover crews (18-26 year olds). The largest section is cubs.
A combination of sections makes up a group. Other tiers are disticts areas and branches.
Leaders aged 18-55 undergo a year’s training before they receive a warrant.
All sections are open to both sexes.
The promise made by scouts on investiture is reaffirmed as they progress through each section. Each scout pledges: “On my honour I promise that I will do my best to do my duty to my God and to the Queen of Australia to help other people and to live by the scout law.”
The scout law is a 10-point code stating that scouts are trustworthy loyal helpful friendly cheerful considerate thrifty courageous respectful and care for the environment.
Cubs make a similar promise but have a simpler law and joeys have a simpler promise and law.
The scouts have a tradition of using language from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. Adult leaders take animal names like Chil the kite and Akela leader of the wolves.
The pack is called to alert: “Everyone ready for the grand howl?” Squatting the cubs shout back: “Akela we’ll do our best. Dyb dyb dyb! [Do your best We’ll dob dob dob! [Do our best]” before sprining to the alert with a salute.
There is a badge program activities and shared language.
Games stories crafts songs and other activities make up a fast-moving meeting. It really is different from school. We don’t have to write. We don’t have breaks. We have more games. The grown ups are really nice. You don’t have to do so much work and it’s nice and cool!
In Australia there is also the Nights of the Grand Order of the Jaffle Iron of rovers parents and former leaders who help to support the group. [Do we have it here in the upper Kedron Brook valley?]
There are jamborees and there is a large jamboree area very close to The Grove just before Samford on Samford Rd.