The Balanced Programme 6-25 years

Core ages: 6 to 8 years

Operational responsibility: Scout Group

Core ages: 8 to 10½ years

Operational responsibility: Scout Group

Core ages: 10½ to 14 years

Operational responsibility: Scout Group

Core ages: 14 to 18 years

Operational responsibility: Scout District

Core ages: 18 to 25 years

Operational responsibility: Scout County

Programme Zones:Outdoor & AdventureCommunityFitnessCreativeGlobalBeliefs & Attitudes

Programme Zones:Outdoor & AdventureCommunityFitnessCreativeGlobalBeliefs & Attitudes

Programme Zones:Outdoor & AdventureCommunityFit for LifeCreative ExpressionGlobalBeliefs & Attitudes

Programme Zones:Outdoor & AdventureCommunity ServicePhysical RecreationSkillsGlobalValues & Relationships

Self Development Areas:CommunitySkills & DevelopmentInternational

Young people experience Scouting by regularly taking part in quality activities, drawn from each Programme Zone (or Self Development Area for Scout Network).Personal achievement can be recognised by earning awards and badges leading to the Chief Scout’s Awards and the Queen’s Scout Award.

Joining In/Participation Badges

Activity Badges Staged Activity Badges Partnership Awards ChallengesExplorer Belt

Chief Scout’s Awards

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Membership AwardsMoving-On Awards

6 x

7 x

9 x

12 x2 x

33 x

69 x

28 x

1 2 3 4

Environment Award

Faith Award

International Friendship Award

Platinum (Explorer Scout only)Explorer Belt (from age 16)

5 6 7 8

9 0 1 1 1 2 1

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4

1 2

Diamond

Queen’s Scout Award

DofE Awards

Bronze

Silver

Gold

Gold

Silver

Bronze

5 Emergency Aid

12 Nights Away

5 Musician

5 Swimmer

5 IT

6 Hikes Away

Copyright © 2012 The Scout Association, Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

Queen’s Scout Awards

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The thinking behind the Balanced ProgrammeThe philosophy underpinning the Programme is that every Youth Member should participate in a Balanced Programme over a period of time. Providing your Section with a Programme that is both balanced and exciting is one of the most rewarding challenges for leaders. Young people are offered a range of activities, events and experiences built around six Programme Zones (or three Self Development Areas for Scout Network). You balance the Programme in the same way you’d balance a diet, by simply ensuring that over a given period (a month or a term, for example), there is something from each Zone in the Programme. In Scouting, the word Programme has a wide interpretation.

The Programme is not just about the activities that Scouts can take part in (almost anything from abseiling to zorbing). Its meaning also lies in how we do these activities (the Methods) and our motivation in doing them (Values deriving from the Scout Promise). Every time we plan an activity for our Scouts we should also consider how we might organise the activity and why we’re doing it. What we offer to young people is a Balanced Programme; a range of activities, events and experiences built around six Programme Zones.

Awarding badges to young people is a great way to recognise achievement and a motivator to try something different. The definition of the Balanced Programme is as follows: ‘Young people experience Scouting through regularly taking part in quality activities drawn from each Programme Zone. Personal achievement can be recognised through earning awards and badges leading to the Chief Scout’s Awards and the Queen’s Scout Award.’

The Programme ZonesThere are a total of six Zones in each of the Sections from Beavers to Explorer Scouts. These Zones change only slightly in name across the four Sections, which helps to emphasise a single Programme from 6-25 years. Whenever possible the Section’s Programme should be built around the Programme Zones using activities, badges or events that link with each Zone. In the Scout Network there are three Self Development Areas, and these areas link back to the Zones.

The Challenge Awards and The Chief Scout’s AwardsPersonal achievement can be recognised by earning awards and badges leading to the Chief Scout’s Awards and the Queen’s Scout Award. In the Beaver, Cub and Scout Sections there is at least one Challenge Award for each Programme Zone, and for their respective top awards Beavers and Cubs need to gain six Challenge Awards and Scouts need to gain eight. This helps to emphasise the importance of a Balanced Programme.

Joining In/Participation BadgesBeavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts can gain the Joining In/Partnership Awards which count the number of years they have been a member of Scouting. Young people can wear the highest Joining In/Participation Badge earned in the previous Section and add to it each year until they leave the Section.

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Activity Badges and Staged Activity BadgesThe Staged Activity Badges have been designed to provide a unified approach throughout the Section. There are six Staged Activity Badges across the Sections. This means that a young person can achieve an award in an area that interests them, enabling them to build skills and knowledge. Details such as the requirements for each badge can be found in each Section’s Programme resource or on www.scouts.org.uk

Activity PLUSActivity PLUS Badges can be awarded to a young person if they develop skills or knowledge to a higher level than the Activity Badge. Activity PLUS Badges represent a significant achievement, taking into account the abilities of a young person and the nature of the activity. In order to gain an Activity Badge, a Scout or Explorer must hold the relevant Activity Badge. An Activity PLUS Badge can be awarded for any Activity Badge, apart from the following: any Staged Activity Badge, Basic Aviation Skills, Aviation Skills, Advanced Aviation Skills, Basic Nautical Skills, Nautical Skills or Advanced Nautical Skills.

Partnership Awards Partnership Awards can be a valuable part of the Balanced Programme. They encourage your Section to link up with other Sections within your own Scout Group, a Section in another Group, or other youth groups or organisations, to work together on a project that will help other people.

There are three Partnership Awards:

• Environment Partnership Award• Faith Partnership Award• International Friendship Award

Instructor Activity BadgesInstructor Activity Badges are available for Scouts, and can be achieved for almost all Activity Badges in the Scout Section. The requirements include: • Holding the Activity Badge that a young person wishes to obtain the Instructor Badge for.• Knowledge of the Activity Badge requirements, sufficient to enable instruction of another Scout in that subject area.• Attending a training course covering the technical skills involved in the Activity Badge and the use of appropriate training methods.• Assisting with the training of Scouts in the subject over a period of at least three months.

Young Leaders’ SchemeOne of the Programme elements of the Explorer Scout Section. All leaders in theBeaver Scout, Cub Scout and Scout Sections who are between the ages of 14 and 18 must be members of an Explorer Scout Young Leaders’ Unit. They are Explorer Scouts who choose to devote a large proportion of their time in Scouting to service in another Section.

Structure of the Scout NetworkThe Scout Network is a County Provision. However there is also the possibility for Scout Districts to host Networks. The various types of Scout Network are: • A County Scout Network.• A District Scout Network.• A Special Interest Scout Network. All Scout Networks are supported by a Scout Network Leader. As well as this, each Scout Network will also elect a Scout Network Chair. This person will act as a co-ordinator. The Scout Network chair is a member of the Scout Network.

18 to 25-year-olds must ‘opt-in’ to the Scout Network. This will have implications for anyone who is completing their Queen’s Scout Award, Chief Scout’s Diamond Award or the Explorer Belt, as anyone over 18 must be a member of their Scout Network as a youth member to complete a Scouting Award.

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Publications and resourcesFurther information can be found on www.scouts.org.uk and in the following resources: Colony Essentials, Pack Essentials, Troop Essentials, Unit Essentials, Young Leaders’ Scheme Essentials and Network Essentials, The Colony Programme, The Pack Programme, The Troop Programme and The Unit Programme.

A wide range of activity ideas and programme material can be found on Programmes Online at www.scouts.org.uk/pol There are also a number of other publications and resources available to support leaders in their role, these are available from www.scouts.org.uk/shop

Copyright © 2012 The Scout Association, Registered Charity Numbers 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).

BEAVER SCOUT GAMES A complete guide for leaders

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LogbookThis Beaver Scout

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Tel: 0845 300 1818

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THE UNIT

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MORE ACTIVITIES, IDEAS AND RESOURCES

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