Northampton District Scouts

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The Scout Section is for young people, boys and girls, usually aged between 10½ and 14 years. A young person can come in to the troop at 10 and may stay until they are 15 years old. The Scout Troop is the third and final Section in the Scout Group.

Scouts are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities as part of their programme. "Participation" rather than meeting set standards is the key approach and for the Scout who wants to be recognised for his or her achievements there are a number of Challenges Awards and Activity Badges. Scouts take part in a balanced programme that helps them to find out about the world in which they live, encourages them to know their own abilities and the importance of keeping fit and helps develop their creative talents. It also provides opportunities to explore their own values and personal attitudes.

Being outdoors is important and half the Programme is given over to taking part in both the traditional Scouting skills, such as camping, survival and cooking as well as the wide range of adventurous activities, anything from abseiling to yachting.

The international aspect gives Scouting a special appeal and many Scouts now travel abroad during their time in the section. In 2002/3 25,000 Scouts from around the World attended the World Jamboree in Thailand. Even more are expected to attend the World Jamboree in The United Kingdom in 2007. But before this we have the European Jamboree in 2005, Eurojam. This will be for Scouts and Explorer Scouts between the ages of 11 and 18 and will provide a fantastic opportunity for young people, from different parts of Europe, to share a unique experience.

Scouting is about being with friends, as part of a team, participating fully in the adventure and opportunities of life.

The philosophy underpinning the programme is that every Scout should participate in a Balanced Programme over a period of time - usually one year.

In Scouting, "programme" has the widest possible interpretation. Programme is not just all the activities that Scouts can take part in. It includes almost anything from archery to youth hostelling. It is also how we do those activities, known as the method, and why we do them, known as the purpose.

This means that when Leaders plan an activity for their Scouts, they need to consider both how the activity will be done, why they are doing it and how it fits into the Balanced Programme.

The second word to consider is "balanced". The Programme is designed to help young people to grow and develop so at it's heart are six "personal development areas" (see below).

For Scouting to achieve its purpose, Scouts need to grow and develop in each of these areas, through a Balanced Programme that offers the widest variety of activities and methods.

The Scout Leaders, working with their Scouts, are responsible for planning and delivering a Balanced Programme.

Programme Zones split the whole programme into manageable areas. Each Zone represents a different development area in a young person's life.

There are six Programme Zones in the Scout Section. These are:

Scoutcraft and Adventure.
Global.
Community.
Fit for Life.
Exploring Beliefs and Attitudes.
Creative Expression.

These Zones are delivered using ten methods, which give the programme variety and range. Sometimes one method will be more suitable than another. On occasions you may use a number of methods within the same activity. So we should give your Scouts opportunities to take part in: