What is Beaver Scouting?

In October 1982, The Scout Association introduced "Beavers" for 6 to 8 year olds in response to a growing demand within the movement for such an optional activity to be available at the discretion of individual Groups.

This age range had in fact existed for some years in a number of other countries. Beavers in Northern Ireland started some 15 years earlier. Some informal projects had also developed in areas of Scotland and England. Initially Beavers were not full Members of the Movement, that did not come about until 1986. Then beavers became recognised as a full training section and took the title of "Beaver Scouts".

In 1991 girls were admitted to Beaver Scouts for the first time. The Beaver Scout Programme was extensively overhauled in 1995.

The principles of the beaver scout programme are:

• Making friends
• Sharing
• Making progress
• Keeping the promise
• Having fun

These underlie all that is done in beaver scouting. They describe what beaver scouting is all about In delivering our programme each week we ensure the beavers take part in the following:

• Make things
• Meet new people
• Sing and make music
• Listen to stories
• Pray and worship
• Try new things
• Chat
• Hikes and walks
• Act and mime
• Go on visits
• Play games

The beaver scout programme is based on some key areas;

• Beaver scouts get to know people - finding out about people in their family, the family of scouting and the local community and the wider world.
• Beaver scouts explore - discovering the existing world of science, nature and technology, exploring the natural and manmade world.
• Beaver scouts care - growing in their love of god and responding to he needs of others, the local community and the wider world.

The elements of all Beaver activities do indeed aim towards having FUN and making FRIENDS and there is an exciting mix of adventure and achievement. A project & team approach is often used but with every encouragement for the individual to make their own personal contribution.

What do Beaver scouts wear?

Beaver scouts currently wear a turquoise jumper and navy blue bottoms. These can be jogging bottoms , school trousers or scout trousers. We provide a group necker and a woggle.

What do Beaver Scouts do?

When the beaver has been to a few meetings they are invited to become invested. This involves understanding about the scouting family, learning the promise and the motto.

The Beaver Scout Promise

I promise to do my best
To be kind and helpful
and to love my God

From January 2014 an alternative promise will be available for those with no affirmed faith and humanists

I promise to do my best
To be kind and helpful
And to love our world

The Motto

Fun and friends

The Beaver Scout Programme includes such activities as:-

• Caring for the Environment
• Model Making / Craft
• Cooking
• First Aid
• Exploring
• Helping Others
• Games
• Sleepovers

Beaver Scouts will enjoy a great deal of FUN and ADVENTURE whilst in the colony. They will have opportunities to gain awards and badges. These awards are given in recognition of the effort made by each youngster at their own level of development and understanding.

Activity badges

There are twelve activity badges that the beaver scouts can gain during their two year period in beavers, these allow Beaver Scouts to show their progress in existing pursuits, but also to try all kinds of new things and form new interests. There are six staged activity badges with five levels that can be earned throughout all the sections .

Challenge badges

Gaining a challenge badge involves accomplishing a number of more ambitious tasks within the Colony or community. There are six challenge badges across a number of themes, from the physical and outdoorsy to challenges dealing with the local community or issues connected with the Scouting world. The content of these are usually covered during the weekly meetings

The Chief Scout Bronze Award

This is the highest award a beaver can earn and involves completing all the challenge awards.

Beaver Mailing list Emails are regularly sent out to Beaver parent's regarding the Beaver programme and activities, if you are not already subscribed to the mailing list you are missing out on important information. Please contact the Beaver Leader Team to be added to the list.