What is Explorer Scouting?
Explorer Scouts are young people, usually aged between 14 and 18 years old. They make up the fourth Section of the Scouting family.
Uniform
Explorer Scouts wear a brown shirt or blouse with a Unit necker and navy blue activity trousers or skirt with a Scout belt. They can wear an Explorer Belt/Young Leader Belt and buckle if this has been awarded.
What do Explorer Scouts' do?
The Explorer Scout’s programme offers a balanced range of activities covering the outdoors; skills; physical recreation; community service; environment; international; values and relationships. As well as these opportunities there is also the option of becoming a Young Leader (See information below)
To support the programme there are a range of badges and awards for the Explorer Scout these include:
Activity Badges
These are badges that can be gain for reaching a required standard in a particular field; there are 30 different badges available for Explorer Scout. These badges cover a ll sorts or activities including: air activities; community; creative; emergency aid; lifesaver; mountain activities; recreation; science & technology; scouting skills; nautical skills; and water activities.
Staged Activity Badges
These badges can be gained by any member throughout the sections, when they meet the level appropriate for that stage. There are 6 staged activity badges, they are:
- Nights Away
- Hikes Away
- Swimming
- Emergency Aid
- Information Technology
- Musician
Participation Awards
These are numbered badges that demonstrate your years of commitment to Scouting; if you have come through the sections from Beaver Scouts to Explorers you will already have received a number of these badges. You will receive a participation badge for each year you spend as an Explorer Scout.
Partnership Awards
To gain a partnership award you must work with another Section, or another youth group or organisation, on a project which fits the criteria. Partnership awards are available in 3 areas, they are:
- International Partnership Award
- Environment Partnership Award
- Faith Partnership Award
Chief Scout’s Awards
There are two levels of award available to members of the Explorer Scout Section: These are the Chief Scout Platinum Award, which is the next stage up from the Chief Scout Gold Award available to Scouts and the Chief Scout Diamond Award, which is the highest of the Chief Scouts Awards and the last step before the Queen’s Scout Award.
Queen’s Scout Award
The Queen’s Scout Award is the top award in Scouting, it is available to members of the Explorer Scout and Scout Network Sections aged from 16 to 25. This award is designed to allow members to demonstrate all the skill and achievements they have developed through Scouting.
Explorer Belt
The Explorer Belt is open to Explorer Scouts aged 16 and over and members of the Scout Network. Members take part in a ten-day expedition designed to allow those who take part to learn about a different country, the people who live their and their culture.
Young Leaders
Once registered as an Explorer you are eligible to take part in the Young Leader Scheme. As a Young Leader you may work with one of the younger Sections contributing to and helping with the running of the section. To be a Young Leader you need to be registered as a Young Leader and undertake Young Leader training.
Moving-on Award
This is an award received when you successfully complete the moving on from Explorer Scouts to Scout Network and make the Scout Promise as a Network member
Images courtesy of scouts.org.uk