Beavers

Since Beaver Scouts became a part of The Scout Association in 1986, it has been one of the fastest growing Sections. It currently has somewhere in the region of 100,000 members in 7,000 Colonies!

What do Beaver Scouts do?

Beavers take part in a wide range of activities. These include making things, singing, playing games, going out on visits, investigating nature, listening to stories, learning how to be safe and most importantly, making new friends. They do this through taking part in a programme of activities provided by the leadership team.

The philosophy underpinning the programme is that every Beaver Scout should participate in a Balanced Programme over a period of time. This ensures that all young people experience a quality programme covering a wide range of subjects, so that they develop in all of the Personal Development Areas. To help, the Balanced Programme is divided into a number of Programme Zones and Methods:

• Beliefs and attitudes
• Community
• Creative
• Fitness
• Global
• Outdoor and
• Adventure

You can see what’s on the programme at Beacon by looking at our calendar on the website.

Who can join?

Beaver Scouting is open to young people aged between six and eight years old who want to join and can make the Beaver Scout Promise.

You should however note that the waiting list for the Beaver Colony at Beacon is currently closed to anyone who will be six before 1 January 2023. You can find out about other local Beaver Colonies here.

Beaver Promise

Scouting differs from many organisations in that it requires its Members to make a Promise, which is worded as follows:

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

Different wordings of the promise are available for those of different faiths who may prefer not to use the word “God” and for those with special circumstances and needs.

By making the promise a young person becomes a Member of the worldwide Movement; they become a Scout.

The Motto The motto for all Members of the Movement is:

Be Prepared

Beaver Scout Uniform

Beaver Scouts wear a turquoise sweatshirt. They also wear a neckerchief in green with a burgundy border. They also have a woggle, to keep their scarf up. A woggle will be provided at their investiture and with reflect the colour of the Lodge they are in (see below on how Beaver Scouts are organised). There are several other items of optional uniform.

For official public events and Church parade, Beavers should also wear smart dark trousers and dark polished shoes.

How Beaver Scouts are organised

Beaver Scouts meet together as a Colony and work within a variety of small groups called “Lodges”. A team of adults will run the Beaver Scout Colony. Some will be uniformed Leaders, others may be informal Assistants or helpers. Explorer Scouts who are Young Leaders also assist the leadership team in the running of the Colony.

Investiture

Making the Promise is the most important act in Scouting and is common to every Section. Scouting has a special ceremony for making the Promise called Investiture or being invested. When a young person makes their Promise they receive their Group Scarf, The Membership Award and are welcomed as a new Member into the Scout family.

The investiture usually takes place on the sixth week of attendance with the section, and parents are invited to attend to watch the ceremony.

Church Parade

Beacon Scout Group is sponsored by The Beacon Church Centre. All members of the group are expected to make every effort to attend the five church parades held at The Beacon Church, and St Georges Day Parade, organised by the Scout District.

Badges and Awards

Badges and awards are given in recognition of the effort made by each young person at their own level.

The Membership Award helps the young person understand the commitment they are making when they make the Promise and become a Member of the Movement. It covers the history, traditions and practices of Scouting.

Challenge Awards complement the Balanced Programme. These have been developed to extend Beaver Scouts’ skills and experience in a particular area. There are six Challenges in the Beaver Scout Section. The Chief Scout’s Bronze Award is the highest award available in the Beaver Scout Section. It is gained by completing all the Challenge Awards plus four activity badges.

Activity Badges are optional, but they provide an opportunity to reward a young person who has taken part in an activity over a period of time. They should raise interest and extend a young person’s skills throughout their time in Scouting. There are 22 Beaver Scout Activity Badges. In addition there are 15 Staged Activity Badges which gives a young person the opportunity to develop an area of interest throughout their time in Scouting from 6 – 18.

Joining In Awards recognise a commitment to Scouting. They celebrate Beaver Scouts participating in a Balanced Programme over a period of time. They are awarded on the anniversary of the young person joining Scouting.

The Moving-On Award helps ease the transfer of a Beaver Scout to the Cub Scout Pack. It also allows the Beaver Scout to be invested into the Pack immediately, recognising that they are already Members of the Scout Movement.

Position of badges on the Beaver Scout Uniform

Uniform can be purchased from Scout Shops.

Behaviour

We have a responsibility to make sure Scouting is safe for all members. If any child behaves in a manner which could jeopardise the safety of the activity we are running, they will be removed from that activity. If necessary we may call you as parents/carers to collect your child.

Please do ensure that you alert us in advance to any health or emotional issues your child may have, whether permanent or temporary, so we can avoid issues where at all possible. This will help us to plan our activity to make sure it accommodates the needs of all the children without singling any individual out.

Beacon Beaver Colony

Beavers meet every Monday during term time. Most meetings are held 6pm – 7pm at The Beacon Church Centre, Whetty Lane. Some meetings may be held outside the Church or timings to achieve a balanced and exciting programme.

To contact the Beaver leaders please email: beavers@beaconscoutgroup.org.uk