Scouts' Balanced Programme & Badges

The Balanced Programme

At Scouts we aim to run a Balanced Programme. This means that we aim to cover six areas of the Scouts’ development:

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

We plan our Programme carefully to try and ensure that it is as active and fun as possible, whilst developing the Scouts’ teamwork, leadership and responsibility, commitment, relationships and personal development. We aim to cover each of these elements by applying various different methods:

• Outdoor activities
• Games
• Design and creativity
• Visits and visitors
• Service
• Technology and new skills
• Team-building activities
• Activities with others
• Themes
• Prayer, worship and reflection

Awards, Challenges and Badges

Traditionally the Scout’s have always been encouraged to earn various awards and badges throughout their Scouting career. When the Balanced Programme was introduced the awards and badges were updated at the same time. The aim of the Programme is that if a Scout actively participates in Tuesday evenings they will achieve some of their Awards and Challenge Badges.

Each enrolled member of the Scout Association received a Membership Award. In addition the boys will receive a Participation Award for each year that they are in the Scout Movement. A Moving On is awarded when Cubs move up to Scouts and when Scouts move on to Explorers.

There are nine CHALLENGE BADGES: Outdoor Challenge, Outdoor Plus Challenge, Adventure Challenge, Expedition Challenge, Creative Challenge, Fitness Challenge, Global Challenge, Promise Challenge and Community Challenge. We aim to cover all the aspects of at least one of these challenges each year. In addition, many of the requirements of the Outdoor Challenge at covered at our annual Summer Camp. Most of our Scouts have gained the Creative Challenge and those that have attended some of our camps have also received the Outdoor Challenge and the Adventure Challenge.

In addition, there is the Chief Scouts Gold Award, which requires the scout to hold the Promise, Community, Fitness, Creative, Global and Outdoor Challenges, plus two of the Outdoor Plus, Adventure and Expedition Challenges. This award is presented at a County presentation.

There are also over 70 different ACTIVITY BADGES. Many of these badges can be awarded for activities that the Scouts take part in outside of their Scouting activities.

There are four Staged Activity Badges, which are Swimming, Information Technology, Musician and Nights Away. These badges can be started in the Beaver and/or Cub sections and carried on into Scouts. The Nights Away badge is awarded when you spend time away with the Troop and this is easily accumulated in the Scout section.

As a Troop we try to cover some of the other Activity Badges. For example, this year we are working towards the Camp Cook Badge and the Meteorologist Badge. In addition, Epsom & Ewell District run several badge courses with the aim of achieving the Fire Safety Badge, Pioneers Badge, Canoeist Badge and Emergency Aid Badge.

There are also a whole range of badges to cater for nearly all the Scouts’ hobbies and interests. These include; Cycling, Snowsports, DIY, Photography, Chef, Angler, Artist, Mechanic and many many more. All the badge requirements can be found at www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/badges/scout-activity-index.htm.

The badges all have specific locations on the Scout shirt as shown. With the exception of the Staged Activity Badges, only badges worn in the Scout section should be worn on the uniform. Click on the image on the right to enlarge.

We usually award badges a couple of times a year, in the Summer Term and in the Autumn term. So if you think you are due a badge, but haven’t received it, don’t panic we haven’t forgotten you.

If you would any more information with regards to any of the badges and/or think you have covered all the requirements for any of the badges please let Scouts Leader know.