Scouting: An Educational System

SCOUTING:
AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
World Organization
of the Scout Movement
Organisation Mondiale
du Mouvement Scout
STRATEGY
S
THIS DOCUMENT IS A
PART OF THE IMPLEMEN-
TATION OF THE STRATEGY
© Copyright 1998, World Scout Bu-

reau. Reprinted 1998.
Reproduction is authorized to national
Scout associations which are members
of the World Organization of the Scout
Movement. Others should request per-
mission from publishers.
World Scout Bureau

P.O. Box 241,
1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
worldbureau@world.scout.org
http://www.scout.org
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION page 1
WHAT IS SCOUTING? page 3
WHAT DOES SCOUTING SEEK TO ACHIEVE? page 7
WHAT IS SCOUTING’S APPROACH TO EDUCATION? page 11
WHAT IS THE SCOUT METHOD? page 13
THE SCOUT LAW AND PROMISE page 15
LEARNING BY DOING page 21
THE TEAM SYSTEM (OR PATROL SYSTEM) page 25
A SYMBOLIC FRAMEWORK page 33
NATURE page 41
PERSONAL PROGRESSION page 47
ADULT SUPPORT page 57
CONCLUSION page 61
“Scouting: An educational system” is intended help Scout leaders in their work, as well as
INTRODUCTION to help everyone interested in gaining a greater the kind of support they are likely to need.
understanding of how Scouting works as an Finally, this section examines how each of the
educational system. It is intended for use by elements translates from the theoretical level
those responsible for ensuring that the Scout- into the practical level in the Scout unit1.
ing offered to young people is the rich and
multi-faceted learning experience that it is For detailed information on a step-by-step ap-
meant to be. It has been written as a tool for proach to Youth Programme development
the Youth Programme and Adult Resources (whether your Scout association is in the proc-
teams at national level, but it is hoped that it ess of developing a Youth Programme for the
can be of use for all those at other levels who first time, or whether the Youth Programme is
do their best to provide support to Scout lead- being reviewed), the World Scout Bureau has
ers. produced a series of publications entitled “A
Guide to Programme Development”. Another
A large proportion of the publication is de- publication, “Scouting in practice: Ideas for
voted to the Scout Method in particular be- Scout leaders”, is intended to present the ba-
cause it is the Scout Method that encapsulates sics of what Scout leaders need to know in
Scouting’s educational system as it is experi- order to practise Scouting.
enced by young people. The publication at-
tempts to explain each of the elements of the
Scout Method and to illustrate how they inter-
act and complement each other as a system.
The section on the Scout Method provides in-

formation on how each element is meant to
help to stimulate the development of the young
person. It offers ideas, without any attempt at
providing an exhaustive list, on areas that a 1
Throughout this document, “Scout unit” is used in a generic sense,
Youth Programme development or review referring to the youth members of an age section and the adult leader
group should look at when examining how to operating together in a locality, e.g. a pack, a troop, or a unit. “Team” is
make the Scout Method as effective as possi- also used in its generic sense, when referring to the local level, to denote
ble. It also provides ideas on tools that can the smaller groups of 6-8 young people within the Scout unit, e.g. patrol.
Scouting: An Educational System - Page 1
Page 2 – Scouting: An Educational System
A MOVEMENT OF SELF-EDUCATION FOR YOUNG Its principles
WHAT IS SCOUTING? PEOPLE
Wherever they may be, members are actively
Scouting is a movement of self-education for committed to the principles (i.e. the values)
young people. The Scout Movement comprises on which Scouting is founded, which form both
national Scout organisations to which the in- the basis of the code of ethics which governs
dividual members belong. The individual mem- the Movement as a whole and a personal code
bers are the young people that Scouting serves of living to which each member adheres. These
and adults who join in order to contribute to principles are about a person’s active and con-
the development of Scouting’s youth members. structive commitment to the spiritual values of
life, to society and to oneself.
The unity of the Movement is ensured by the
World Organization of the Scout Movement Its method
which serves recognised national Scout organi-
sations. All members are equally committed to the way
in which Scouting seeks to help young peo-
Its purpose ple to develop - through Scouting’s unique
method of progressive self-education. The
All over the world, members of the World Or- Scout Method is a comprehensive educational
ganization of the Scout Movement are united framework composed of elements which work
by a common, active commitment to Scout- together as a system to provide young people
ing’s purpose which is to help young people with a rich and active learning environment. It
to develop their full physical, intellectual, emo- is based on how young people naturally de-
tional, social and spiritual capacities as indi- velop, taking into account their evolving char-
viduals and as members of society, and thus acteristics, needs and interests at different
contribute to the development of a better stages of development.
world.

Together, Scouting’s purpose, principles and els of maturity can only approximately be the Scout Movement, nor to remain a mem-
method form the essence of Scouting’s educa- measured by age, but would normally corre- ber. Scouting is not like school, at which at-
tional system, i.e. they are the foundation on spond to a few years either side of the second tendance is usually compulsory between cer-
which Scouting is based all over the world. decade of life. tain ages.
In order for the Movement to achieve its edu- A movement of young people, supported by adults Every member - young or adult - who does
cational goals, the Movement as a whole must choose to join is required to make a personal
The young people in the Movement are sup-
provide the global conditions for this to hap- commitment to the Scout Movement. First and
ported by adults, whose role is to facilitate
pen. Thus the Scout Movement is also charac- foremost, this commitment is to respect and
and provide the necessary conditions for the
terised by the fact that it is: act according to the code of ethics inherent in
development of the youth members. As mem-
bers of a movement of self-education, and in the fundamental principles of the Movement.
A movement for young people, especially suited a spirit of partnership with adults, young peo-
for adolescents ple participate in the decision-making proc- More globally, this voluntary commitment also
esses of the Movement, in ways which are ap- extends to achieving the educational purpose
Scouting exists for the benefit of young peo- propriate to their level of maturity, skills and of Scouting, as every member commits him or
ple. While Scouting’s educational system is par- experience, so as to ensure the relevance of herself to the educational proposal of the na-
ticularly suited for the adolescent age range, what Scouting offers to them. tional Scout association to which he or she
the upper age limit depends on factors which belongs. For youth members, this commitment
define what “youth” means from an educa- Open to all concerns their own personal development. For
tional perspective within a particular culture adults, this commitment is to help provide the
and society. Membership of the Scout Movement is open conditions necessary for young people to de-
to anyone who agrees to adhere to its educa- velop.
In general terms, the upper age limit would tional proposal (i.e. its purpose, principles and
normally correspond to a general level of ma- method); in other words it does not discrimi-
nate against anyone because of his or her reli-
Non-political
turity at which a person no longer needs Scout-
gion, ethnic origin, social background or gen-
ing’s structured educational approach in or- Scouting is non-political, in the sense that it is
der.
der to continue the process of self-education. not involved in the struggle for power of party
politics. At the same time, Scouting’s educa-
The lower limit corresponds to a minimum
Voluntary
tional system aims to help young people to
level of maturity required for Scouting’s edu- Scouting is voluntary. All members - young be, and develop as, responsible and construc-
cational system to function and thus for young people and supporting adults - join of their tive individuals and members of society. Young
people to benefit from it. Evidently, these lev- own free will. There is no compulsion to join people cannot do so in a vacuum, divorced
from the socio-political realities of the world Relevant to young people
in which they live.
Scouting seeks to be relevant to young people
Scouting’s educational approach, therefore, in the various socio-cultural environments in
encourages young people to develop their own which they grow up, and to continuously ad-
powers of judgment, and to take an active and just to meet the needs of young people in a
constructive role in society which is in har- rapidly changing world.
mony with the values for which Scouting
stands.
Independent As a movement, this is one of our greatest

“Here are some of the things that Scout-
challenges: continuously adjusting so as to be
ing is not:
While the Movement works in partnership with even more relevant to young people’s aspira-
a number of outside bodies and receives sup- tions and needs while remaining faithful to • it is not a charity organisation for
port from benefactors all over the world, Scout- Scouting’s purpose, principles and method. people in society to run for the benefit of
ing, at all levels, is independent in the sense the poor children;
of being free from control by any outside body Being able to determine what is essential and
or individual. invariable from what is not essential and vari- • it is not a school having a definite
able is not easy for newly constituted Scout curriculum and standards of achieve-
Complementary to other forms of education associations who are considering this issue for ment;
the first time. The task is not an easy one ei- • it is not a brigade of officers and
Scouting is a non-formal educational move- ther for Scout associations that have existed privates for drilling manliness into boys
ment. In other words, it is not part of the for- for decades, some for almost a century, steeped and girls;
mal educational system (school, etc.), nor is it in rich memories of “the way things have al-
informal (friends, media, etc.) as it does offer ways been done”. • it is not a show where surface results
a structured approach to education. Scouting are gained through payment as merit
does not seek to reproduce what school, fam- badges, medals, etc.;
ily, religious institutions, leisure clubs, etc., are These all come from without, whereas the
already offering young people. It seeks to com- Scout training all comes from within.”
plement what others are doing by helping to
fill gaps that may not be being met by others. - “Aids to Scoutmastership”, Baden-Powell, 1919 edition.

“EDUCATION? BUT THAT IS SCHOOL!”
WHAT DOES SCOUTING A DEFINITION OF EDUCATION:
Scouting is an educational movement for young
SEEK TO ACHIEVE? people. However, “education” means differ-
ent things to different people. In everyday lan-
A life-long process which enables the continuous development of
a person’s capacities both as an individual and as a member of
guage in some parts of the world, education is society.
primarily associated, at its most basic level,
with learning to read, write and master basic THE GOAL OF EDUCATION:
arithmetic and, on a higher level, with gaining
academic knowledge and vocational skills To contribute to the full development of an autonomous, support-
through school, university, and so on. ive, responsible and committed individual.
In Scouting, however, education is considered Autonomous:

in its broad sense as being the process through
which each of us develops our various capa- able to make one’s own decisions and to manage one’s
bilities throughout life, both as an individual life.
and as a member of society.
Supportive:
The aim of education, in this broad sense, is
to contribute to the full development of an able to actively care about and for others.
“Education is at the heart of both per- autonomous2, supportive, responsible and
sonal and community development; its committed person. Responsible:
mission is to enable each of us, without
able to assume the consequences of one’s decisions,
exception, to develop all our talents to the
to keep one’s commitments and to complete what one
full and to realize our creative potential,
undertakes.
including responsibility for our own lives
and achievement of our personal aims.” 2
The term “autonomy”, like education, often means different things to Committed:
different people. In an educational context it means being able to make
- “Learning: The Treasure Within”, Report to UNESCO of the up one’s own mind (as opposed to, for example, blindly copying one’s able to live according to one’s values, to support causes
International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, peers) and to manage one’s life (for example, being able to manage
or an ideal which one finds important.
1996. one’s time). Autonomy here does not mean total independence, nor does
it imply being self-centred.
THE PURPOSE OF SCOUTING By encouraging young people to use and de- A CONSTRUCTIVE DIRECTION: SCOUTING’S
velop all of their capacities in a constructive PRINCIPLES
According to Scouting’s educational philoso- way today, Scouting seeks to help young peo-
phy, each person is born with a unique po- ple to realise that they have within themselves Every movement - or organised body, for that
tential which can be developed in a construc- what it takes to already make a difference - to matter - has a number of fundamental beliefs
tive direction. their own lives and to the world in which they which underlie the purpose of its existence,
live. orient what it seeks to achieve and how it goes
Making this potential a reality involves devel- about achieving its goals.
oping all of one’s capacities - physical, intel- As they become ready to expand their hori-
lectual, emotional, social and spiritual - in the zons and seek new challenges, Scouting helps As an educational movement, Scouting clearly
direction of the goals to be achieved. them to use their experience and to further has a social responsibility: to the young peo-
develop their capacities to live and grow as ple it serves, to the families who entrust their
Evidently, as education is the work of a life- fulfilled individuals and as active and construc- cherished youngsters to Scouting’s care and
time, Scouting cannot fully develop anyone’s tive members of society. to the world at large.
potential in all areas. Scouting can simply ac-
company each Scout, for a time, along that Whether or not a person will actually develop The goals of education are clear: to develop
person’s path of development and help each that potential depends, amongst other factors, as an autonomous, supportive, responsible and
person to develop the inner resources he or on the presence of a supportive, structured committed individual and member of society.
she will need to continue to develop without environment during the formative years which
Scouting’s help. After all, if Scouting were a stimulates the young person to bring out of “The aim of development is the com-
crutch on which people relied all their lives, it him or herself - and develop - what is con- plete fulfilment of man, in all the
would certainly have failed in what it is trying structive, to the detriment of what is destruc- richness of his or her personality, the
to achieve. tive. Scouting seeks to offer young people such complexity of his or her forms of
an environment. expression and his or her various
Scouting, therefore, simply seeks to make a commitments - as individual, member
contribution to this process of self-education of a family and of a community,
during the years when a person can truly ben- citizen and producer, inventor of
efit from its structured educational support techniques and creative dreamer.”
system. The age range for which Scouting can
most benefit young people corresponds ap- -- ”Learning: The Treasure Within”, Report to UNESCO of the
International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first
proximately to the second decade of life.
Century, 1996.

However, there must be clear guidelines which Being able to do so presupposes striving to • helping out in times of need and defending
orient the development of the young person get to know oneself better in all the richness the defenceless, whether they are one’s next-
towards these goals. and complexity that characterizes each per- door neighbour or whether they live in a very
son with strengths and weaknesses, hopes, different environment at the other end of the
It is Scouting’s principles (generally referred needs, and so on. world.
to as “Duty to self”, “Duty to others” and “Duty
• recognising and taking into account, in the
to God”) which provide these guidelines. They Duty to others way in which one lives one’s life, the integrity
are the basis of the value system which gov-
In broad terms, this is one’s responsibility to- of the natural world.
erns the Movement as a whole. These princi-
ples, therefore, give direction to Scouting’s wards everything material that is not oneself.
educational policy as a Movement, to the edu- This means: Duty to God
cational approach used with young people and Each person has a responsibility to search be-
to the way in which the elements of the Scout • recognising and taking into account in the
way in which one lives one’s life that one is yond what is material for a force higher than
Method are used so as to give constructive mankind. This involves seeking:
and coherent direction to the development of not the only important person on this earth,
the young person. that each person has rights, feelings, hopes, • a Spiritual Reality that gives meaning and
needs, etc.; direction to one’s life; and
Duty to self • to discover meaning in spiritual values and
• recognising that people are interdependent,
i.e. no one can live in isolation from others. to live one’s daily life in accordance with these
Each person has a duty to develop one’s au- values.
tonomy and assume responsibility for oneself. Everyone needs relationships with others in
This includes: order to fulfil themselves as persons and every-
one can benefit from the contribution that each
• taking responsibility for one’s own develop- person makes to the world.
ment (physical, intellectual, emotional, social When these three simple principles are truly
and spiritual); part of a way of life and are adhered to simul-
Each person, therefore, has a responsibility
taneously, any form of fundamentalism or fa-
• striving to live life in a way which respects towards others. This involves:
naticism is necessarily excluded.
oneself as a person (e.g. taking care of one’s • respecting each person’s dignity;
health, standing up for one’s rights as a hu-
man being, making decisions that one feels • playing an active and constructive role in
deep inside are right for oneself as a person, society and making a personal contribution to
etc.). it;

A DIRECTION OF DEVELOPMENT IN EACH AREA • extract meaning from one’s experiences; Spiritual:
As Scouting’s principles give direction to the • judge things for oneself, to think through
the implications of one’s decisions and actions, Developing the ability to:
development of the young person, the princi-
ples are also reflected in what Scouting seeks and to retain one’s own free will. • acknowledge and explore a dimension be-
to help young people to achieve in each of yond mankind;
the areas of development, i.e. physical, intel- Emotional: • explore the spiritual heritage of one’s com-
lectual, emotional, social and spiritual: munity;
Developing the ability to:
• understand the beliefs, practices and cus-
Physical: • acknowledge, recognise and express feel- toms of other world religions;
ings and emotions and to take responsibility
Developing the ability to: for managing these in daily life. • integrate spiritual values into one’s daily life
• coordinate one’s movements and thought and in the global direction of one’s develop-
processes (psycho-motor skills); Social: ment towards a higher and more unified state
of consciousness.
• take responsibility for the growth, function-
ing and health of one’s body; Developing the ability to:
• come to terms with one’s physical limita- • listen and to express oneself effectively;
The abilities listed are not exhaustive, but pro-
tions. • accept other people as distinct human be-
vide the basis on which national Scout asso-
ings with equal rights; ciations can develop concrete educational ob-
Intellectual: • take into account the interdependence of jectives which take into account the needs of
Developing the ability to: mankind, and of mankind and the natural young people at various stages of develop-
world; ment within a specific socio-cultural environ-
• pursue interests, solve problems and adapt
ment.
to situations in a relevant way through effec- • cooperate, to support and to lead;
tive information management, creative think- • take an active and constructive role in soci- As the areas of development reflect dimen-
ing and intuition; ety and contribute towards a better quality of sions of the whole personality, in a real per-
• perceive patterns, connections and relation- life for all; son the abilities listed depend upon or involve
ships between phenomena, events, ideas, etc; development in more than one area. It is the
• foster authentic relationships and an inter-
well-balanced and harmonious development
• develop receptivity to other perspectives of cultural awareness, overcoming prejudice and
of the whole personality towards greater au-
reality (e.g. understanding different ways of discrimination; tonomy, solidarity, responsibility and commit-
looking at things; understanding cultural, reli- • adhere to common rules out of one’s own ment that would describe what Baden-Powell
gious, age, gender-related standpoints, etc.); free will. called a person of “character”.
Scouting’s approach to education has to be - inviting each young person to develop to
WHAT IS SCOUTING’S coherent with what it seeks to achieve. Here the best of that person’s ability (“doing one’s
again, it is the principles, the fundamental best”). There is therefore no comparison of
APPROACH TO beliefs on which Scouting is founded, that achievement between young people;
guide its educational approach. Thus, Scout-
EDUCATION? ing’s approach to education could be described
as being person-centred, community-related
- the flexibility of Scouting’s educational sys-
tem which enables each young person to de-
and spiritually-oriented. velop in the way which is most relevant to
him or her through:
Person-centred
- translating the general educational ob-
Scouting’s approach is person-centred in the jectives proposed for the age section into
sense that: a set of personalised objectives, with help
from the adult leader;
• Scouting accepts each young person as he
or she is - a unique human being with his or - progressing through pursuing his or her
her own personal background and experience interests and exploring his or her con-
of life thus far, variations in needs, capacities, cerns;
interests and pace of development.
- developing at his or her own pace. The
It recognises the uniqueness of each person approach takes into account that devel-
through: opment does not take place at the same
pace in each dimension, nor does it take
- respecting each person’s free will to decide place in a constant surge forward. There
to join Scouting or not; are no absolute deadlines.
- proposing a framework of self-education (i.e. • Scouting’s approach is also person-centred

as Baden-Powell described it: “education from in the sense that it seeks to help each young
within”, as opposed to “instruction from with- person to develop his or her whole self
out”); through:

- educational objectives which cover knowl- - offering young people the experience of a • continuously strive to put into practice those
edge, skills and attitudes in each of the di- micro-society, based on a democratic way of values in the way in which one lives one’s
mensions of the human personality; life, taking into account the needs and inter- life.
ests of all;
- a multi-faceted method which emphasises
personal experience (as opposed to, for ex- - promoting a sense of belonging in young
ample, just intellectual understanding); people - to their Scout unit and to their local, Of course, however ambitious what Scouting
national and international community; seeks to achieve may be, and however com-
- many, varied opportunities for experiences, prehensive its educational approach, it cannot
spread over time, likely to contribute to a - offering varied opportunities for young peo- help young people to develop without the right
young person’s development. ple to interact with, and make a meaningful educational tools, and thus we come to the
contribution to, the world of which they are a Scout Method.
Community-related part (local, national and international commu-
nity, natural, cultural and spiritual environment,
Scouting’s approach is community-related in etc.);
the sense that:
- helping young people to adapt constructively
• the very goals that it pursues, i.e. to help to changes in society and to cope effectively
young people to live and develop as ever more with issues that they face or are likely to face.
autonomous, supportive, responsible and com-
mitted individuals are necessary for the long Spiritually-oriented
term development of society;
Scouting’s approach is spiritually-oriented in
• it seeks to help each young person to rec- the sense that it seeks, through everything that
ognise him or herself as a part of a whole, it proposes, to help young people to:
i.e. the world in which he or she lives. It does
so through: • look beyond the material world in search of
a Spiritual Reality;
- emphasising the development of construc-
tive relationships with others - young people • to discover for themselves those values which
and adults - based on mutual respect; give meaning to life;

A SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL ELEMENTS Taken individually, many of these educational
WHAT IS THE SCOUT tools are used in other forms of education -
The fact that Scouting’s method is referred to working in teams on projects, for example. In
METHOD? as the Scout Method (capital “M”) is because it
is composed of several different educational
Scouting, however, these different tools are re-
ferred to as elements of the Scout Method - as
tools. These are: a law and promise, learning each one is only one part of the whole. The
by doing, a team system, a symbolic frame- fact that all of these elements form a whole
work, personal progression, nature and adult and are used as a system is part of what makes
support. Scouting unique.
THE SCOUT METHOD
TEAM SYMBOLIC
SYSTEM FRAMEWORK
LEARNING LAW & PERSONAL

BY DOING PROMISE PROGRESSION
“Scouting is a medicine composed of
various ingredients and, unless they are
mixed in their proper proportions accord-
ing to the prescription, the users must not
blame the doctor if the effects on the
patient are unsatisfactory.” ADULT NATURE
SUPPORT
- Baden-Powell, Jamboree, 1922.

In the sense used here, a system could be de- tive when working with young people in the of personal development at the young per-
scribed as a network of elements in which each junior age section as they are when working son’s own pace.
element: with young people in the senior age section.
• has a specific function; The Scout Method provides an educational
Evidently, however, the way in which the ele- framework based upon how young people
• interacts with the other elements so as to ments are applied (i.e. the way in which the develop naturally. It provides an environment
reinforce the effectiveness of each one; educational “tools” are intended to be used) which responds to their need for action, chal-
• contributes to the overall purpose to be needs to reflect the maturity of the young peo- lenge and adventure; their desire to explore,
achieved - and therefore must be present. ple in the various age sections. experiment, and discover; their natural capac-
ity for inventiveness and resourcefulness; the
An important characteristic of a system is the Finally, it would be unrealistic to imagine that need to feel acknowledged, respected and
synergy that is created - in other words the each element of the Scout Method can be in appreciated as individuals; their need for close
effects of a system are greater than the sum- the foreground during every activity that the supportive relationships; their capacity for ide-
total of the effects of its parts. young people take part in. Young people can- alism and their need to make sense of the
not physically be in nature, for example, while world; and so on.
The same is true of the Scout Method. Each of they are performing a puppet show for sick
the elements has an educational function; each children in a hospital in town. However, the At the same time, the Scout Method offers a
element complements the impact of the oth- element of nature could still be present, albeit way of life which channels their energy in a
ers. If any of the elements is missing or is not
in the background - for example by taking time way which enables them to experience being
being used as intended, then the system as a
to walk through a park on the way back or by autonomous, supportive, responsible and com-
whole cannot serve its original purpose - the
progressive, holistic development of the young using recycled materials to make the puppets. mitted straight away, to the extent of their cur-
person. We cannot, therefore, apply certain el- rent capacities, while helping them to progres-
ements and disregard others, nor can we use A NATURAL SYSTEM OF PROGRESSIVE SELF- sively develop their capacities in these direc-
any of them in a way which is not consistent EDUCATION tions in a holistic, balanced and attractive way.
with Scouting’s purpose and principles.
The Scout Method is a system of progressive
The Scout Method is designed to stimulate the self-education. It is intended to help each
development of young people throughout the young person to use and develop his or her
age range that Scouting serves. This means that capacities and interests, building on what has
the educational function of each of the ele- already been gained; to find constructive ways
ments and the way in which they work to- of meeting needs at different stages of devel-
gether as a system are just as valid and effec- opment; and to open doors to further stages
THE SCOUT LAW HOW DOES IT WORK?
THE SCOUT LAW AND
A personal code of living
PROMISE WHAT IS IT?
By trying to reflect the code of living more
The Scout law and promise are considered as The Scout law is a code of living based on
often in a young person’s daily life and in the
one element of the Scout Method because they Scouting’s principles. It is a personal code of
are closely linked. However, as their specific growing number of new situations which a
living in that it serves as a reference, guiding
educational functions differ, they are treated young person encounters, the young person
the way in which each member of the Move-
as separate items in this chapter. is in fact developing him or herself.
ment lives his or her life today, and guiding
the direction of development for tomorrow. It
is also a collective code of living in that it is As this code of living is based on the princi-
the basis on which the Scout unit functions. ples of Scouting (and thus on the values un-
The Scout law is therefore at the heart of the derlying Scouting), it guides the direction of
Scout Method. the young person’s development towards a
personal exploration of these values. This code
of living is therefore personal, related to each
WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO? person’s development.
As a concrete personal and collective code of
living, the Scout law provides a simple way of
helping each young person to become famil-
“Is it possible to devise a form of
iar with what Scouting seeks to help him or
education which might make it
her to achieve and to discover the meaning of
possible to avoid conflicts or resolve
them peacefully by developing respect the various aspects of this personal and col-
for other people, their cultures and lective code of living through experiencing it
their spiritual values?” in practice. Ultimately, the Scout law can serve
as a reference in the subsequent development
- ”Learning: The Treasure Within”, Report to UNESCO of the of a young person’s value system.
Century, 1996.

A collective code of living WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT?
In addition to being a personal code of living,
the Scout law is also a collective code of liv- From an educational point of view, the Scout “The boy is not governed by DON’T, but
ing. It therefore serves as the law of a micro- law needs: led on by DO.
society of young people in which each per-
son has the same rights and duties towards • to express the qualities of a person who The Scout Law is devised as a guide to
him or herself and others. lives according to Scouting’s principles3; his actions, rather than as repressive of
his faults.”
As the Scout law is the basis on which their • to be expressed in everyday language that
small community is founded and operates, the is appropriate to the culture in which the na- - “Aids to Scoutmastership”, Baden-Powell, World Brotherhood
young people are exposed to a way of living tional Scout association operates and to the edition, 1944.
with others which is democratic, respectful of level of maturity of the young people con-
each person and which promotes a sense of cerned, i.e. very simple for the younger age
belonging, sharing, solidarity and cooperation. groups, and formulated in a slightly more ma-
ture way for the next age group, and so on;
• to be formulated so as to be relevant, inspi- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR

rational and attractive to young people. It there- PROGRAMME DELIVERY?
fore needs to be expressed in positive terms,
i.e. “A Scout is” as opposed to “A Scout is not”; Preparing adults for their work with young
people at local level should involve opportu-
• to be sufficiently short so as to be easily nities for them to explore the values underly-
remembered - it is not intended to be a long, ing the Scout law and how this code of living
exhaustive list. translates into their everyday work with the
young people. This would include examining
the kinds of relationships to be promoted, the
implications of the Scout law on the way in
3
which the group should function, etc. For ex-
In order to ensure the unity of the Scout Movement, the Scout law and
ample, any practice that could be potentially
promise formulated by each national Scout association is subject to
approval by the World Scout Committee, through its Constitutions
humiliating would not be consistent with re-
Committee. specting the dignity of others.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR that they have contributed to establishing. Evi- pose is not to make the young person feel
PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION? dently, the adult leader needs to ensure that terrible, but to understand and, if possible, to
rules concerning safety measures, etc., are in- remedy the situation.
While its function as an educational tool may cluded.
seem quite complex, it is not difficult to apply The code of living applies to both adults and
in everyday life with a group of young peo- The Scout law provides an excellent evalua- young people. The code of living is not a set
ple. tion tool, both in terms of bringing out the of rules which apply only to young people
connections between the degree to which the because “they have got to respect rules”. The
The Scout law is deliberately phrased in sim- code of living was adhered to and what went code of living reflects basic ethical principles
ple, everyday terms, often referring to quali- well or badly with activities, camps, projects, or values which Scouting believes are valid in
ties, so that each young person can easily un- group life, etc., and what could be improved; life in general. If the adults do not reflect the
derstand what is meant and can do his or her and in terms of a personal evaluation of the code of living, why should the young people?
best to reflect these in everyday life. extent to which each young person feels he
or she has made progress in reflecting the
As the Scout law is a personal code of living qualities.
and a collective one, it needs to be the foun-
dation on which the Scout unit is structured When a young person breaks a rule, he or she
and operates if the young people are to be should be encouraged to reflect on whatever
helped to discover for themselves the values consequences it may have caused. The pur-
on which it is based. Concretely, the Scout
law translates into the rules of the group: the
rights and duties of each member, the sharing
of responsibilities, decision-making processes,
conflict management, and so on.
Young people should be involved as much as

possible, and in ways appropriate to their level
of development, in establishing the rules of
the group. For one thing, this helps them to
deepen their understanding of the Scout law
and, for another, young people have much less
difficulty in accepting, even enforcing, rules
THE SCOUT PROMISE ated in terms of how the young person was voluntarily agree with a code of living if the
before. child is unable to think beyond his or her own
WHAT IS IT? immediate needs and desires and does not yet
By making the promise in front of peers, the distinguish him or herself from other people
The Scout promise is a pledge that every young young person makes his or her commitment with their own needs and desires. By the same
person makes before a group of peers when public. This not only makes the personal com- token, the kind of social interaction required
he or she chooses to join the Movement. By mitment “official”, it also symbolises a social for teamwork cannot take place either - and
making the Scout promise, the young person commitment to the others in the group. By thus the Scout Method cannot function.
acknowledges that he or she is familiar with their presence, the others in the group show
the Scout law and makes a personal commit- that they accept him or her as a member. The minimum level of maturity required for
ment to do his or her best to live according to the Scout law and promise (and, indeed, for
this code of living. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR the entire Method to function as a whole) is
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT? an essential point to bear in mind when a Scout
WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO? association is considering the minimum age at
The young people make the Scout promise which a young person may join the Movement.
Through the promise, the young person ac- upon entering each new age section. The fact
cepts Scouting’s invitation to develop by mak- of doing so is a symbolic commitment to em- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
ing a voluntary decision to accept the Scout bark on a new phase in the voyage of devel- PROGRAMME DELIVERY?
law and to assume the responsibility of that opment and to share the way of life inherent
decision through personal effort. Making the in the Scout law with a new group of people. Preparing adult leaders in this respect involves
promise is the first symbolic step in the proc- The wording of the promise and law there- emphasising the educational function of the
ess of self-education. Making the promise does fore needs to reflect the progression in the Scout promise. A key aspect in this respect
not imply that the young person must have maturity of the young people from one age concerns the concept, and implications, of
proved to be a “perfect” Scout. It is a starting section to the next. “doing one’s best”. As this concept is closely
point, not the finishing line. linked to personal progression, it is discussed
For the law and promise to fulfil their educa- in further detail in the chapter on this aspect
The fact of promising to “do one’s best” refers tional functions, the young people that the of the Scout Method.
to making a personal effort to the extent of Scout association addresses need to have de-
the young person’s capacity. From an educa- veloped the capacities to understand and to
tional perspective, the effort is as important as agree to do their best to adhere to a code of
the achievement of the objective. The effort is living. In other words there is a minimum level
a personal one, and progress can only be evalu- of maturity below which a child is unable to
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR how interesting the activities seem and, espe- less a visitor to Scouting and cannot experi-
PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION? cially, on the extent to which the young per- ence the richness of what Scouting can offer.
son feels integrated in the group. On the whole, In addition, the prolonged presence of “visi-
The way of explaining the promise to the adolescents are likely to want more time than tors” (i.e. those who simply turn up occasion-
young people requires attention. They need pre-adolescents to make up their minds. ally for activities) is disruptive for the young
to understand the implications of making a people who are committed to Scouting, to the
promise - that they are giving their word and At the same time, from an educational per- group’s projects and life together.
that they are giving their word to do their perspective, a balance needs to be struck between
sonal best. It should therefore be presented as giving the young person time to make up his Making the promise is a personal act of com-
an important act, but not something that they or her mind, and the need for the real educa- mitment. The adult leader’s task, therefore, is
need to feel apprehensive about. tional process to start. Until a young person to encourage the young person, but not to
makes the Scout promise, he or she is more or force him or her before he or she is ready to
Another factor to be borne in mind concerns do so, nor to withhold the right to make the
when a young person should make the Scout promise, nor to ignore the matter altogether.
promise. Evidently, he or she will need to have A simple way of encouraging the young peo-
had time to become familiar with the Scout ple would be to propose several dates over a
law and its practical application in the group period of several months.
(i.e. that he or she will be expected to make
an effort to develop and to adhere to the The adult leader needs to consider how to
group’s code of living), and to decide whether make the moment of making the promise a
or not he or she wishes to formally join Scout- significant one for the young person - a small
ing. ceremony at the end of a camp, for example.
From a young person’s perspective, making

the Scout promise is not simply about whether
the code of living seems reasonable or not.
Doing so is also a decision to continue to take
part in activities with the young people that
he or she has come to know. External factors
apart (schoolwork, other interests, etc.),
whether a young person decides to make the
promise or not will therefore also depend on
WHAT IS IT? the sake of knowing how to sew, but because,
LEARNING BY DOING for example, they want to put on a play and want
Learning by doing means developing as a re- to make their own costumes. Or, for example,
sult of first-hand experience - which, after all,
is a very effective teacher!
The Scout Association, U.K.

Learning by doing:
• reflects Scouting’s active approach to edu-
cation. In other words, young people are
helped to develop through opportunities for
“...It is important to provide children
concrete, “hands-on” experience as opposed
and young people with every opportu-
to passively listening to a lecture or watching
nity for discovery and experiment -
a demonstration.
aesthetic, artistic, sporting, scientific,
cultural and social.” • applies to the way in which young people
gain knowledge, skills and attitudes in each
- “Learning: The Treasure Within”, Report to UNESCO of the of the areas of development and thus progress
International Commission on Education for the Twenty-First
towards their educational objectives. Learning
Century, 1996.
by doing is thus not limited to “doing” in the
sense of learning practical or manual skills.
For example, young people learn the mean-
ing of responsibility through taking on respon-
sibility.
“Self-education, that is, what a boy
learns for himself, is what is going to • reflects Scouting’s practical approach to
stick by him and guide him later on education based on learning through the op-
in life, far more than anything that is portunities for experiences that arise in the
imposed upon him through instruc- course of pursuing one’s interests and dealing
tion by a teacher.” with everyday life. In other words, Scouts do
not gain knowledge, skills and attitudes in an
- “Scouting for Boys”, Baden-Powell, 26th edition, 1951. abstract context, divorced from reality. In Scout-
ing, young people would not learn to sew for
Scouts would not learn to manage conflict sim- In other words, it is the combination of expe- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
ply through a specifically-designed activity, but riencing a code of living, the difficulties and PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT?
through the natural process of sorting out rewards of responsibility, the joys and tribula-
whatever disagreements arise in the group (in tions in the relationships that develop with In order to help young people to develop
a manner which is consistent with the Scout peers and supportive adults, setting and striv- through extracting what is personally signifi-
law!). ing to reach personal and collective goals, etc., cant from what they experience, Scouting must
all woven into progressively challenging ac- provide young people with opportunities for
WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO? tivities that they find stimulating and useful potentially meaningful experiences.
that contributes to holistic and balanced de-
Learning by doing is a way of helping young velopment. A way of checking whether learning by doing
people to develop in all dimensions through is being used to its full potential would be to
extracting what is personally significant from As the young people develop through a vast consider the educational objectives for the age
everything that they experience. range of experiences, opportunities for new section as a whole (knowledge, skills and atti-
and richer experiences come within reach. tudes in each of the development areas) and
HOW DOES IT WORK? examine to what extent young people really
do have opportunities to progress towards the
As young people have a natural desire for ac-
objectives through first-hand experience. For
tion, challenge and adventure, Scouting chan-
example:
nels their energy and provides them with a
rich learning environment which encourages
them to explore, experiment, discover and thus • If an educational objective concerns, say,
to develop. Learning by doing stimulates an the development of a sense of interdepend-
active approach to life, encourages young peo- ence, one could examine whether:
ple to be actively involved in everything that
- the way in which the young people operate
affects them, helps them to discover all of their
together during their activities really provides
capacities and make constructive use of them,
opportunities for them to contribute different
to take charge of their lives, and be actors, not
talents, take on useful responsibilities, experi-
spectators, in their community.
ence the benefits of mutual support, etc;
The motor which drives the educational expe- - there is room for improvement in the kind of
riences is the activities that the young people contact that young people have with their lo-
take part in.
cal community so as to foster this sense of With appropriate preparation, this enables the sions. A quiet moment at the end of a meeting
interdependence. adult leader to take advantage of the variety or camp can be used to evaluate in general
of opportunities that may arise in the local terms how the activity went and to encourage
• Examining learning by doing from the per- community, the young people’s ideas on what the young people to express themselves. The
spective of educational objectives can help they want to do, particular needs that are ex- young people may perceive the experience in
when seeking to help young people to cope pressed, etc. - which cannot be anticipated at different ways, and may actually feel that what
with issues likely to affect them - unemploy- national level - so as to offer young people a they have gained from the experience has
ment, drug abuse, etc. The first, automatic re- rich educational experience that is really rel- nothing to do with what was originally in-
sponse by associations is often to provide in- evant to those particular young people at a tended by the activity.
formation and develop interesting activities to given time.
help young people to learn about the issue. The purpose for the adult leader here is not to
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR insist on what they were “supposed” to have
At the same time, Scouting can do much more PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION? learned, but simply to accompany them as they
to help young people to cope effectively! For reflect for themselves. The atmosphere needs
example, how are young people being helped One implication of learning by doing is that to be constructive so that the young people
to develop a positive approach to life, to adapt young people are encouraged to experience do not feel afraid to speak. If needed, the code
to new situations, to use existing resources in things first and draw conclusions from what of living can be recalled to help young people
a creative way, to take initiative, to develop they have experienced later. In practical terms, to reflect on their experience or simply to re-
constructive contact with others, etc? this has several implications for the adult mind the young people that each person has
leader: a right to express him or herself and that if
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR complaints are to be made, to describe the
• The adult leader does not need to explain
PROGRAMME DELIVERY? problem and not to attack anyone personally.
the educational objective of an activity. Not
only are the young people likely to be unin-
Adult leaders need to have a thorough under- terested, it would limit their spontaneity, lim- • While the adult leader should gradually feel
standing of how the Scout Method and the iting the experience to the confines of what comfortable with making use of whatever op-
group’s operating structure aim to contribute they may imagine is being expected of them. portunities arise to create an educational ex-
to young people’s development, and how the perience, the activities must always respect
way in which they are used influences the edu- • On the other hand, verbalising their reac- Scouting’s principles: all activities and the way
cational experience that the young people de- tions, feelings, etc., afterwards helps them to they are conducted must be constructive and
rive from the activities that they take part in. reflect on the experience and to draw conclu- not destructive for anyone or anything, etc.
• Difficult decisions that arise for the adult
leader include how far to allow a young per-
son to experiment or make mistakes before
intervening. While the adult leader should al-
ways strive to make an activity successful, the
success or efficiency of the activity cannot be
at the expense of learning experiences. Mak-
ing mistakes is an inevitable part of the learn-
ing process. However, through experiencing
a mistake, a young person can better under-
stand what, how and why something went
wrong and, perhaps, how to go about things
differently next time!

WHAT IS IT? leader, assumes a general coordinating role and
THE TEAM SYSTEM convenes meetings with the other members,
Young people have a natural tendency to form giving each member the opportunity to take
(OR PATROL SYSTEM) groups of roughly the same age. The team sys- part in the decisions and to be fully involved
tem is a way of making use of this natural in the life of the team.
tendency in order to provide an environment
in which young people enjoy being and in Several of these teams (usually four to six) form
order to channel the substantial influence that a Scout unit, supported by an adult leader and
peers have on each other in a constructive di- adult assistants. The Scout unit is managed by
rection. a council involving the team leaders and the
adult leader.
What young people gain from living and work-
ing together according to a code of living and Although the adult leaders are not members
the relationships that develop as a result of a of the teams, they are nonetheless in close con-
multitude of shared adventures are as impor- tact with each of the teams and with each
tant in terms of their education as the activi- young person.
ties in which they take part.
While the team is the basic grouping in which
In Scouting, young people of roughly the same
age operate in small groups of six to eight the young people operate, the young people
members. Each small group operates as a team. are also part of the Scout unit as a whole. Dur-
Within each team, the young people organise ing the Scout year, there are activities which
their life as a group and decide upon, organ- involve the whole of the Scout unit. These pro-
ise and carry out their activities. Each young vide opportunities for each team to contribute
“Scouting puts the boys into fraternity to the well-being of the Scout unit as a whole
person has a specific responsibility which he
gangs which is their natural organisa- and provide opportunities for the young peo-
or she carries out for an agreed length of time
tion whether for games, mischief or ple to get to know the others in the other teams.
which contributes to the life and welfare of
loafing.”
the team and the success of their activities.
All these elements combined form an organ-
- “Aids to Scoutmastership”, Baden-Powell, World Brotherhood
edition, 1944. In each of the teams, one of the young peo- ised social structure and a democratic system
ple, acknowledged by the others to be the of self-government based on the Scout law that
“The patrol system leads each boy to see
that he has some individual responsibil- THE TEAM SYSTEM IS: THE TEAM SYSTEM IS NOT:
ity for the good of his Patrol. It leads
A DEMOCRATIC PARTNERSHIP A PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF ORDERS
each Patrol to see that it has definite
responsibility for the good of the Troop.”
- “Aids to Scoutmastership”, Baden-Powell, World Brotherhood Adult leader

edition, 1944.
Baden-Powell called the “patrol system” 4. Each Team Team

person is involved in the government of this
mini-society and has a share of the responsi-
bility in ensuring the well-being of its mem-
bers. Coordinating council
Despite the name, the “patrol system” was not
in any way intended to reflect a military-style
line of command in which the adult leader Team Team
gave orders to be carried out by the patrols.
Indeed, if it were to operate in this way, it Team leader
would not be able to fulfil its educational func-
tion.
4
The terms “patrol” and “troop” continue to exist in Scouting in many
parts of the world out of tradition, usually in connection with Scouting for WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO?
• develop their personal and collective capa-
the 11-14 age section, with other terms used in the other age sections.
The terms were adopted by Baden-Powell as an inspiration to the young The team system, based on the way in which bilities through pooling and building on their
people of his day, probably as a result of his observation of the close young people naturally organise themselves individual skills, talents and experience and
cooperation in the achievement of objectives and the mutually supportive as small groups, provides a framework within through the development of a mutually sup-
attitude of small groups of men in the army. which the young people can: portive team spirit;
• develop constructive relationships with other Thus, everything that young people experi- • A close-knit group provides a stimulating
young people and adults, based on mutual ence as a result of operating in teams can have atmosphere in which each young person
trust, which strengthen over time as a result of a considerable impact on their development. makes more of an effort to gain the skills and
all the adventures shared together; experience needed for their activities and life
HOW DOES IT WORK? together. The greater the skills, talents and ex-
• learn to live according to a democratic form perience the young people are able to pool as
of self-government in partnership with adults. Initially, the only certain thing that the young a team, the more opportunities are opened up
It allows young people to experience build- people have in common is their desire to take for challenging and meaningful experiences -
ing a consensus and resolving conflicts, ex- part in activities. Through appropriately de- for the group and for each person.
pressing themselves and listening to others, to signed activities, each young person comes to
experience making decisions and accepting the realize that many of the experiences are only • This bond helps the young person to de-
consequences, cooperating and sharing, tak- possible through a collective effort and so they velop a deeper understanding of the meaning
ing initiative and leading, taking on responsi- have to organise themselves as a group (both of responsibility and solidarity. Initially, a
bility and following it through. within the teams and as a Scout unit). Thus, young person may carry out a task, turn up at
the fact of needing to cooperate stimulates each a rendezvous or help out another member
person to play his or her part in making their because it is part of the “rules of the game”.
“When people work together on reward- experiences possible and enjoyable through When the young people grow to care about
ing projects which take them out of developing and using his or her talents and
their usual routine, differences and skills.
even conflicts between individuals tend
to fade into the background and some- Through taking part in this process with a small
times disappear. People derive a new group of people on a regular basis, they get to
identity from such projects, so that it is know each other with their strengths and weak-
possible to go beyond individual rou- nesses and a bond is created between them.
tines and highlight what people have in This bond is important for several reasons:
common rather than the differences
between them.” • It contributes to a young person’s emotional
development through providing a sense of
- “Learning: The Treasure Within”, Report to UNESCO of the belonging, a feeling of being appreciated and
International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first through providing the basis for the kind of
Century, 1996. close friendships that young people may have
difficulty in developing elsewhere.
each other, the young person will carry out a It is intended as a partnership between the operating for a year or two may be able to
task because he or she knows that the others young people and their adult leader, based on have a greater degree of involvement in run-
are counting on him or her and does not want dialogue and cooperation. The adult leader ning their group than a newly constituted
to let them down. (and his or her adult assistants) are part of the group of older young people.
Scout unit but they are not members of the
• The young person who seeks the approval teams. The adults are part of the Scout unit in This means, therefore, that the design of the
of peers observes the group’s reactions to his order to fulfil a specific role, i.e. to help the Youth Programme needs to reflect a progres-
or her attitudes and behaviour, and thus pro- young people to exercise and develop their sion in terms of self-government in the oper-
vides a mirror effect. He or she can thus be capacity for autonomy, solidarity, responsibil- ating structure across the age sections. It will
encouraged to develop a greater self-aware- ity and commitment, while guiding each young also require some flexibility in terms of the
ness, often resulting in a change of attitude person towards his or her educational objec- extent of responsibilities for youth members
and behaviour. For example, the timid are en- tives. in newly constituted groups.
couraged to develop greater assertiveness; the
“bossy” are made to sense the need to leave Progressive self-government Generally, in the youngest age section the na-
room for others. ture of the decisions to be taken by the young
The principle of young people’s participation
in the government of their mini-society ap- people would be in the choice between sev-
eral activities, for example. Responsibilities
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR plies throughout the age range that Scouting
serves. might be to remember to bring refreshments,
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT?
or materials needed for an activity. In the sub-
The design of the team system needs to take Evidently, the sphere of matters on which the sequent age section, decision-making could ex-
into account that it involves: young people make decisions and the kinds tend to the theme of the summer camp, for
of responsibilities that they undertake in the example, and responsibilities could include
A partnership between young people and their management of their teams and Scout unit as looking after the team budget, being respon-
a whole will be linked to: sible for catering arrangements, compiling a
adult leaders
diary of the team’s adventures, etc.
• their level of maturity. The level of involve-
The team system is not intended as a way for
ment will therefore be different in a group of
adult leaders to pass down their orders for the A democratic system
8-10 year-olds than in a group of 15-18 year-
young people to execute. It is not intended, olds.
either, as a way for young people to simply The team system is intended to help young
express their wishes and expect their adult • their experience of this form of operation. A people to understand the concept of democ-
leader to prepare everything for them. Scout unit of 12-14 year-olds that has been racy through experiencing it in action.
Democracy in the Scout unit is based on: the teams. The roles need to be conceived so ers and the adult leader to make decisions
as to appeal to the young people and offer concerning the planning and organisation of
• ensuring that the needs and interests of all challenge. The responsibilities must also be activities, discuss difficulties, coordinate the af-
are taken into account. This implies always adapted to the level of development and ex- fairs of the Scout unit, etc.
striving to reach a consensus. If every deci- perience of the young people - i.e. less com-
sion were to be subject to a majority vote, the plex for the newcomers. A Scout unit assembly
needs and interests of the minority would be
ignored; One of the roles is that of team leader. This Meetings as a Scout unit need to be built into
young person’s responsibility is to coordinate the design of the operating structure so as to
• adherence to a commonly agreed set of rules, the team, help the team members to reach a enable all of the young people and the adult
based on the Scout law; consensus on what they want to do and carry leader to discuss and evaluate the success of
out their roles, represent them at the team lead- the activities, but also to evaluate the life of
• the fact that the Scout unit supports each ers’ council, help coordinate activities involv- the group, to build a consensus on what could
individual, and each individual has a share of ing the whole Scout unit, etc. As it requires be modified and, of course, to celebrate
responsibility for ensuring that the Scout unit maturity and experience of how the Scout unit achievements.
functions efficiently, and contributes towards functions, this is a role designed for senior
improving it for the benefit of all. youth members of the Scout unit. Cohesion between all members of the Scout unit
Democracy in the Scout unit is thus a truly The appointment of the team leaders is also In addition to the organisation of life within
participatory form of government. It does not part of the democratic process, based on who the teams, there is also the life of the Scout
involve establishing mini political parties, lob- the team members and the adult leaders con- unit to take into account! Summer camps, serv-
bies, campaigning to win elections for posi- sider is most capable of doing the job. It is ice projects, etc., involving the whole of the
tions of power, or anything else of that nature. important, however, that the role of team leader Scout unit need to be built into the design,
is not the only challenging role for senior while still providing time and space for the
Roles for each person - with real responsibility! members. teams to be together.
In the Scout unit, democracy starts in the teams Opportunities to experience teamwork with other
A coordinating council
- as they learn to dialogue and cooperate. The members of the Scout unit
design of the team system needs to ensure The team system involves a council which
that each person has an active role to play. needs to meet on a regular basis. The council In addition to the need to belong to a small
These roles need to involve practical respon- is composed of the team leaders and the adult permanent team, by early to mid-adolescence
sibilities - related to the needs and welfare of leader. It is an opportunity for the team lead- young people tend to seek opportunities to
expand their social horizons and to work with ing the younger members to progress, to inte- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
other young people on the more complex as- grate the code of living, to gain skills, to learn PROGRAMME DELIVERY?
pects of their projects. Concretely, this simply how to work as a team, etc. The presence of
involves incorporating into the design of the younger members also helps the senior mem- The main areas of support to the adult leader
programme opportunities for the young peo- bers to realize the changes in themselves since are to help him or her to:
ple to form temporary task forces. they were that age.
• understand how this association of teams is
A limited range of ages However, when the age range is greater than meant to function as a democratic system of
this, the educational impact of the team sys- self-government. The adult leader needs to be
The team system offers the greatest educational tem becomes greatly reduced. This is because able to help the teams to build a consensus
benefits when it: the difference in the level of maturity will be on what they want to achieve (making sure
so great that the young people at either end that the needs and interests of all are taken
• enables the teams to operate with a degree of the age range will feel that they have little equally into account), and to help them to
of autonomy appropriate to the age group; and in common with those at the other end - and organise themselves;
thus will informally regroup according to their
• stimulates close relationships between the natural tendency to be with others of approxi- • be able to enrich the young people’s ideas
members of the teams. mately the same age! of what they want to do so as to provide op-
portunities for the young people to progress
The major consideration in this respect is the
For the national association, the fact of limit- towards their educational objectives;
range of ages within the teams.
ing the age range so as to enable the team
Generally, the team system works best when system to fulfil its educational function evi- • observe and understand group dynamics and
there is approximately three to four years age dently has implications on the number of age guide it in a constructive direction;
difference between the youngest and the old- sections that the association offers and/or on
the overall range of ages that it addresses. • be able to better judge what the young peo-
est in a team.
ple are really capable of taking on by them-
This is due to the fact that the more mature selves. This means ensuring physical and emo-
members of the teams will stimulate the less tional security (of the young people and oth-
mature to develop. At the same time, the less ers); being able to overcome the temptation
mature members stimulate the sense of respon- to make life easier by organising everything
sibility in the senior members and give them oneself; not pushing the young people beyond
opportunities to exercise responsibility in help- what they can be reasonably be expected to
undertake, etc.;
• judge if and when to intervene, for exam- ally, of course, the other faces will become While some responsibilities will be more com-
ple, in a conflict, or when to point out major familiar, too. plex than others to cater to the differing levels
obstacles, etc. of capacities and experience of the young
It is within the team that the newcomer can people, all of the responsibilities need to be
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR most easily become acquainted with the given value in the group. If the young people
PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION? group’s code of living and to take on a re- regularly try to avoid a particular kind of re-
sponsibility which contributes to group life, sponsibility or try to relegate it to an innocent
In a newly constituted Scout unit thereby immediately becoming a contributing newcomer or, on the contrary always seem to
member of the team. be vying for the same responsibility, then there
Typically, a new Scout unit is made up of rela-
may be a problem underlying the situation
tively few young people who have simply Establishing responsibilities within the teams which needs to be sorted out.
come together to give Scouting a try. The adult
leader, in this case, will evidently have to take From the panoply of responsibilities required
Making a meal together at the end of a day,
the lead in proposing activities that interest for the teams to function, the adult leader
for example, is not just to learn to cook; it is a
the young people and introduce the rules of should guide each young person towards his concrete contribution to the group which helps
the game - Scouting’s code of living. or her area of interest, while bearing in mind the young people to operate autonomously. It
the young person’s capacities. The task should is also an opportunity to have a chat about
Initially they may all want to operate as a sin- not be so complex as to lead to failure, yet
gle team for a while. There is no point in arti- how the day went, to get to know each other
should be challenging enough to stimulate the better after the heat of the action. The adult
ficially creating teams on their behalf. With time
young person. leader needs to make an effort to make these
they will eventually do so of their own accord
- as after all, the team system is based on how routine activities fun. They are only “chores”
The adult leader and the young people should
young people operate naturally! if that is the way they are conceived and pre-
agree on the length of time that the responsi-
sented!
bilities are carried out by the same people in
Helping newcomers to become integrated
the group. It should be long enough for the
A particular responsibility - team leader
In a group that has been operating for a while, young person to have mastered the job and to
and has well-established teams, helping new- have gained something from the experience, A particular responsibility which can have an
comers to become integrated requires special but it is not a lifetime commitment! After the effect on group dynamics (either positively or
attention. By being invited to join a team, the agreed length of time, the responsibilities can negatively) is that of the team leaders. Being a
newcomer to Scouting is able to become fa- be presented to the group again, so that each team leader does not mean imposing one’s
miliar with a small group of people first. Gradu- person can experience a new role. will. It is primarily listening to the team mem-
bers, helping them to understand how the team
system is meant to function, and coordinating
their operations as a team.
The team leaders need to have the maturity to

carry out the role and need to have experi-
ence of how Scouting operates in the group.
While the adult leader will have an influence
in deciding which young people are ready to
take on such a responsibility, the young peo-
ple in the teams need to be associated in the
decision. This is because the team leader needs
to be accepted as such by the other young
people. Inviting the young people to consider
who they think best matches a “job descrip-
tion” of team leader is one way of associating
them in the process.

WHAT IS IT? connaissance trips ahead of the rest in order
A SYMBOLIC to determine whether or not it was safe for
A symbol could be described as something the others to follow. They survived through
FRAMEWORK familiar which represents something more vast
or abstract (e.g. an idea or concept). The de-
their knowledge of nature and general re-
sourcefulness.
sign of the Scout emblem, for example, which
is familiar to all of us in Scouting, is symbolic However, it is important to remember that,
in nature - the reef knot which symbolises the despite his military background, Baden-Pow-
unity of the Movement, and so on. ell sought to promote peace, tolerance and
“Had we called it what is was, viz, a goodwill:
‘Society for the Propagation of Moral Symbols are often used to help communicate
Attributes’, the boy would not exactly concepts which may not be familiar to people “Our aim is to bring up the next generation
have rushed for it. But to call it Scout- through inviting them to think beyond the most as useful citizens with a wider outlook than
ing and give him the chance of becom- apparent meaning of things that are already before and thereby to develop goodwill and
ing an embryo Scout, was quite another familiar to them. Symbols communicate peace in the world through comradeship and
pair of shoes.” through an appeal to the imagination and ex- cooperation, in place of the prevailing rivalry
perience - without the need for advanced pow- between classes, creeds and countries, which
- ”Lessons from the ‘Varsity of Life”, Baden-Powell, 1933. ers of reasoning or complex language. has done so much in the past to produce
wars and unrest.” 5
In Scouting, a symbolic framework is a set of
elements which represent concepts which It is also important to remember that Scouting
Scouting seeks to promote. began in a particular sociopolitical context
“The capacity for awareness of sensory (Britain, in the early 20th century) in which,
experiences is critical to the develop- The very name of our Movement - Scouting - as B-P knew, “Scouts” conjured up images of
ment of meaning... Meaning derives refers to a symbolic framework invented by adventure, courage and chivalry, close-knit
from a profoundly held relation to the its founder, Baden-Powell, and was intended groups, developed powers of observation, re-
revelatory power of the symbols. Yet the to appeal to boys in late childhood-early ado- sourcefulness and a simple healthy life in the
symbol becomes an objectified ‘other’ if great outdoors - all qualities which he sought
lescence (the only age section - and gender -
it is not grounded in the senses.” to promote:
catered to at the time).
- “The Possible Human”, Jean Houston, J.P. Tarcher, 1982.
Originally, the name of Scouts came from sol-
5
diers in the armed forces who went on re- Baden-Powell, Jamboree, 1922.
“By the term of “Scouting” is meant the work symbolic framework, thereby creating a link • stimulates the development of a sense of
and attributes of backwoodsmen, explorers, between all members wherever they may be. identity;
hunters, seamen, airmen, pioneers and
frontiersmen.” 6 In order to cater to the needs of young people • stimulates cohesiveness and solidarity within
at different ages, each age section has a sym- the group.
As Scouting began to cater to the needs of bolic framework which is expressed as a cen-
young people outside of this original age tral theme (inspired by children’s fables, my- HOW DOES IT WORK?
group, the need became apparent to develop thology, legendary heroes, a period in history,
As a young person grows up, the way in which
other symbolic frameworks for them. The sym- etc., or which may be totally invented). It in-
he or she apprehends the world and situates
bolic framework changes, therefore, from one volves a way of life which represents the per-
him or herself in it changes from being pre-
age section to the next so as to correspond to sonal qualities and collective way of life which
dominantly based on the use of imagination -
the young people’s level of maturity and to Scouting seeks to promote and focuses on the
focus on the specific needs of the various age major educational need in the educational pro- the “magical thinking” of childhood - to being
groups. posal that characterises a given age group. Ex- based on the use of reason and personal ex-
amples of such needs are: learning to live to- perience - the “logical thinking” of adulthood.
At the same time, however, “Scouting” has re- gether for a young age group, adventure and
mained the name of our Movement - and survival for the subsequent age group, explor- Young people frequently project themselves
“Scout” is the generic term in English for a ing new horizons, involvement in community into an imaginary world in order to expand
youth member of any age. Whatever the term or environmental issues, etc. the confines of the real world in which they
used in other languages, the symbolism re- live and in order to explore and resolve vari-
mains faithful to the original intention (e.g. WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO? ous difficulties which then enable them to
“Pathfinder”, or a person who “lights the way”). pass on to a new stage of development. The
A symbolic framework builds on young peo- kinds of situations invented and the roles that
In many countries, the symbolic framework of ple’s natural capacity for imagination, adven- the young people invent for themselves change
Scouts with their troop and patrols is still used ture, creativity and inventiveness in a way as new stages of development are reached and
for the late childhood-early adolescent age which: new difficulties need to be sorted out.
section. However, whatever the symbolic
frameworks used for the various age groups, • stimulates their development in the various The extent to which young people resort to
“Scouting” remains as an overall “umbrella” dimensions;
their imagination in this sense gradually de-
• helps them to identify with the directions of creases as their sense of identity develops and
6
“ Aids to Scoutmastership”, Baden-Powell, World Brotherhood edition, development and the values underlying Scout- their self-confidence in their ability to deal with
1944. ing; situations and to manage emotions increases.
The purpose of a symbolic framework, there- From the perspective of emotional develop- The symbolic framework can contribute to
fore, is not to maintain young people in an ment, a symbolic framework provides young social development when all of the young
artificial world of make-believe. It is simply a people with constructive opportunities to feel people identify with a close-knit way of life
matter of making use of this natural tool in a heroic, chivalrous, courageous, etc. Doing so inherent in the symbolic framework and the
way which helps them to enrich every day is a way of developing their self-esteem and is underlying elements of caring for others, re-
life, to resolve a number of difficulties that they a release from some of the emotional difficul- sponsibility, etc.
face and move on to new stages of develop- ties of growing up, such as the frustration of
ment. The symbolic framework, therefore, Finally, a symbolic framework can open the
the dependency of childhood and early ado-
needs to gradually evolve, as young people way to spiritual development through the fact
lescence or feelings of inadequacy. It is not that it is based on the values inherent in Scout-
do, from a world of make-believe to a more
escaping from reality, rather it is a way of de- ing’s principles. It can thus stimulate young
realistic setting with a pinch of imagination
added. veloping the inner resources needed to deal people to explore and examine themselves,
with it. Even as adults we do not lose this their relationships and life in general in a way
A symbolic framework can contribute to the capacity, but we tend to deny it as being “child- which goes beyond material, everyday life,
development of young people in a number of ish” - and yet there is even a branch of psy- transforming, for a time, the ordinary into the
ways. In terms of intellectual development, the chotherapy that deals with helping adults to extraordinary, the impossible into the possi-
use of symbols and imagery can help young recover the capacity to envision overcoming ble, the unobservable into what may be sensed
people to grasp abstract concepts. In addition, supposedly insurmountable problems! intuitively.
by school-age onwards, school and family tend
to give priority to stimulating the capacities Evidently, the fact of identifying with the per-
normally associated with the left brain (the sonal qualities and collective way of life in-
ability to analyse, reason, present ideas in a herent in the symbolic framework can also
structured way, etc.), often at the expense of
have an impact on physical, social and spir-
the creative, inventive right brain. Through
itual development.
stimulating the imagination, a symbolic frame-
work can help to keep alive the young per-
son’s creative, inventive side. Figuring out how The desire to be like the characters in the sym-
to cross an unexpected river in the middle of bolic framework, and the fact of having devel-
the woods, for example, has more chances of oped self-esteem as a result of it, can stimu-
success when one can both analyse the situa- late the young people to overcome apprehen-
tion at hand and try to imagine what real ex- sion about a physical challenge, or to take
plorers would have done! better care of their health, for example.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR • Mid to late childhood - the age of socialisation A symbolic framework for this age group gen-
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT? erally concentrates on this process of
Mid-childhood is the age when young people socialisation - facilitating integration and a
Whether a Scout association is in the process become capable of logical reasoning and thus sense of belonging to a group, making the code
of developing symbolic frameworks for the first start school. As a result, they start to spend of living understandable to all, etc.
time, or whether a well-established Scout as- more time with other young people of their
sociation is analysing the educational relevance own age outside of the family. • Late childhood-early adolescence - the age of
of one or more of its symbolic frameworks survival
within the context of a programme review, the It is at this time that young people experiment
work involved evidently goes beyond picking with establishing (and frequently changing!) For many young people in this age group, this
a children’s story or a period of history out of rules for their games and interaction amongst is the time of the onset of puberty. While the
the blue and giving symbolic names to meet- peers in general. Through a process of trial prospect of no longer being a child may be
ing places, teams or activities. It also goes be- and error, the young people eventually de- exciting, the many changes that occur can be
yond simply substituting “Star Wars” for the velop a system of the rights and obligations of disconcerting. Spurts of growth of limbs or the
“Jungle Book” in the hope of “modernising” the members of the group. “That’s not fair, it’s body can cause temporary difficulties in coor-
the youth programme. my turn” can be heard all over the world. dination, and even one’s face can seem unfa-
miliar! On the emotional front, both parents
It is through this process that the young peo-
Some of the major points that need to be taken and young people have to adjust to the fact
ple start to overcome the natural self-
into consideration are outlined below. that childhood is ending, but the wings of adult-
centredness of childhood and begin to under-
hood are not yet there. Feelings of inadequacy,
stand the usefulness of cooperating, sharing
Focusing on an educational need frustration and a lack of a sense of identity
and organising themselves as a group.
come to the fore, although they are often hid-
While a symbolic framework can contribute den from peers for fear of ridicule.
The use of make-believe is often a backdrop
to development in all of the areas, a focus on
to their games - the imaginary setting gives
a major educational need of young people at Many young people at this time feel the need
purpose to the games and a sense of common
a certain age helps to ensure the relevance purpose between the “partners”. to prove all kinds of things to themselves. De-
and appeal to the various age groups and thus veloping survival skills and other practical skills
the potential educational benefit. While this Individually, many young people project them- related to dealing with everyday life becomes
major educational need may vary according selves into make-believe situations at this time important in order to prove to themselves and
to society or culture, examples of needs gen- both in order to sort out difficulties and emo- others their growing capacity for autonomy.
erally considered to be characteristic of par- tions at home and in order to adjust to this
ticular age groups are: new social context of peers.
• Mid-adolescence - the age of strong emotions well as exploring new horizons and anticipat-
ing the thrill of adrenaline.
By mid-adolescence, young people often seek
out opportunities for strong emotions and sen- In response to their need to identify with more
sations. Inner questioning, the value of friend- mature roles, symbolic frameworks for this age
ship, spiritual awakening, universal values, group often revolve around kinds of people ad-
concern for global issues, and so on, tend to mired in history - high-adventure explorers,
be characteristic of this age group, as well as a people who, despite all the odds, succeeded
desire for strong physical sensations often as- something extraordinary, people who have
sociated with risk-taking behaviour. made a lasting contribution to society, etc.
Many young people feel that they are not • Mid to late adolescence - the age of voyages
“taken seriously” by the adult world. Some seek
opportunities to prove their capacity to take Much of the social concern felt before still re-
an active role in society with real responsibili- mains, except that this is also an age when
ties, or feel a strong desire to widen their ho- many young people hit earth with a bump! A
rizons - meeting new people and seeing new desire for full independence from parents is
places. Others retreat into a phase of apparent coupled with apprehension about being able
Nonetheless, a sense of responsibility towards apathy. At the same time, their desire for strong to actually deal with it all. Worries about stud-
others starts to develop at this time. physical sensations, to test their limits or es- ies, choosing a career, finding a job as well as
cape from problems, draws many towards the fear of solitude in the big wide world and
Situations and roles invented at this time are the joys and tribulations of romance tend to
high-risk activities.
often to do with physical prowess and attrac- characterise this period. Although many young
tiveness, heroism and courage. Relationships within the group can become people may leave Scouting at this time, quite
very important, with strong friendships and a few still appreciate the idea of carrying out
A symbolic framework for this age groups needs
equally strong clashes of personality. Situations projects together, organising travel expeditions,
to become a little more realistic, concentrating
and roles invented at this time (romance apart!) examining new lifestyles and potential career
on personal and collective survival and re-
include being taken seriously by adults, achiev- opportunities, getting to know new kinds of
sourcefulness.
ing a mission of some sort, being able to or- people, helping out on community projects -
ganise themselves as efficiently as adults, as preferably as far away from home as possible!

If actually travelling abroad is financially im- Examining potential or existing themes cial nature, themes from “pop culture” should
possible in some cases, every country offers be avoided.
untold opportunities for voyages of discovery! In addition to considering symbolic frame-
works from the perspective of progression • Is the theme likely to appeal?
Symbolic frameworks for this age group gener- from make-believe to reality and a specific
ally concentrate on a voyage of discovery and educational focus, there are several other “Glorious” periods in sociopolitical history and
self-discovery - with stops to give a helping hand considerations to be borne in mind. These even economic expansion have had an influ-
and get to know others along the way. include: ence on the choice of themes representing
heroism, courage and chivalry in more than
Establishing the framework • A theme from the young people’s cultural one country over time. Themes designed to
stimulate pride in one’s people and country
heritage or a non-culture-specific theme?
Before starting to think about potential themes, may well be a consideration, particularly in
the question to ask is: what educational con- A theme inspired from one’s cultural herit- countries that have gone through difficult times.
cepts should be highlighted through the use age (legendary heroes, history, etc.) can Themes of this nature, however, should be
of symbolism? The answer to this requires ex- stimulate a sense of affinity with the culture considered carefully. In no way must a theme
amining the educational proposal for the age heritage of the young people. This can be serve to stimulate, nor be likely to result in, a
section, the values underlying Scouting, the nationalistic attitude, racial tension, territorial
an important consideration in choosing
needs of young people at different ages, and disputes, etc.
themes for young people who suffer from a
so on, and to see how these concepts could lack of cultural identity - which can arise for In fact, the major considerations in finding
be symbolised in the operating structure and a variety of sociopolitical reasons; or it may themes likely to appeal to young people are
the application of the Scout Method - in other be an almost automatic choice in societies largely the same as the considerations in find-
words, in what the young people are actually with a relatively homogeneous cultural back- ing themes of educational relevance: a) Does
going to experience. ground. the theme offer the right proportions of make-
believe and reality for the age group? (Not
The next question would be to see if the con- The choice may be a different one, how- many 16-year-olds, for example, are likely to
cepts short-listed make a coherent whole or ever, for Scout associations which cater to be inspired by characters from children’s fa-
whether some are really peripheral and could young people from a variety of ethnic back- bles) and b) Do the key characteristics of the
be cut out. Symbolism is meant to enrich the grounds - whose cultural heritage should be theme sound mature to the young people it is
Scouting experience, not weigh it down! considered? One option could be to look intended for? (The theme is more likely to
for culturally neutral themes - inspired by appeal if it corresponds to the needs of the
nature or mythology, for example. In any stage of development that they are about to
case, due to their ephemeral and commer- enter.)
• Is the theme coherent with Scouting’s If the theme of a camp is all about resource- our (red, blue, etc.) may also be used to sym-
educational proposal? fulness and personal survival, is there not a bolise the theme of the age section and rein-
contradiction with the theme if the teams as- force their identification with it. It is important
Whatever the symbolic framework chosen, the semble pre-cut planks of wood for picnic ta- to make sure that the theme comes across in
way of life must reinforce, and not contradict bles? an exciting yet mature way which helps the
in any way, Scouting’s aims, principles and young people to feel that they really are “ex-
method. A symbolic framework which involves An examination of the themes currently used plorers” or “pioneers”.
any hint of discrimination against other peo- for symbolic frameworks in an association may
ple, or any form of disregard for nature and well show that the themes in themselves are WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
the environment would not, for example, be still perfectly valid - but are they really being PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION?
compatible with promoting peace and human used to their full potential?
understanding or respect for the integrity of There are a thousand and one ways of mak-
the natural world - even in make-believe. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR ing a symbolic framework come alive in the
PROGRAMME DELIVERY? group. The adult leader needs to feel comfort-
Making the most of a symbolic framework in the able with the symbolism so that the theme
Youth Programme The adult leader needs to understand what a comes across as a natural part of what Scout-
symbolic framework is and what it is meant to ing for that age section is all about. It is also
Clearly, a symbolic framework is more than do in general and, more specifically, to be- crucial that the adult leader makes the theme
simply adding “colour” to the Youth Pro- come familiar with the symbolic framework come across as real and mature. From the
gramme - although it does that too. In a way it for the age group that they are working with young people’s point of view, they need to
is like a coloured thread, woven in the fabric and the specific need that it aims to respond feel that they really are explorers or Scouts,
of the Youth Programme. Of course, symbolic to. otherwise it kills the magic of it all - which is
names are used for the meeting places, teams, hardly the purpose.
the themes of camps and so on, although it is The symbolic framework needs to be reflected
more than that, too. How, for example, is the in the booklets and other tools written for the The adult leader will, at times, need to take
symbolic framework - and the educational need young people themselves. The theme would the initiative and invent connections as he or
that it aims to respond to - reflected in the normally be reflected as a leitmotif adding “col- she goes along - for example in the way an
operating structure of the unit? For example, our” to the subject being dealt with (planning activity is proposed or carried out, the theme
if a symbolic framework concentrates on ac- a camp, explaining personal progression, or of a community service camp, etc. Gradually,
tive participation in society, does each young whatever), and would also be reflected through the young people will come up with their own
person have the opportunity to take part in stories, anecdotes, illustrations related to the ideas - the choice of team names, of how to
decision-making and take on responsibilities? theme. The predominant use of a certain col- make their meeting place more like an explor-
er’s base camp, or a Scouts’ den or an action
group’s office, for example.
The use of a specific theme for an age section

does not preclude the use of other themes
during the year for a particular project, camp
or whatever in order to add excitement and a
new learning perspective. This will involve
thinking about the educational objectives of
the event, what the young people are actually
going to be doing and seeing what can be
done to make the theme come alive - decora-
tions, costumes, specific activities, even what,
where and how they cook dinner can all add
to the experience!
The adult leader also needs to ensure that way

in which the group operates, including his or
her relationship with the young people, does
not contradict the educational need that the
theme is meant to respond to.

WHAT IS IT? HOW DOES IT WORK?
NATURE
Nature refers to the natural environment - the Nature contributes to personal development
woods, the plains, the sea, the mountains, the in many ways. The most obvious examples
desert - as opposed to artificially created envi- are those which relate to each area of devel-
ronments, such as the school yard, concrete opment:
campsites and crowded cities. Nature also re-
fers to what Baden-Powell called the “harmo- • Physical development:
nious whole” of the “infinite, the historic and
the microscopic”, and humankind’s place in Nature offers fresh, unpolluted air, space in
it. which to run and expend energy, opportuni-
ties for all kinds of inexpensive physical ac-
Nature, as an element of the Scout Method, tivities which provide strong physical sensa-
refers to the immense possibilities that the tions, opportunities to test limits of endurance,
natural world offers for the development of coordination, the speed of reflexes, and so on.
the young person.
• Intellectual development:
WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO?
For the younger Scout (and even for older
Contact with nature is intended to: ones!) nature provides innumerable opportu-
nities to explore and develop the senses and
• contribute to the development of the young to develop skills of observation and other fac-
person in all of the areas of development in a ulties: colours, shapes, sizes, movement, lis-
holistic way; tening to sounds, distinguishing smells, feel-
“Every flower of the field, every fiber of a
ing different textures, and so on.
plant, every particle of an insect, carries • provide an ideal setting in which the Scout
with it the impress of its Maker, and can Method can be applied. Nature can help young people to analyse situ-
- if duly considered - read us lectures of ations; to use their imagination and powers of
ethics or divinity.” reasoning; to find creative and appropriate
ways of overcoming difficulties, using a mini-
- “A Natural History”, Sir Thomas Pope Blount, 1693.
mum of available resources; and much more.

Being in nature also provides a wealth of op-
portunities for young people to understand
concepts of interdependence (e.g. through
having to cooperate at camp), perceive net-
Here I am camped by a rushing river between forest-clad hills. works of relationships, how systems function
Heaven is not a vague something somewhere up in the sky, but is right here in (e.g. through observing wildlife), and so on.
this world in your own heart and surroundings.
By a camp fire the mind can open out and receive great thoughts and higher • Emotional development:
impulses. Nature offers many opportunities to explore
The study of nature brings into a harmonious whole the question of the infi- feelings and emotions. The peace and tran-
nite, the historic and the microscopic as part of the Great Creator’s whole. quillity of being in nature helps one to stand
Don’t be content with the what but get to know the why and the how. back from everyday problems and irritations.
At night in a tent, the young person has to
If you ever feel hopeless about getting on to success in life from a small begin- face his or her irrational fears and overcome
ning remember that even that great strong tree, the oak, began at first as a them.
little acorn, lying on the ground.
Patience has more to do with success than almost any other quality. • Social development:
Boys can see adventure in a dirty old duck-puddle... Without adventure, life A camp, far away from home and the trap-
would be deadly dull. pings of civilisation, is when young people
As we get into our crabbed old age, we are apt to forget that we were once are able to really get to know each other with
youngsters. their strengths and weaknesses. The simple
activities of everyday life, such as making
God has given us a world to live in that is full of beauties and wonders and
meals, organising the living space, etc., bring
He has given us not only eyes to see them, but minds to understand them, if
out the meaning of interdependence. Helping
we only have the sense to look at them in that light.
each other is a necessity, the problems faced
are real. Solutions to conflicts have to be found
because one cannot just walk away and go
- Compilation of Baden-Powell’s texts home. Racing down a river, trekking up a
mountain, taking an impromptu shower in the
rain after a hot and dusty day, huddling together
for warmth sharing a hot drink are all experi- Getting back to essentials Living in harmony with nature
ences which can help to form close relation-
ships and a sense of solidarity which city life From a more holistic perspective of education, When young people are able to appreciate a
does not always offer. contact with nature can help the young per- simple life in nature in this way and are able
son to get back to what is essential and real in to leave their consumer lifestyles behind, they
• Spiritual development: life. Today, more than ever, young people are can better understand the need to live in har-
growing up in a world in which it is becoming mony with nature and to protect it.
A spiritual awareness can develop from sim- more and more difficult to distinguish between
ply taking time to discover and contemplate what is essential and what is superfluous, be-
the many wonders of the natural world. Tak- tween what is urgent and what can wait, be-
ing time, for example, to observe and think tween what is authentic and what is superfi-
about how insects go about their lives, oblivi- cial - in short, between reality and illusion.
ous of the presence of human giants; or tak-
ing time while watching for shooting stars in
the night sky to think about how tiny we are
“{Camping in nature} makes me feel freer...
compared to the vast, mysterious universe.
You have to get away from the usual com-
Taking time to sense a feeling of awe and time-
forts, and deal with things... You really
lessness inspired by landscapes.
realise it afterwards.”
Nature offers innumerable opportunities for in-
- “Educational impact of Scouting: Three case studies on adolescence”,
ner questioning. Once the mind has opened
WOSM, 1995.
up, then the young person can more fully ex-
plore and freely adhere to his or her religious
heritage. In nature, miles away from the nearest road,
let alone telephone, the young person is forced
“He who is in harmony with Nature
to face reality. City fashion, social backgrounds,
“With the color that paints the morning hits the mark without effort and
acting “cool” disappear in the wind when a
and evening clouds that face the sun, I apprehends the truth without think-
storm is blowing. The simple pleasures of life
saw then the whole heaven suffused.” ing.”
- feeling the warmth of the morning sunshine,
watching the stars at night, swimming in a river - Confucius
- “Divine Comedy”, Dante. - can make even the most sophisticated elec-
tronic game fade from memory.
Gaining a sense of the historic world in which they live. It is simply intended On another level, use can be made of a natu-
to help them to discover a world that they ral setting for all kinds of physically challeng-
Rubbing sticks of wood to make a fire, finding may not otherwise have thought to explore, ing activities, personal and collective survival
a source of water, picking edible berries for to look beyond material values, to enrich their activities, such as orienteering, learning the
lunch, gazing up at an age-old tree can help experience of life in a way that can serve them basics of camping skills, overnight hikes, etc.
to make young people gain a sense of history, in every day life to think through what is es- Nature can thus help to make young people
to consider how far mankind has come - and sential and what is really unimportant. more conscious of their capacities and their
where mankind is going. need to progress - through testing their physi-
Understanding the value of the code of living WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR cal limits, their resourcefulness, their capacity
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT? to deal with difficulties and avoid danger, to
A Scout camp in nature offers both simplicity cooperate as a team, etc. Even a small amount
and intensity of experience. It is often after While it is generally not feasible for all activi- of time to rest by a river or under a tree after a
such a camp that young people feel that rela- ties to take place in nature, contact with na- tiring activity can help young people to gain a
tionships have become much stronger and the ture is an essential part of Scouting. As con- feeling of peacefulness.
values underlying the code of living can sud- tact with nature can help young people to
denly make real sense to them. develop in so many ways, it is just as impor- Learning about nature
tant for the young person growing up amidst
The use of nature in Scouting is evidently not the concrete and plastic of the cities as it is for Most young people follow classes in geogra-
intended to shut young people off from the the young person growing up in a tin-roofed phy and biology at school. In Scouting, activi-
hut in a shanty-town. ties which involve learning about nature are
not intended to reproduce what schools are
Education through nature already doing, nor to concentrate on practical
“Human life is embedded in nature, application classes to complement book-based
humans are caught up in natural sys- Nature can be the setting for many kinds of theory.
tems; to act as though this is not the case activities - even when the primary educational
harms nature and ultimately endangers objective of the activity is not directly related In Scouting, knowledge is not amassed for its
human survival.” to nature. In such cases, whatever the primary own sake! Activities about nature combine
educational objective, an underlying objective knowledge and skills based on the young peo-
- “Global Teacher, Global Learner”, Graham Pike and David Selby, is simply to help young people to feel com- ple’s interests and, in the way that they are
Hodder and Stoughton, 1989.
fortable with being in nature (for some this conceived and carried out, contribute to the
may be a big step!). development of attitudes.
be extremely useful when camping near a for- have developed an emotional link with what-
est! Learning to make a bird call, figuring out ever it is they are going to try to protect. When
“The little Scouts in Action”, Roland Coe. N.Y., Robert M. McBride, 1944.
how to construct the equipment necessary for a group of even young Scouts, for example,
an experiment that they are interested in, learn- have enjoyed running along their favourite
ing basic agricultural skills and making tools, stretch of sandy beach, and return to find it
etc., offer opportunities for young people to covered with litter, woe betide the next per-
progress towards all sorts of educational ob- son they find dumping their rubbish on the
jectives. shore!
Action for nature and the environment WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
Evidently, environmental protection activities PROGRAMME DELIVERY?
are a regular part of any Scout programme -
The adult leader needs to have some enthusi-
and many can even be carried out in the mid-
asm for life in nature and to understand how
dle of a city. In Scouting, young people’s first
to make use of it in order to strengthen the
encounter with environmental protection is
Scouting experience. He or she need not be
simply the fact of applying their code of living
technically competent in the skills required for
to the environment in which they are carrying
all activities, but needs to find adults who are.
out their activities - respecting the natural habi-
tat of the flora and fauna by not leaving litter,
“Where do you suppose the ensuring that their cooking fire is properly WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
RABBIT tracks went?” extinguished, not wasting natural resources, PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION?
refurbishing existing materials and tools for use
as opposed to always buying new, and so on. In a new group in which the young people
are not used to living in contact with nature,
It would be a mistake, however, to assume the adult leader should take special care to
When at camp, observing the social organisa- that an environmental protection activity will ensure that the first experience goes smoothly
tion of a colony of ants, for example, can open necessarily lead to a greater inner concern for and is enjoyable. If the young people show
the young people’s minds to a fascinating nature. The greatest impact is when young an interest in physically challenging activities,
world that they may otherwise have missed - people decide to undertake such an activity this would be a better starting point in devel-
or trodden on. Being able to distinguish be- as a result of having had an opportunity to oping contact with nature than an environ-
tween the pawprint of a rabbit and a bear can explore and discover aspects of nature and to mental protection activity.
Camps in nature greatly facilitate the integra-
tion of new members in the group. A camp
should therefore be planned a few months after
the start of the new Scout year, with several
others to follow. The adult leader needs to
encourage curiosity, exploration and discov-
ery, create a positive atmosphere, and use op-
portunities to recall the code of living. If camp-
ing in the wild is not allowed or is too danger-
ous, then at least the site should be as far away
from other campers as possible.
Evidently, developing contact with nature in

the group is not just a question of activities. It
is also a matter of promoting a simple lifestyle
in general and a basic respect for all things
living.

WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO?
PERSONAL
Personal progression focuses specifically on Quite simply, as described above, personal
PROGRESSION helping each young person to be consciously
and actively involved in his or her own devel-
progression is intended to help the young
person to develop the inner motivation to take
opment. charge of his or her own development; to
progress in his or her own way at his or her
The progressive scheme is the main tool used own pace in the general direction of the edu-
to support this element of the Scout Method. cational objectives of the age section; and to
It is based on a set of educational objectives recognise the progress made.
prepared by the national association for the
age section, established according to the HOW DOES IT WORK?
knowledge, skills and attitudes that a young
person could reasonably be expected to have Many schools around the world face intense
gained in the various areas of development pressure to ensure that young people reach or
by the end of that age section. surpass a common level of knowledge in aca-
demic subjects or of vocational skills that are
Presented in an attractive and stimulating way, intended to serve as a passport for the job
it provides a tool for each young person, with market.
the help of the adult leader, to:
In turn, by adolescence, young people also
• work out a set of personal development face intense pressure. The subjects tend to be
objectives; imposed, not freely chosen, individual paces
of learning can rarely be taken into account
“Would you tell me, please, which way I • establish how, in concrete terms, he or she due to the deadline of exams and, while hav-
ought to go from here?” or she intends to reach those objectives; ing passed an exam or done better than one
“That depends a good deal on where you expected can procure a sense of achievement,
• carry out his or her intentions at his or her it is also dependent on relative ranking - how
want to get to,” said the Cheshire Cat. own pace; many did better or worse.
- “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Lewis Carroll. • evaluate, recognise and celebrate the
progress made.
Some young people are able to sail through, The progressive scheme The fact that the young person must choose
others struggle along. Many others fall into a to join is the foundation on which an inner
vicious circle whereby a lack of inner motiva- • Stages of progression motivation to develop can grow. In addition,
tion and a fear of failure leads to little effort the fact that all of the young people in the
being made, thus increasing the chances of The framework consists of a number of stages group are together and are undertaking things
not feeling a sense of achievement. of progression for each age section. together because they want to helps to create
a mutually stimulating atmosphere.
Being able to pursue real interests, discover The first stage which young people work to-
talents, and discover what it feels like to have wards is the one in which the young person The fact that Scouting simply asks each young
a real sense of achievement in a noncompeti- makes a voluntary commitment to Scouting person to “do his or her best” is central to
tive atmosphere is crucially important for the symbolised by the Scout promise. It is not a personal progression. There are no competi-
young person. Ironically, the reaction of many test to pass. Simply, for the young person to tive tests, no ranking according to who did
parents to low academic achievement at school be able to make a truly voluntary commitment, better or worse. The only competition is with
is often to restrict or even ban outside activi- he or she must have experienced Scouting in oneself. Not only does this help to reduce the
ties so as to devote as much time as possible action, be willing to share in the tasks of group fear of comparison and of failure, it is also a
to school work. life, become familiar with Scouting’s educa- factor which stimulates the development of
tional proposal for the age section, have un- deeper and more authentic relationships in the
Scouting, of course, is not specifically aimed group - as there is no undercurrent of tension
derstood the Scout law and how it translates
at young people who are having difficulty at created by competition.
into a code of living that are the “rules of the
school! It simply provides a way for all young
game”.
people who choose to join to widen their ho- A close-knit group has a tremendous influence
rizons, to develop in ways that schools rarely on stimulating progress in terms of attitudes
While schools, parents, friends, and so on, may
deal with, to have an opportunity to shine - such as tolerance, solidarity, responsibility and
each in his or her own way - through the pur- encourage - even push - young people to give commitment towards the group, and provides
suit of his or her own interests and educa- Scouting a try, ultimately, it must be up to the emotional support. In addition, in general
tional objectives. young person him or herself to decide to join terms, the closer-knit the group, the more they
and make a personal commitment to Scouting can achieve together. The more they can
- and to decide when to leave. This is based achieve together, the more opportunities there
on the concept that a young person will only are for each person to progress.
truly progress if the motivation to do so comes
from within - no one puts much energy into The number of subsequent stages will gener-
something if they would rather be elsewhere. ally depend on the age range of the age sec-
tion and each lasts usually no more than one a different role involving new skills and kinds ment are thus related to what is needed in
year. Each stage proposes a number of gen- of responsibility. order to live Scouting to the full. For a young
eral educational objectives covering knowl- Scout, learning to pack a rucksack and remem-
edge, skills and attitudes in all of the areas of In this example, knowledge, skills and atti- bering to bring what he or she is going to
development and, generally, a number of ac- tudes form a whole related to both the devel- need is useful. Technically, one could say that
tivity ideas based on the educational proposal opment of the young person as an individual being able to do so is a sign of intellectual
of the age section which offer ways in which and as a active member of his or her commu- development (as it requires analysis and
the young person can progress towards the nity - in this case, the Scout unit. memory, etc.), but it is also a sign of growing
objectives. The young person then personal- autonomy - in this respect at least, the young
ises each of the objectives, with help from the The amount and kind of responsibility gradu- person does not have to rely on anyone else,
adult leader. ally grows as the young person becomes ca- nor is the person a burden on the others.
pable of doing so. Helping someone else in
An example could be a general educational the group to “learn the ropes” requires leader- • Proficiency in areas of personal interest
objective related to developing the ability to ship skills - such as patience, an encouraging
take on responsibility and making a concrete attitude and so on. At the same time, it helps a In addition to the stages of progression, the
contribution to group life. From the variety of “senior” member to realise the progress made progressive scheme offers a variety of oppor-
roles to be undertaken in order for the group since he or she first started to “learn the ropes”, tunities to pursue personal interests. Usually,
to function effectively, there could be respon- and the ability of the “senior” member stimu- it offers a number of options within a variety
sibilities to do with growing vegetables for the lates the “junior” member. of categories related to the educational objec-
group’s meals, learning to take charge of the tives - manual skills, organisational skills, ar-
team budget, taking on the responsibility of The contact stimulates constructive relation- tistic expression, community service, account-
being a team leader, etc. With the help of the ships and thus a closer-knit group. The au- ancy, etc. The young person is encouraged to
adult leader, the young person identifies his tonomy of the group grows as each person choose options in each of the categories dur-
or her areas of interest, the level of responsi- becomes more autonomous, responsible, sup- ing his or her time in the age section so as to
bility and the time commitment required, and portive and committed. help the young person to widen his or her
so on. horizons, discover new interests and talents
What a young person gains through Scouting and develop new skills.
After an agreed length of time, the young per- is not abstract - it always relates to helping the
son can then take on greater responsibility in young person to enrich his or her life today. The interest areas are not an “add-on” to the
a way which involves new skills, for example In each stage of progression, the ways in which group’s activities; they are an integral part of
by helping someone else to learn how to grow the young people gain the skills, knowledge them. The interest areas are chosen according
vegetables. The young person can then try out and attitudes in the various areas of develop- to the skills and knowledge that need to be
acquired for the group to carry out the projects his or her personal objectives and the amount • Publicly recognising progress
agreed upon. Once chosen, the young person of effort made, i.e. “doing one’s best”;
works towards completing a number of re- Progress needs to be recognised. The young
quirements resulting in a certain degree of • the feedback of the other young people in person needs to know that he or she really
proficiency. contact with him or her and of the adult leader has made progress and to feel a sense of
in terms of observable changes in the young achievement. The young person also needs to
While the young person may gain the knowl- person in everyday life and in the observable feel that others have noticed and acknowledge
edge and skills in these interest areas during amount of effort that the young person has it.
Scout meetings or at other times during the made.
week, with others or alone, the young person Simply offering a few words of praise is an
shares what he or she has learned with others When the young person’s personal progress informal way of recognising progress and is
and the skills and knowledge are put to use in meets the general requirements of the stage of important to sustain the inner motivation of
their projects. progression, he or she formally passes on to the young person. In addition, a more formal
the next stage. way of recognising progress is equally impor-
The requirements, of course, are formulated tant. A small ceremony at the end of a mid-
in such a way as to provide the young person Concerning progress in the specific areas of year evaluation, for example, serves as an oc-
with the latitude necessary so as to be able to interest, progress is evaluated in terms of the casion for the whole group to publicly ac-
progress towards his or her personal objec- effort made, the level of proficiency gained knowledge each other’s progress. A token of
tives. and the use that has been made of it in con- that achievement, such as a badge, a certifi-
tributing to group life and the success of the cate or even a photograph or drawing of the
• Evaluating progress group’s activities. General attitudes are thus achievement represents tangible proof to the
built into the criteria of evaluation even in terms young person that he or she really did achieve
Personal progression is evaluated in terms of of proficiency in skills or knowledge gained. something special. That sense of achievement
progress towards the personal educational A young person may have become very profi- helps to build up motivation again to forge
objectives of the young person, based on the cient at repairing bicycles, but if he or she is at ahead.
framework of general objectives for the age the stage of helping another young person to
section in each of the areas of development. It learn the same skills and gets angry every time Of course, the proficiency badges and pro-
is evaluated by: a mistake is made, then there is room for im- gression awards are not meant to be stuck on
provement! uniforms or hung on walls to show off or for
• the young person him or herself - in terms decoration. The fact that a young person has a
of the changes perceived since he or she set certain level of proficiency in a particular skill

means that the others can count on the young skills is relatively easy. However, whether or WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
person to make use of it. not what the young person learns goes in one PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT?
ear and out the other depends largely on his
Putting one’s skills and talents to use in the or her interests, the personal challenge in- The progressive scheme needs to:
group is a way of building on the progress volved, the perceived usefulness of whatever
through practical use and is also a way of it is, i.e. the practical applications of the skill • be conceived with the application of the
making sure that the progress is not simply or knowledge, and the extent to which the Scout Method in mind;
recognised by the others but actively appreci- skill or knowledge is actually put to use over
ated! For a young person in the senior age time. • be simple and clearly related to recognis-
section, passing a driving test can be a great able “milestones” marking personal progress;
moment for someone who has gone to great In terms of attitudes, activities on cooperation,
lengths to save up and practice, but how more empathy (seeing problems from the other per- • be attractive to young people;
enriching it is to also be the one to drive the son’s perspective), peace and human under-
• serve to motivate young people to make
team to an activity site. standing, and so on, can be useful - but they
progress in their personal development;
are primarily eye-openers. Long-term progress
Personal progression as an integral element of in terms of attitudes comes far less from spe- • be easy for young people to understand and
the Scout Method cific activities than through the way in which use with the help of the adult leader;
knowledge and skills are pooled and shared
As we have seen, personal progression involves so as to benefit everyone, through experienc- • make full use of the symbolic framework
the development of knowledge, skills and ating life close to nature, the sense made of the for the age section;
titudes in all areas and the development of the code of living through everyday experience,
whole person as an individual and as a mem- the joys and tribulations of life as a group, a • be adapted to the age of the young people
ber of society. The progressive scheme is a mutually supportive atmosphere, and so on. in the age section concerned;
useful tool in this respect. However, a tool by
itself can be of limited effectiveness - it is the Routine activities, therefore, are just as impor- • offer choice to young people;
way in which it is used which makes it effec- tant in stimulating personal progress as the
tive. In this case, it is the use of the entire special ones. For example, the connection be- • be sufficiently flexible, while covering all
Scout Method which makes the tool really tween making supper or walking together in the areas of development, so that the young
work. a small group and emotional development may people can build their own personal objec-
not be obvious, but there can be one if a young tives, based on their interests, capacities and
Designing or enriching activities intended to person really needs an opportunity to talk socio-cultural context.
help the young person to gain knowledge and through a personal problem.
At the same time, as an integral element of the ties and life in the group; how progress is evalu- Building self-confidence
Scout Method, personal progression requires ated and recognised; and describe the profi-
looking beyond the tool of the progressive ciency areas and requirements. The adult leader needs to try to discover any
scheme. It also means looking at how all the particular talents or skills that the young per-
elements of the Scout Method can be used to Similar tools to help adult leaders fulfil their son may have and find a way for the young
create an environment which stimulates inner role will also need to be developed. person to put them to use. The point is not to
motivation, offers encouragement and support, get the young person to “show off”, but sim-
and helps the young person to develop as a WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR ply to feel good about being able to do some-
whole person. PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION? thing.
Helping the newcomer to discover Scouting The situation or activity that enables the young
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR person to use a particular talent needs to ben-
PROGRAMME DELIVERY? In terms of helping a young person to take efit the group in some way - even if the skill is
charge of his or her development, the first task purely of entertainment value. This is impor-
The progressive scheme will need to be pre-
of the adult leader is to try to get him or her tant in terms of helping the others to accept
sented clearly to both adult leaders and youth
interested in Scouting! However exciting the the newcomer and for the newcomer to sense
members. Special handbooks or other infor-
background reading materials make Scouting the appreciation of the others and to feel use-
mation should be designed for youth mem-
sound, and however much the activities de- ful. Young people are sensitive, however. If
bers in each age section. These should:
scribed correspond to the young person’s in- the situation created is obviously artificial, or
• introduce the Scout Movement and the age terests, reality has to live up to his or her ex- if the adult leader were to make a big deal of
section concerned; pectations! one person’s talent, then the young person
could be extremely embarrassed.
• describe the application of the Scout Method For a newcomer, the general group atmos-
to that section (team system, symbolism, etc.); By the same token, the adult leader also needs
phere, the leadership style of the adult leader, to observe whether the newcomer appears to
the perceived relationships between the young have any apparent difficulties so as to avoid
• present the progressive scheme (personal
people and between the young people and situations which could be potentially humili-
development areas, section educational objec-
the adult leader, the extent to which the young ating. The difficulties will of course be borne
tives);
person feels welcome, etc., are vitally impor- in mind by the adult leader as particular areas
• explain how personal educational objectives tant factors in whether or not a young person to be worked on when helping the young
are determined through dialogue with the adult is likely to stay beyond the first meeting. person to establish his or her personal objec-
leader; how they are attained through activi- tives.
Helping the young person to set personal person can be invited to write down the plan so that each young person in the team has an
objectives or record it in some way in his or her own opportunity to progress towards his or her
words so as to serve as a reminder of the young objectives through playing a part in making
Assuming that the young person has made up person’s intentions and, later, as a way of look- the team’s activities a success and contribut-
his or her mind to join the Movement, then ing back at the progress made. ing to group life in general.
the adult leader needs to help the young per-
In order to help the young person to do so, Every so often, the adult leader will need to
son to establish a set of personal objectives.
the adult leader needs to be able to make an stand back and think through whether there is
This can take place as a one-to-one chat with
educated guess as to whether the educational anything in the way in which the Scout Method
the adult leader, or it could even take place in
objectives and the ways chosen to try to is applied in the group that could be used to
a team setting, depending on how comfort- progress are realistic for that person. If the
able the young people feel with each other. greater advantage.
ambitions are too low, the adult leader can
encourage him or her to go a little further. If
The idea is for the adult leader, on the basis of the challenge is too great, the young person is Sustaining motivation and providing support to
the general educational objectives for the age likely to become demotivated very fast. At the overcome difficulties
section, to: end of the day, however, the challenge has to
be determined by the young person him or Just as everyone develops at different rates at
• help the young person to explore how the herself - a challenge set by someone else be- different moments in the various dimensions,
objectives translate into his or her own situa- comes meaningless. so too the motivation to progress goes through
tion; ups and downs. As the young people discover
Facilitating the young people’s progress that being in charge of the menus for the sum-
• examine his or her current level of capaci- mer camp is not quite as easy as it seemed, or
ties as compared to the objectives (as well as Facilitating the way for each young person to the creation of the set for the play they had
any difficulties that need particular attention); progress towards his or her personal objec- agreed to put on was being held up due to an
tives can be quite a challenge for the adult uninspired scriptwriter, frustration and wan-
• work out how the young person intends to leader! Of course, the national Scout associa- ing interest can easily set in.
make progress towards each of the objectives tion’s progressive scheme will normally include
in concrete terms, based on his or her inter- a number of activity ideas aimed at providing The way in which the adult leader deals with
ests, within a mutually agreed time frame. opportunities for the young people to progress this will evidently depend on the situation.
towards their objectives. However, the adult Sometimes young people simply need time to
Each young person thus develops his or her leader will always need to think through ac- have a laugh and relax for a little while. Some-
own personal development plan. The young tivity ideas to see how they can be enriched times, the adult leader may need to point out
his or her disappointment with a lack of ef- Evaluating and publicly recognising progress The review includes what they enjoyed or dis-
fort. liked, the general level of success of the activ-
Evidently, no one can expect a young person ity, the difficulties encountered and how they
When a young person is experiencing diffi- in Scouting to be constantly thinking about were overcome, and so on. It is also a time to
culty, the leader’s role is to help the young his or her personal progress. In fact, in the invite each young person to explain what they
person to explore ways of overcoming the dif- heat of the action, most of the young person’s feel they have gained (or had hoped to gain)
ficulty in order to succeed in what he or she conscious effort will be directed towards mak- as a result of the experience - and what they
set out do. It does not help the young person ing the activity a success. will try to do differently next time.
to progress or to feel a sense of achievement
if the adult leader provides all the answers or This is why, once an activity, a camp or a There are many ways of conducting evalua-
deals with the young person’s problems on project has been completed, the adult leader tion meetings, but the purpose is not to make
his or her behalf. Judging the right amount of needs to take time with the young people for the young person wish he or she could crawl
challenge for a young person needs to be evaluation (as a team following a team activ- into a hole and disappear! Stimulating inner
worked out before - not in the heat of the action.
ity, e.g. an overnight hike, and as a unit after a motivation requires opportunities to realise the
camp, for example). progress made and to feel a sense of achieve-
Ensuring that what is gained is put to use to
ment as a result of the effort. The young per-
enrich the group son also has to realise the weak points to be
The adult leader needs to make every effort to improved.
make sure that the talents, skills and knowl-
A collective approach can be very helpful. The
edge are put to use to enrich the group. Do-
young person expresses him or herself first,
ing so may require some inventiveness so as
and then the adult leader may ask the other
to enrich an existing activity or project in a
natural way. However, just because a young team members if they have any feedback to
person decided to learn to chair a meeting, offer the young person.
for example, does not mean that he or she has
to chair every meeting until the end of his or If this approach is used, the adult leader will
her days in Scouting! The idea would be for need to remind the young people that any criti-
him or her to chair meetings to practise and cism should be expressed constructively and
improve his or her skills for a certain period to start with positive points first. The adult
of time, then to help others to learn, and be leader then provides feedback to the young
available and willing to stand in if someone is person in the same way. The adult leader can,
sick, etc. of course, take part in the evaluation too, ex-
plaining what he or she found enjoyable or Celebrating achievements
difficult, personally enriching, etc.
When the big project or camp is over, the evalu-
Where a young person has made a consideration meeting has been held, whatever the
able effort in one respect or another, this should individual progress made, a celebration helps
also be recognised in the evaluation, irrespec- to close that chapter in style and then get off
tive of the actual level of achievement. This is, to a fresh start. This can be a moment of spir-
after all, what the young person promised to itual meditation followed by a party, a camp
do! On no account should the adult leader or fire, a parent’s evening with music and illus-
anyone else make comparisons between the trations to show what they have managed to
levels of achievement of the young people. do, etc.
The end of an evaluation meeting is an occa-

sion to publicly recognise any of the young
people who have completed the requirements
for some aspect of the progressive scheme. In
addition to applause, it is important to reward
the young person with a tangible symbol of
the achievement which is meaningful to the
young person. Badges and award certificates
tend to be popular up until the mid-teens. In
the senior age section, other symbolic tokens
may be more meaningful - something made
by the others in the group which shows ap-
preciation and friendship may be worth a thou-
sand badges!

WHAT IS IT? While an adult leader may be a parent in pri-
ADULT SUPPORT vate life or a teacher in professional life, in
In Scouting, adult support involves a volun- Scouting life, i.e. when he or she is working
tary partnership between the adult leader and with the young people in the group, the adult
the young people, both individually and as a leader is not there as a substitute parent, nor
group. In this partnership, the role of the adult as a teacher.
leader is to facilitate the process of self-education
through the way in which he or she applies The particular kind of educational relationship
Scouting’s purpose, principles and method. between adult leaders and young people in
Scouting could be described as an educational
The support provided by adult leaders to young partnership.
“You may give them your love but not people is of an educational nature - the adult
your thoughts, for they have their own plays a particular role aimed at helping each WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO?
thoughts. young person to develop.
As an element of the Scout Method, adult sup-
You may house their bodies but not The nature of the educational support provided port is intended to stimulate the young per-
their souls, for their souls dwell in the in Scouting is different from the other kinds of son’s development through:
house of tomorrow, which you cannot adult support which are normally present in a
visit, not even in your dreams. • bringing adults and young people together
young person’s life - for example, parents, a in a rich learning partnership, based on mu-
school teacher, or a sports coach. In each case, tual respect, trust and acceptance of each other
... Seek not to make them like you, for
the reasons why the adult and the young per- as a person;
life goes not backward nor tarries with
son are in contact with each other are differ-
yesterday.”
ent, the goals sought are different, the nature • the fact that, in the partnership, each person
- “The Prophet”, Kahlil Gibran. of the role played is different, the affective is personally committed, dedicates time and
relationship is different and the interaction that energy, participates in decision-making and the
occurs is different. In short, the educational sharing of responsibilities, and seeks to create
relationship is different. a constructive atmosphere that benefits every-
“He helps us to be what we want to be.” one;
In order to facilitate the process of self-educa-
- “Educational impact of Scouting: Three case studies on tion, the educational relationship in Scouting • the role played by the adult, which is to be
adolescence”, WOSM, 1995. needs to be of a different nature from that of a an active member of the group in the sense
parent-child or teacher-student relationship. that he or she is beside them in their adven-
tures and their difficulties, while constantly The young people want to take part in excit-
seeking to assure all of the conditions needed ing activities that, for the time being, they are “There are leaders the people FEAR.
for the young people to take charge of their not able to organise fully on their own. The
development in the direction of Scouting’s edu- adult identifies with Scouting’s educational There are leaders the people HATE.
cational proposal. proposal, has an interest in young people’s There are leaders the people LOVE.
development, and feels that it would be per-
But when the best leaders of all have
sonally enriching to be involved in facilitating
HOW DOES IT WORK? the development process of the young peo-
finished their work, the people say,
‘We did it ourselves’.
ple. Neither partner is an empty vessel, and
A partnership neither partner knows everything. In Scout- - Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher.
In Scouting, the partnership is a voluntary one ing, all of the “partners” can learn from each
- both the adult and each young person are in other, enrich each other and complement each
contact with each other out of choice, and both other. • helping them to become familiar with all of
have an interest in what Scouting has to offer. the elements of the Scout Method - and to
make sure that it is used. This includes every-
“The principles of Scouting are all in thing from the code of living in the group,
the right direction. The success in their personal progression, how the Scout unit func-
application depends on the Scoutmas- tions as an association of teams, responsibili-
“The Scoutmaster has to be neither school- ter and how he applies them.” ties to be shared, what the adult leader is pre-
master nor commanding officer, nor pared to assume, and what the young people
pastor, nor instructor. - “Aids to Scoutmastership”, Baden-Powell, World Brotherhood are going to need to deal with themselves,
edition, 1944. etc., etc.;
He has got to put himself on the level of
the older brother, that is, to see things • observing and reacting to the group dynam-
from the boy’s point of view, and to lead The role of the adult leader ics so as to maintain a welcoming, construc-
and guide and give enthusiasm in the tive and motivating atmosphere;
right direction.” The role of the adult leader is to facilitate the
development of each young person through: • developing a leadership style that is a bal-
- “Aids to Scoutmastership”, Baden-Powell, World Brotherhood ance between friendship (to encourage them)
edition, 1944. • presenting to them what Scouting can offer and authority (to get them back on track). The
them, how it works and what is expected in adult leader is not an army general or a com-
return; pany president giving orders to be obeyed -
he or she needs to encourage ideas, initiative nonetheless implications for the programme edge of the stages of development of young
and decision-making. At the same time, he or development or review group. people and the general educational objectives.
she is an adult with responsibility for the physi-
cal and emotional security of all concerned For example, do the tools produced for the At the same time, the adult leader is working
and for ensuring that each young person young people and the leaders make it possi- with a group of real young people and needs
progresses in the direction of Scouting’s edu- ble for the young people and the adult to work a certain level of personal development if
cational proposal. He or she cannot, therefore, together as partners? Do they provide enough Scouting is to offer more than a series of ac-
abdicate from the role of adult leader. The latitude for the young people to make choices tivities. Scouting as an educational system re-
balance between friendship and authority will and assume responsibility? To what extent, and mains complete theory until it is applied in
depend largely on the level of maturity of the in what ways, does the adult leader’s role - the group.
young people at a given time and in a given including his or her relationship with the young
situation. It is up to the adult leader to judge people - need to evolve so as to correspond Areas to examine include:
an appropriate balance; to the growing level of maturity of the young
• Do the adult leaders truly understand Scout-
people?
• providing support to each young person and ing’s educational proposal?
to the group as a whole. The adult leader needs There is therefore a need for close collabora-
to be able to make use of his or her knowl- • Are they able to translate the theory into
tion between the national team responsible for
edge of each young person to help to find practice in a way that really makes it a multi-
the Youth Programme and the team responsi- faceted learning experience for young people?
ways in which the young person can progress, ble for preparing adult leaders for their role.
while bearing in mind how to integrate the
• What kind of support do leaders need to be
young person’s interests and educational ob-
able to turn around difficult situations so that
jectives in what the group as a whole wants, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR
they become constructive learning situations
and is able, to achieve. The more the group is PROGRAMME DELIVERY? for the young people?
able to achieve, the more each young person
benefits. The adult leader is the person entrusted by
• What kind of support do they need to be
the Scout association to promote, convey and
able to move from the use of ready-made ac-
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR implement the association’s educational pro- tivities to enriching activity ideas that the young
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT? posal. This involves having a thorough knowl- people propose?
edge, understanding and personal identifica-
While the actual preparation of adult leaders tion with the theory underlying Scouting’s • What kind of support do they need to be
for their role is normally undertaken by the purpose, the principles on which it is based able to fine tune the way in which the group
team responsible for adult resources, there are and Scouting’s method. It also requires knowl- functions so as to provide the young people
with the progressively greater room that they opposite. However, the adult leader needs to For example, if an educational objective con-
need to take initiative and assume responsi- be able to look beyond what is apparent to try cerns developing the capacity to make deci-
bility? to understand what is going on and to respond sions and assume responsibility for the conse-
in a constructive way. quences, then a simulation activity is not go-
• What kind of support do they need to be ing to achieve the objective. The young peo-
able to make sure that the routine activities of The adult leader must never forget that he or ple need real situations in which they can ex-
group life and the relationships within the she, too, is a human being with strengths and perience expressing their ideas, views and
group provide a rich learning environment? weaknesses. Young people do not expect per- preferences, negotiate a consensus and perse-
fection in an adult leader, just authenticity. vere when they realise that things are not quite
These are only a few of the points that could
be examined. There are certainly many more. as easy as they thought. The responsibilities
Ultimately, however good the tools produced must be real ones.
at national level, a coherent learning experi-
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR ence depends on the adult leader’s ability to In a new group, the adult leader cannot ex-
PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION? understand the particular young people he or pect the young people to automatically func-
she is working with and to adjust to their in- tion according to the full Scout Method all at
Establishing Scouting’s particular kind of adult
terests and needs without ever losing sight of once. Forming teams, for example, can take
support is a crucially important part of the
the educational objectives. In this respect, there time. The adult leader needs time and patience
whole educational approach. Young people
are certain factors which come into play in the - but what a sense of achievement when eve-
need constructive contact with adults and they
group which interact and which have a vital rything starts fitting into place!
need opportunities to develop a different kind
importance on whether what the young peo-
of relationship than the one they have with
adults at home. They are not looking for sub- ple experience will have a coherent educa-
stitute parents or teachers. tional impact.
The adult leader must not expect young peo- These interactive elements are: the educational
ple to be miniature adults (because they are objectives being sought, the activities that the
not), but he or she must accept them as peo- young people take part in, group dynamics
ple. Young people of any age need to feel and the way in which the Scout unit is struc-
respected as individuals and to feel that their tured and functions. Ultimately, making sure
worries, fears and hopes are considered legiti- that all these elements work together in a co-
mate. This does not mean that the adult leader herent way depends on the capability of the
has to condone all their behaviour, quite the adult leader.
It is hoped that this publication has provided A holistic educational system as rich as Scout-
CONCLUSION some food for thought on the richness of Scout- ing is necessarily complex. Like a diamond, it
ing’s educational system. When this system is has many different facets. Whatever facet we
fully applied at local level through the use of look at, we should be able to see the reflec-
the Scout Method in everything that young tion of all the other facets. Complex, however,
people do, then Scouting can be extremely does not necessarily mean complicated. Baden-
effective. Powell, after all, was not a professional edu-
cationalist. He did, however, have a creative
Activities as such have not been treated as a mind, an understanding and interest in young
specific chapter in this publication. While ac- people, a lot of common sense and good hu-
tivities are an essential part of Scouting, what mour. These qualities, coupled with an under-
makes an activity a Scout activity is not the standing of what Scouting tries to do and of
subject of the activity (e.g. a hike in nature or the educational tools that it provides, are your
a community service), nor even just the fact basic equipment.
of having a clearly educational objective. From
the perspective of Scouting’s educational sys-
tem, activities (i.e. everything young people
do in Scouting, including routine activities such
as setting up camp or packing equipment) are
primarily the supporting context in which the
Scout Method is put into practice. For exam-
ple, it is through the activities that young peo-
“...Holistic education must acknowledge ple progress towards their educational objec-
the multiple dimensions of the human tives, learn to work in teams, etc. Activities,
personality... thus moving towards the therefore, are a sine qua non condition for
perennial dream of an integrated indi- the educational system to function but, in
vidual living on a harmonious planet.” themselves, activities play a supporting role7.
- “Learning: The Treasure Within, Report to UNESCO of the

Century”, article by Karan Singh, 1996. 7
Contact the World Scout Bureau headquarters or your regional Scout
office of the World Scout Bureau for tools to help design Scout activities.

Scouting: An Educational System

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SCOUTING:

© Copyright 1998, World Scout Bu-

World Scout Bureau

WHAT IS SCOUTING? page 3

WHAT DOES SCOUTING SEEK TO ACHIEVE? page 7

WHAT IS SCOUTING’S APPROACH TO EDUCATION? page 11

WHAT IS THE SCOUT METHOD? page 13

THE SCOUT LAW AND PROMISE page 15

LEARNING BY DOING page 21

THE TEAM SYSTEM (OR PATROL SYSTEM) page 25

A SYMBOLIC FRAMEWORK page 33

PERSONAL PROGRESSION page 47

ADULT SUPPORT page 57

The section on the Scout Method provides in-

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 3

Independent As a movement, this is one of our greatest

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 5

In Scouting, however, education is considered Autonomous:

Page 8 – Scouting: An Educational System

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 9

- proposing a framework of self-education (i.e. • Scouting’s approach is also person-centred

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 11

Page 12 – Scouting: An Educational System

THE SCOUT METHOD

LEARNING LAW & PERSONAL

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 13

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 15

• to be formulated so as to be relevant, inspi- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR

Young people should be involved as much as

From a young person’s perspective, making

The Scout Association, U.K.

Page 24 – Scouting: An Educational System

- “Aids to Scoutmastership”, Baden-Powell, World Brotherhood Adult leader

Baden-Powell called the “patrol system” 4. Each Team Team

The team leaders need to have the maturity to

Page 32 – Scouting: An Educational System

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 37

The use of a specific theme for an age section

The adult leader also needs to ensure that way

Page 40 – Scouting: An Educational System

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 41

Evidently, developing contact with nature in

Page 46 – Scouting: An Educational System

Page 50 – Scouting: An Educational System

The end of an evaluation meeting is an occa-

Scouting: An Educational System - Page 55

- “Learning: The Treasure Within, Report to UNESCO of the

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