Transition from Scouts to Explorer Scouts

As some of you may already be aware, at its January meeting, the Operations Sub-Committee agreed that some changes should be made to the rules governing the age at which young people transfer between the Scout and Explorer Scout Sections.

What has changed?

The Operations Sub Committee (a sub-Committee of the Committee of the Council) has agreed that young people moving on from the Scout Section to the Explorer Scout Section have a 12 month window in which to do so. This means that the window for a Scout to move on to the Explorer Scout Section is between 13.5 and 14.5 years old. Formerly, young people could remain in the Scout Section up until the age of 15.

What is the core age range of the Scout Section?

There is no change to the core age range of the Scout Section and this remains 10.5 to 14 years old.

What is the core age range of the Explorer Scout Section?

There is no change to the core age range of the Explorer Scout Section and this remains 14 to 18 years old.

Why is the age flexibility changing?

- The core age range for the Scout Section is from 10.5-14 and the Scout Section programme is designed to be delivered to this age group.

- The core age range for the Explorer Scout Section is 14-18 and young people joining an Explorer Scout Unit at 15 miss out on a year of programme specifically designed for their age range.

- The Chief Scout’s Platinum Award and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award both have a starting age of 14, and a young person joining at 15 potentially loses a year of possible progress towards these awards.

- A young person can choose to become a Young Leader at the age of 14. There is therefore the potential for a Troop to have both Scouts and Explorer Scout Young Leaders of the same age at the same time. This can sometimes make it very difficult for Young Leaders to carry out their role effectively. This rule change reduces the risk of this instance occurring.

- Since 2002, both the Scout Section and Explorer Scout Section have shown healthy growth and evidence suggests that this is at least partially attributable to the delivery of a programme focused on the needs of the core age range of each Section. This rule change is designed to help Leaders concentrate on providing a programme for the core range of young people with whom they work.

What options will there be for a young person to be involved in the Scout Troop after they are 14.5?

Nobody over the age of 14.5 will be able to take part in the Scout Programme. If somebody aged between 14 and 18 wants to be involved with the running of a Scout Troop they can do this as an Explorer Scout Young Leader. This means that they take an active part in the Young Leaders’ Scheme and are counted as an Explorer Scout. It is strongly recommended that a Young Leader does not help in their old Scout Troop until six months after leaving the Troop..

When will this rule change take effect?

Policy, Organisation and Rules will be amended to take account of this change and re-issued during September 2009. This means that Leaders, Managers and Supporters in the Scout and Explorer Scout Sections have 7 months in which to plan for this slight change. All concerned should plan to implement this rule by 1st September 2009.

Can flexibility with regard to moving between Sections still be applied where a young person has special needs?

Yes. Flexibility may be applied in individual cases as outlined in rule 3.11 b of Policy, Organisation and Rules.