Rationale for proposed Scout Program structure Alison Griffiths

Rationale for proposed Scout Program structure Alison Griffiths Scout Program workstream

Perceived problems • Too linear – have to complete all small clauses to be able to move from level to level • Too many levels • Scouts don’t necessarily know why they are having to learn some clauses • Losing service culture – second line of promise • Patrol system and COH not demanded or supported by program • Leadership training not systematized • Air and sea scouts and rural scouts marginalised currently

Proposed new structure Useful member of patrol – I know stuff 1 Patrol leader – leads people in learning 2 3 Project leader – plan and lead a task

Pathfinder and adventurer - scoutcraft Discoverer and First class – interest badge level Explorer and Springbok 11 -13 y 13 -15 y 15 -17 y

Themes • Personal (includes leadership, mind, body and soul) • Living outdoors (Camping, cooking and backwoodsman) • Survival (urban and natural) • First Aid • Service (environmental, movement and wider community) • Navigation (currently mapping and hiking) • Skills

Total matrix Living outdoors Personal Service Survival Navigation Skills First Aid Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 2 Level 3 Level 3

Badges • Each level of each theme is a separate badge • Need to complete each level before staring new level due to need for previous level skills for next level. Tasks at next level may need skills learnt in a different theme • No extra interest badges required as all included in program – will have six interest badges at Springbok. • Benefits: – Scouts get badges quite quickly – Theme structure would help plan term programs

LO – living outdoors SE – service FA – first aid SK – skills PD – personal development SS – Safety and survival N - navigation LO Level one SE FA SK PD SS N

LO – living outdoors SE – service FA – first aid SK – skills PD – personal development SS – Safety and survival N - navigation LO Level two SE FA SK PD SS N

LO Halfway through level three SE FA SK PD SS N LO – living outdoors SE – service FA – first aid SK – skills PD – personal development SS – Safety and survival N - navigation

Other features • Some sections of themes use interest badges as requirements. Extras can be worn as interest badges and / or go towards challenge awards. • Theme badges are the same and get taken off and re-awarded / different colours for next level – so just replaced on arm • Can earn individual theme badges after first class even if don’t earn complete Springbok – still have sense of achievement

Advancement levels • Level 1 – Pathfinder has to complete all level 1 badges – Done to the satisfaction of the patrol leader / troop scouter and examined by means of personal log book to court of honour • Level 2 – First class – has to complete all level 2 badges – Done to satisfaction of troop scouter and approved by court of honour and examined by means of patrol log book • Level 3 – Springbok – has to complete all level 3 badges – Done to satisfaction of provincial / regional representative for scout program and examined by means of project log book.

Points of exit • Pathfinder – scout has skills which can be used by the community • First class – scouts have skills and can use those skills to lead and teach a small group of people who are younger than them and with whom they have developed a good relationship • Springbok – scouts leadership abilities go beyond a small group to getting a project done and finding the right people to help them with the project. In most cases this may still be the patrol.

Underlying rationale for program 1. Any scout no matter what resources should be able to find their own path to Springbok 2. The program uses many of the current clauses as these embody what we want in the final product. 3. Clauses have been included based on what we want the scout to become- not on what is currently available. We should create a wish list and work form that. 4. All scouts are basically the same just some have different skill sets to others. 5. Clauses are in the program even if they are “done at school”

Skills theme • Skills – 6 different ones: pioneering, construction, boating, flying, climbing and food for life. • Often done by means of scoutcraft and interest badges • Many different ways to complete this level • At level one and two scouts do two options – Not too narrow a focus. • At level three only one option required.

Safety and Survival • New theme • Urban and natural disaster based – floods, fires, etc. Will use skills form living outdoors as well. • Level 2 has most of safety code interest badge included – safety of buildings and road safety • Need new badges for level 3 – Badges at level 3 aimed at preparation for disaster not actual disaster. For example – decide what the most likely natural disaster for a certain area and come up with a comprehensive plan. • Better equips scouts for service in community

First aid • Scoutcraft badge and interest badge included in advancement program • No need to earn extra interest badges for explorer • Options at level 3 for specialisation – Standard first aid – Wilderness first aid – Medicine (public health)

Living outdoors • Biggest theme • Focus changed from “nights of camping” to patrol and troop camps • Camps can be held wherever safe – Live outside of a house – don’t need tents – Be able to light a fire – warmth and food – Be able to cook well – Know equipment and planning • Numbers of camps flexible but need to keep patrol camps high to enforce patrol system

Personal development • Includes leadership and true personal development – Leadership development – Duty to God – Physical fitness – Participation in patrol / troop activities. – Documentation – log books encouraged • Assessed within troop

Navigation • Includes hiking and mapping but made more adaptable for any mode of expedition – Traditional hiking, all-water expeditions, walk or bicycle. Limit to people power – no power boating or quad bikes. – True mapping comes in at level 2 only. • Level 1 – three times one day expeditions • Level 2 – two expeditions (one overnight) • Level 3 – current Springbok expedition (three day two nights

Service • Needs expansion because is currently buried and not visible but should be core focus of program • Each level has three types of service: – Movement – recruiting scouts, marketing the movement – Community – helping the wider community – Environmental • Project and on-going service as well – each patrol and troop should have an ongoing service project

Challenge awards • Either one big challenge – i. e. one big service project – single / patrol / troop – Maybe completing Cederberg is OK for hiking challenge award – wear Cederberg badge for a while and replace with permanent hiking challenge award badge. – Messengers of peace for service challenge award • Or obtain a group of interest badges – Do three of the following interest badges to earn the navigation challenge award • Orienteering • Geocaching • advanced navigation etc

Suggested challenge awards • Hiking • All-rounder – one interest badge from all five / four out of five / three out of five skills at level 2 • Navigation – three specific interest badges • Vocational – three community skills badges • Water – three boating interest badges • Air – three flying interest badges • Service – outside agencies e. g. Messengers of peace or Habitat for humanity

Participation badges • These remain as previously discussed to reward scouts who help others achieve advancement • Start at point above current program maximum – Hiking – 100 km, increase by 50 km – Camping – 40 night, increase by 10 nights – Service – 100 hours and increase by 25 hours – Boating – x nautical miles and increase appropriately

Process • This program to be sent out for comment to everyone involved in scout troops – Please cc me on all emails so I can keep track of who the documents have been sent to – this should stop whingeing later on • Comment required separately from three groups: – Current scouts – court of honours – whether troop / district or provincial COH. Thus any court of honour can give feedback even if their province does not have a provincial COH – Young scouters both with and without a Springbok – aged 18 -30 – Mature scouters both with and without Springbok

Feedback rules • No individual feedback will be accepted – Otherwise individuals count more than the collective – “he who shouts the loudest wins” will not work here – I cannot collate the views of 20 000 people • Must be from group of people: – Court of honour for scouts – district / province combined adult groups • The feedback from the three groups must be separate – no combined provincial feedback – Because the court of honour feedback is probably the most important and could be buried – A register should be taken

Feedback template • Fill in feedback form as completely as possible. – Additional pages can be added on • Information important to confirm – adequate feedback from all players. – Numbers of people involved in feedback process – Feedback from all provinces • Specific groups can be prompted in order to create equal distribution • Provides credibility to the process. All members of the scout association will know how much feedback was given.

Deadline • All feedback needs to be returned to me by end May • I will collate all feedback and adapt program according to feedback • Program version 2 will be created with explanatory document indicating response to feedback. • Program version 2 sent out and posted on web for comment. • Final comments collated and final program presented to National Scout Council

Still needed after “final” program • All scoutcraft and Interest badges need to be looked at and changed to be appropriate • New Interest badges need to be written • Criteria for challenge awards need to be written • Scout trail and guidelines for scouters need to be written • Lots of work still to do – workgroups to be set up.

Thank you for taking on this project with me I look forward to your feedback on the template attached Please send all feedback or cc emails to alison@scouting. org. za Or fax to 086 594 2366 Or post to P O Box 900, Northlands, 2116 Please phone the Gauteng scout shop on 011 440 6490 on Wed, Thurs or Fri to let them know that you have sent your comments through