| Scouts Australia | |||
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| Headquarters | Chatswood, NSW | ||
| Country | Australia | ||
| Founded | 1908 | ||
| Founder | Lord Baden-Powell | ||
| Membership | 73,523[1] | ||
| Chief Commissioner | Reg Williams, RFD | ||
| International Commissioner | Neville Tomkins, OAM | ||
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| Website * Scouts Australia |
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Scouts Australia is an organisation for children and young adults from 6 to 26 years of age. Scouts Australia is part of the global Scouting movement and has been a national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement since 1953. Scouting in Australia has been open to girls since 1971.
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Scouting came to Australia in 1908, [2] the year the first Boy Scout training handbook "Scouting for Boys" was published in England. Baden-Powell visited Australia in 1912 and in later years (1927, 1931 and 1934) to encourage the extension of the movement in Australia.[3]
Initially each Australian state branch was directly and individually responsible to scout headquarters in London. A federal council of state branch nominees was formed in 1922 to achieve co-operation and coordinated at a national level. The national body later appointed an Australian Commissioner. The Federal Scout Council functioned as a branch of the British Boys Scout Association. Australia became a member of the World Scout Organisation of Scout Movements (WOSM) in 1953 in its own right, and not as a branch of the British Scout Association. In 1958, the adjuration of the Australian Boys Scout Association took place. In 1967, the national organisation was incorporated by Royal Charter.[4] In 1971, the association changed its name to the Scout Association of Australia, although the official name was not changed until 2001, when the Royal Charter was amended through an Act of Parliament. The organisation is unofficially known as Scouts Australia.
The Association is a Founder Member of the Asia-Pacific Region. In the field of support and co-operation with other member countries of the Asia Pacific Region, the organisation has contributed to a number of international friendship and community development oriented projects. Over the years, Australian Scouts have supported emerging Scout Associations in the South Pacific. A twinning project with the Bangladesh Scouts, known as the "Bangladesh-Australia Child Health" (BACH) project made a dramatic impact on child health in project villages during its operation from 1986 to 1992.[5][6] The Scout Association has a twinning project with the Nepal Scouts known as NATURE Project and involves the reforestation of the Kristi Landslide.[7]
Australia hosted the successful 16th World Scout Jamboree and the 31st World Scout Conference in 1988. Some 15,000 Scouts from 94 countries attended the Jamboree at Cataract Scout Park near Sydney. An Australian Scout Jamboree has been held every three years since 1934 except for the years of the Second World War. The scout jamboree is the largest national scout event but there is also an Australian Rover Moot and an Australian Venture are also held every three years.
In response to World and Regional Scout Conferences held prior to 2000, Scouts Australia established a National Youth Council to engage youth members in national operations and to provide opportunities for these representatives:
Positions were first advertised at the 19th Australian Jamboree held at Cataract Scout Park in Sydney in January 2001 and by April of that same year, the first 30 Scouts, Venturers, Rovers and Young Leaders had been chosen to represent the youth population of Scouts Australia. The Council held its first meeting on 4-6 May 2001.[8]
Today, there are 25 members on the Council from all branches of Scouts Australia. The only non-youth member of the Council is the Adviser who does not have any voting rights. The Council meets face to face twice a year and works in patrols and meets using online collaborative tools throughout the rest of the year. The Chair of the National Youth Council is a full member of the Scouts Australia National Council and therefore has voting rights on the National Operations Committee and National Executive Committee. [9]
In 2003 Scouts Australia became a Registered Training Provider under the banner of the Federal Dept. of Science, Technology and Training. Scouts Australia's Adult Leader Training now leads Adults to a Diploma of Leadership under the Australian Qualifications Framework.[10]
According to its own Annual Reports [11] membership has decreased in all sections from a total of 84,502 in 2126 Groups in 2001 to a total of 63,200 in 1836 Groups in 2005. In 2010, an increase in overall membership to 65,810 in 1,504 groups was reported.[12]
Scouts Australia is a federation of State and territory branches. Each branch has been incorporated by State Acts of Parliament.[13] Each branch maintains its own structure and operational methodologies and rules. However, all branches operate under a common uniform and common award scheme structure.
A Federal Scout Council seeks to achieve co-operation and coordination of the branches.
The Chief Scout of Australia is the Australian Governor-General,[14] who is the representative in Australia of the Monarch (currently Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II). The Chief Scout in each state is normally the State Governor, who is also the Monarch's representative in each State.
Youth in Scouting are divided into several age related groupings. They are designed to overlap and encourage movement through the sections as the youth member matures.
The youngest section is Joey Scouts (6 - 8 Years). Joey Scouts is about activities to help develop a child's sense of personal identity and sharing. This is demonstrated by the Joey Scout law A Joey cares, a Joey shares. This section is followed by Cub Scouts (7.5 - 11) which aims to develop a sense of adventure and achievement and a chance to grow their character. The Scouts Section (10.5 - 15) promotes understanding of campcraft and the environment, whilst developing team skills and organisational abilities. Venturer Scouts (14.5 - 18) use the skills learnt in the later years of scouting through a system of self-governance. Rovers (17.5 - 26) is all about developing the social connections gained in earlier years in scouting and serving the community and the organisation.[15]
Throughout its history the Scouting Movement has been clearly identified by its uniform. Over the years much goodwill has been received by the Scout Movement and the uniform serves as a focus for the support of the community.
Within the Movement the adult uniform enables the leaders to be closely identified with those they lead. The uniform also expresses the basic values that are involved in being an Adult Leader. For an Adult Leader, the uniform expresses the fact that all are equal before the task in hand. Common ideals are shared by recognising the roles of other leaders by the insignia on their uniforms.
The core uniform is a dark blue shirt with the relevant youth Section colour across the sleeves, yoke and collar; a blue or moss-green belt (white for sea scouts); scarf and woggle.
These colours are the official ones for the youth sections. The colour for the leaders' shirt is dark blue.
The Lone Scout Group is for the youth unable to attend or find a local Scout group. Lones include people with disabilities and are therefore unable to attend regular group meetings, people who are constant travellers or go to places at which they are unable to attend a group i.e. boarding school or isolated communities.[16]
To become a member of the Scout movement you are required to make the Scout Promise. (Policy P7.3 - Membership) [17] The unique wording in the Australian Scout Promise of “do my best to do my duty to my God" allows some flexibility and the movement is open to people of all religious faiths that can make this promise. Those who can not make this promise are unable to become members.
Historically, Scouting in Australia was rooted in Christianity as that was the world view of Scouts founder, Lord Baden-Powell.[18]and although Britain is now a majority non-religious nation [19] Christianity was the dominant faith in both Britain and Australia in Scouting's early days.
More recently, members have come from many faiths and although the majority of Scout Groups promote an interfaith approach to religion (Open Groups) many Scout Groups have been formed within existing communities and specific religions (Sponsored Groups), [20] such as Coptic Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Islamic, Judean, etc.
Non-sovereign territories with Scouting run by Scouts Australia include
The Award Scheme in Australian Scouting consists of Awards for Proficiency in an Adventurous Activity, participation in Major Events, recognition of service, Gallantry and Meritorious Service, and for the practice of scouting[21] (Queen's Scout, Baden-Powell Award, etc.).
Adult Recognition Awards (formerly Good Service Awards) are presented each year by the Chief Scout of each Branch and are presented for service to Scouting over and above what is expected for someone who is simply carrying out the duties of their position. These awards can be nominated by anyone affiliated with Scouts Australia.
| Adult Recognition Awards for Adult Members | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | Minimum Time in Service | Description |
| Certificate of Merit | 3 years | Certificate Badge: White and Green knot on blue background |
| National Rover Service Award | 5 years in Executive position on Region or Branch Rover Council or Subcomittee. |
Certificate Badge: Red and White knot on blue background |
| Silver Arrowhead | 7 – 8 years | Silver Medallion depicting the logo of Scouts Australia on a yellow ribbon Badge: Yellow knot on blue background |
| Silver Wattle | 12 years | Silver medallion depicting a wattle on a green ribbon Badge: Green knot on blue background |
| Silver Koala | 16 years | Silver medallion depicting a koala on an orange ribbon Badge: orange knot on blue background |
| Silver Emu | 20 years | Silver Medallion depicting an emu on a purple ribbon Badge: Purple knot on blue background |
| Silver Kangaroo | 20 years Also presented to members of other WOSM organisations |
Silver medallion depicting a kangaroo on a green and gold ribbon Badge: Gold knot on blue background |
| Adult Recognition Awards for Supporters and Lay Members | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | Minimum Time in Service | Description |
| Certificate of Merit | 3 years | Certificate |
| Silver Arrowhead | 7 – 8 years | Silver Medallion depicting the logo of Scouts Australia on a yellow ribbon |
| Outstanding Service Award | 12 years | Silver medallion on a green ribbon |
| Distinguished Service Award | 16 years | Silver medallion on an orange ribbon |
| National President's Award | 20 years Also presented to members of other WOSM organisations |
Silver medallion on a red ribbon |
Awards for Gallantry are made by the Chief Scout of Australia for actions involving risk, for example for saving someone from a burning building, to individual members or groups.
| Awards for Gallantry of Scouts Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | For | Description |
| Certificate of Gallantry | Actions involving limited risk | Certificate Badge: Blue and White knot on blue background |
| Gilt Cross | Gallantry involving limited risk | A Gilt Cross on a Red and Blue ribbon Badge: Blue and Red knot on blue background |
| Silver Cross | Gallantry involving considerable risk | A Silver Cross on a Blue ribbon Badge: Blue knot on blue background |
| Bronze Cross | Special heroism or extreme risk | A Bronze Cross on Red ribbon Badge: Red knot on blue background |
Awards for meritorious conduct are awarded for actions that may not have involved risking of life but still display courage, endurance, initiative or devotion to duty, often under suffering. As with Awards for Gallantry, these awards are made by the Chief Scout of Australia to individuals or groups depending on the circumstances.
| Awards for Meritorious Service of Scouts Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | For | Description |
| Certificate of Meritourious Conduct | Actions involving limited risk | Certificate Badge: Green and Blue knot on blue background |
| Medal for Meritorious Conduct | Gallantry involving limited risk | A medallion on green ribbon with a vertical red stripe Badge: Green and Red knot on blue background |
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