Youth Program Review
Keeping Section Names, Leader Names and Section Colours
Helping to clear up some discussion happening on Section Names, Leader Names, and Section Colours as part of the Youth Program Review.
While the transformation of Scouting is a significant and exciting undertaking, Scouts Australia is committed to ensuring that Scouting remains relevant and attractive to future generations of Scouts. As consultation continues, we are pleased that many members are openly discussing their thoughts with regard to the proposed new program. Scouts Australia is considering this feedback together with research from the wider community.
Leader Names
Scouts Australia needs to ensure that the concept of Leadership and leading is focused on youth members. This means finding a term for Adults in Scouting that accurately reflects the crucial support role they play. Symbolic frameworks for Sections are likely to be the basis for terminology for Adults in Scouting. First names and nicknames also help reinforce intergenerational teams. As Symbolic Frameworks are yet to be determined, for now, the term ‘Leader’ will continue to be used to refer to Adults in Scouting.
Section Colours
There are no plans to change Section colours. In the future, as we look to experts to advise us on updating our public image, this may be discussed again, but would need to demonstrate significant benefit for the organisation.
Section Names
There has been mixed feedback regarding the concept of updating the names of our sections. Therefore, there are currently no plans to recommend changes to the names of each section. This topic was originally raised by youth members. There was especially, a concern that four of our five sections have a name to identify their section (E.g. Joey Scouts) but our middle section is simply Scouts. Should they be called Explorer Scouts, Pioneer Scouts or even Adventurer Scouts? We need to let the community know we are all Scouts, and then identify the age appropriate section. Do we need to add another name to the Scout section? This is a discussion for another day.
There’s more on the journey of the Youth Program Review here.
