Celebrating Our Program
110 Years of Cub Scouts and 80 Years of Venturer Scouts
Join us in celebrating significant years for two of our age sections in 2026. It’s been 110 years since Cub Scouts was launched in Australia in 1916 and 80 years since we rolled out Venturer Scouts in 1946.
With these two birthdays, there are almost 23,000 youth members all celebrating the adventures and challenges that Scouts provides in 2026. Throw a party, host a camp, or join up with some other sections in your Group or area to mark the occasion!
Cub Scouts (ages 8-11) is all about creating the path, finding adventure not just in the activity, but in stepping up and leading the way. Meanwhile, Venturer Scouts (ages 15-18) look wide, seeking opportunities for growth they might never have imagined before.
A history of adventure
Before 1916, Scouts was aimed at adolescents. It had been so successful that there were calls to develop a similar activity for younger boys. So in 1916 a new section was born, called Wolf Cubs. There were 10,000 members in Australia by the end of that year.
In 1946, a new section was created in the UK. It was to be known as Senior Scouts and gave the opportunity for older adolescents to continue their Scouting journey. This program later evolved into Venturer Scouts.
During this time, thousands of young Australians have built confidence, made friends, and discovered the world around them through their experiences in Cub Scouts and Venturer Scouts. We’re incredibly proud of the extraordinary contributions of many volunteers that have made these experiences possible.
Scouts today is a very different movement to the one those first Wolf Cubs and Senior Scouts joined. Our modern program welcomes all and puts young people in the driver’s seat of their own development. Here’s to the next chapter of helping young people achieve their potential!
Why celebrate?
We know that Units always have a lot on. However, if you do celebrate, this is a great moment to:
- Provide a feel-good factor – celebrating everything your Unit has achieved together
- Strengthen links between sections – encouraging young people to continue their Scouting journey, especially if you hold joint celebrations
- Grow – shining a spotlight on Cub Scouts and Venturer Scouts by involving families and new members in your celebrations
- Fundraise – to create more opportunities for young people at your Group
Run a party, camp or sleepover – maybe with a birthday theme
Calling all Cub Scouts
We’re on the hunt for great badge designs to celebrate 110 years of Cub Scouts. It’s time to get drawing and enter our badge design competition. A winner will be chosen from each Branch, and those winning designs will then be considered nationally to develop a blanket badge that will be sold through The Scout Shop.
Look out for communication from your Branch with all the details for the badge competition, as well as information about a national synchronised campfire in July.
Venturer Scouts – watch this space
We’re excited to be working with a team of creative and enthusiastic Venturer Scouts from across Branches. They’re shaping this year’s celebrations to make it a fun and memorable year to be a Venturer Scout.
If you’ve got ideas and want to get involved, let us know! Simply email youth.program.support@scouts.com.au.
By celebrating together, your Group can shine a spotlight on Cub Scouts and Venturer Scouts, strengthen the relationships between age sections, and recognise the amazing adventures of your Units. However you choose to celebrate, make this year another fantastic one!