When it comes time to reflect on the completion of a Milestone, it can be a bit tricky to know how to do this. We have some resources available to help Scouts with their reflection.
For each section you will find a resource that links the six SPICES areas and their I-Statements, with some questions you could use to encourage Scouts to think about their personal progression.
Although they all have been updated with current Scouts Australia branding, the content remains essentially the same, so if you already use these there is no need to download them again.
The Purpose of the Scout Movement is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.
To support Scouts to develop in these areas of personal growth (also known as SPICES), there are some tools available.
Firstly, there is the SPICES I-Statements. These are the educational objectives of each age section, presented in the format of “I can…”
There is also the SPICES Review Tool. Patrols and Unit Councils can use this tool to review a program cycle and determine how well each of the SPICES has been implemented in the program.
Both have been updated, mainly with the new Scouts Australia branding. The Review Tool has some additional information that connects SPICES and Challenge Areas.
A helpful new resource is now available on the Program Resources website. While it is time to look to the future, to move forward as a movement, you might be interested to know where Scouting has come from. What can we learn from the rich history of our Movement?
For over a century, Scouting has been developing young people around the world using its unique methods. Read this resource to get a glimpse of the history of Scouting, and how our founder captured the imagination of boys to form their own patrols in the early 20th Century and began this World Movement.
Take what you like from it. Dip into parts of the last 110+ years you might be interested in, or read the whole lot!. Some Scouts might be interested, others not at all. This is compiled to help anyone interested piecing together a picture of how this movement grew and evolved. You can use it for Intro to Scouting or Intro to Section, or it might help a Scout with a Special Interest Area project or an adult leader with their Wood Badge project.
This version of our history pulls together information from a variety of reliable sources. It was developed from articles provided mainly by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), The Scout Association (UK), The Scout Association of Australia, Mr Neil Westaway (former Chief Commissioner of Australia), the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and Eduard Vallory’s fascinating book that explains the largest movement on the planet, “World Scouting: Educating for Globa Citizenship” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).
This history starts off at the very beginnings of the Scout Movement, and then follows the initial growth of World Scouting, eventually focusing mainly on the downs and ups of Australian Scouting.
You can download this History of World and Australian Scouting here:
Although this is just a minor update – mainly just tidying up some of the program language, some typos, and updating the branding – we thought it was a good opportunity to remind you of the resource called Programming Overview, now updated on the Program Resources website.
All Scout programs should be adventurous, fun, challenging and inclusive for all Scouts involved. By following the programming model for each age section, young people are able to create a Scout program that is engaging and suitable for all members of the Unit or Patrol. Some Scouts may need support to contribute their ideas, and to deliver their ideas in the program.
This resource especially encourages you to ensure the Scout Method is prominent in your programs. The Scout Method is what ensures Scouting embraces non-formal education and learning, in order to achieve the Purpose and Mission of Scouting.
Do you need an overview of the big picture ideas of the new program?
Do you need something for your Group Council to flip through to see how everything comes together in the program?
Maybe you need something to share at your next District Training Meeting (Mindari etc.).
Or better yet, talking points for Unit Leaders, Patrol Leaders, and Unit Councils of all age sections.
Take a look at the resource called New Program Overview. This presentation style PDF breaks down the program into each of its elements so that you can talk through how it all works together. This takes you beyond just “the badges” (i.e. the Achievement Pathways) and into other important elements such as the role of the Scout Method, the importance of SPICES, how patrols work in each age section, and what is meant by “one program, one journey”.
There is even some background to how this new program came about, the burning issues, and the timeline of events leading up to its launch at AJ2019 (where you might remember info boards featuring this content).
A new series of resources has now been made available to guide your Unit Leaders, Patrol Leaders, Scouts, and suppoting adult Leaders to develop a unit code. There is a guide for each age section.
A Unit Code is a way of expressing how members of the Unit are going to act, what acceptable behaviour is, and how members will treat others and the space around them.
A Unit Code is about:
How members of the Unit behave and treat each other
Respecting our environment around us, including people, each other’s property and the natural environment
How to be resilient and courageous in challenging times
When creating your Unit Code, the Unit should also consider the Australian Scout Promise and Law and the symbolic framework of their section.
Once it has been created by the whole Unit, all Scouts and adult leaders then agree to follow the Code.
Your Unit should display the Unit Code in a creative way so it acts as a reminder to the members of the Unit. The Unit Code needs to be reviewed or rewritten annually by the whole Unit, to ensure it represents the needs of the current members.
To help Scouts and Leaders understand more about assisting and leading for each Milestone level a series of resources have been created outlining a range of different scenarios for each age sections.
All age sections, except Scouts, have now been updated with some clarifications and new Scouts Australia branding. We’ll get the Scout section one out soon!
The downloadable factsheets supporting the four main elements of the Achievement Pathways have been updated. You can now find updated factsheets for the Program Essentials, Outdoor Adventure Skills, Special Interest Areas, as well as the factsheet outlining the five peak awards.
Updates are minor. They include:
branding update
inclusion of Scouts | Terrain
some tidy up of text for improved clarity
language update, mainly around adventurous activities guidelines
update to unit management course or personal development course (rather than generic leadership course) for peak award requirements
The refreshed factsheets can be found on the Achievement Pathways page, under the relevant tab.
We have made some updates to the documents known as “Unit Council Supporting The Peak Award”. The overall messages are the same, with some minor updates. They include:
Design and branding update
Language of the program updates
Clarification of how Special Interest Area projects can be completed as individuals or in patrols
Changes to the names of peak awards (where appropriate)
Updating to Personal Development Course or Unit Management Course requirements of the peak awards
Including Scouts | Terrain as a resource for Scouts to use
These guides are designed to help Unit Councils in each section support Scouts in their journey to the peak award.
You can find updated versions for Joey Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, and Venturer Scouts. They are located on the Achievement Pathways page, under the Peak Award Resources tab. Or you can go directly to the resource page:
Finally, we are able to launch the new Ceremonies Guide for Australian Scouting!
Ceremonies help us mark important times in Scouting. We use a whole range of different ceremonies, and many of these will look different depending on where you are or who you’re with.
Ceremonies in Scouts Australia are adaptable and changeable. This book acts as a guide; it includes some key considerations for designing ceremonies, and some examples.
The features of your ceremonies and the way they’re run is mostly up to the youth members in your Unit, with adult support as needed.
This guide mirrors what is contained in the Program Handbook, along with additional guidance for adult ceremonies. If you already have the Program Handbook, you won’t need this as well, unless you would like a handy quick reference.
You can find the Guide to Ceremonies in Australian Scouting on the Weekly Program page, under the Ceremonies tab. Or click here.
Printed copies of this guide will also shortly be available from the Scout Shop.
