Age groups in Scouting and Guiding
Scouting and Guiding organisations are currently divided up into different age groups for the purposes of providing suitable Scouting and Guiding programmes to young people across the world.
Different organisations vary on the precise groupings, but most of them offer Scouting and Guiding from the ages of 6 to 25, in one form or another.
History
Originally, there was only a single section for all members of the Scouting (Scouts) and Guiding (Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) Movements. Typically, these were for 11–17 year olds, although the exact ages varied between the countries and organisations.
Within the first twenty-five years of Scouting its founder, Robert Baden-Powell, saw that there was a demand to provide the Scouting programme for young people both above and below the core age range.
The first section to have a separate programme to the Scouts were the Wolf Cubs. This development allowed the younger brothers of Scouts to participate in similar activities. Later on, a senior section known as Rover Scouts was created. This was mirrored by similar sections being created for the Guide Movement - the Brownie Guides (equivalent to the Wolf Cubs) and Ranger Guides (the senior section).
In addition to the expansion of the age ranges, new programmes which ran parallel to the core Scout method were developed. For example, the Sea Scouts and Air Scouts. Another parallel programme is Extension Scouting, which aims to bring Scouting to young people with special needs.
Over time, the various Scouting and Guiding organisations around the world have continued to adapt their programmes to meet the requirements of the society they function in. However, while the age ranges and names vary, the core principles of the Scout or Guide Method are applied throughout.
Sections Around the World
There are a number of similarities in the Scouting and Guiding sections around the world, and the following articles contain generic information on the various age groups:
Scouting | Guiding |
The following table contains links to articles with information on specific sectional programmes within the various organisations where available:
Country | Organisation | Junior Section(s) | Core Section | Senior Section(s) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | Guides Australia[1] | Age grouping is determined by local organisations, as is naming of the sections Guides are 5 to 18 years | |||||
Scouts Australia[2] | Joey Scouts 6 to 8 years |
Cub Scouts 8 to 10.5 years |
Scouts 10.5 to 15 years |
Venturer Scouts 14.5 to 18 years |
Rovers 17 to 26 years | ||
Austria | Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs[3] | Wichtel (Brownies) 7 to 10 years |
Guides 10 to 13 years |
Caravelles 13 to 16 years |
Rangers 16 to 20 years | ||
Wölflinge (Cub Scouts) 7 to 10 years |
Späher 10 to 13 years |
Explorers 13 to 16 years |
Rovers 16 to 20 years | ||||
Bahrain | Boy Scouts of Bahrain | Al-Ashbal 8 to 12 years |
Al-Kashaf 12 to 17 years |
Al-Matakadem over 17 years | |||
The Girl Guides Association of Bahrain | Brownie Guides 7 to 11 years |
Guides 12 to 15 years |
Senior Guides 16 to 18 years |
Ranger Guides 18 to 23 years | |||
Canada | Girl Guides of Canada[4] | Sparks 5 to 6 years |
Brownies 7 to 8 years |
Guides 9 to 11 years |
Pathfinders 12 to 15 years |
Cadets,Junior Leaders,Rangers 15 to 17 years | |
Scouts Canada[5] | Beavers 5 to 7 years |
Wolf Cubs 8 to 10 years |
Scouts 11 to 14 years (optional to 16) |
Venturers 14 to 17 years |
Rovers 18 to 26 years | ||
India | Bharat Scouts and Guides[6] | Bunnies 3 to 6 years |
Cubs 5 to 10 years |
Scouts 10 to 17 years |
Rovers 16 to 25 years | ||
Bulbuls 5 to 10 years |
Guides 10 to 17 years |
Rangers 16 to 25 years | |||||
Germany | Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder[7] | Wölflinge (Cub Scouts) 7 to 11 years |
Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (Guides and Scouts) 11 to 15 years |
Ranger und Rover (Ranger Guides and Rover Scouts) 16 to 25 years |
Erwachsene (Adults) 25 years and older | ||
Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg[8] | Wölflinge (Cub Scouts) 7 to 10 years |
Jungpfadfinder (Junior Scouts) 10 to 13 years |
Pfadfinder (Scouts) 13 to 16 years |
Rover (Rover Scouts) 16 to 20 years | |||
Pfadfinderinnenschaft Sankt Georg[9] | Wichtel (Brownies) 7 to 10 years |
Pfadfinderinnen (Guides) 10 to 13 years |
Caravelles 13 to 16 years |
Ranger (Ranger Guides) 16 years and older | |||
Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder[10] | Kinder (Children) 7 to 10 years |
Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (Guides and Scouts) 10 to 15 years |
Ranger und Rover (Ranger Guides and Rover Scouts) 16 to 25 years |
Erwachsene (Adults) 18 years and older | |||
Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland | Catholic Guides of Ireland[11] | Cygnet Guides 5-6 years |
Brigin Guides 6-11 years |
Guides 10-14 years |
Rangers 14-17 | ||
Irish Girl Guides[12] | Ladybirds 5 to 7 years |
Brownies 6.5 to 11 years |
Guides 10.5 to 15 years |
Senior Branch 14.5 to 21 years | |||
Scouting Ireland[13] | Beaver Scouts 6 to 8 years |
Macaoimh (Cub Scouts) 8 to 11 years Sea Cub Scouts 8 to 11 years |
Scouts 11 to 15 years Sea Scouts 11 to 17 years Air Scouts |
Venture Scouts 15 to 21 years Sea Venture Scouts 16 to 20 years | |||
Malaysia | Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia | Pengakap Kanak-Kanak (Cub Scouts) |
Pengakap Muda (Junior Scouts) |
Pengakap Remaja (Senior Scouts) |
|||
Persatuan Pandu Puteri Malaysia[14] | Tunas Puteri 9 to 11 years |
Pandu Puteri 12 to 14 years |
Renjer Puteri 15 to 19 years | ||||
South Africa | Girl Guides Association of South Africa[15] | Teddies 4.5 to 7 years |
Brownies 7 to 10 years |
Guides 10 to 14 years |
Rangers 14 to 25 years | ||
South African Scout Association[16] | Cub Scouts 8 to 10.5 years |
Scouts 10.5 to 18 years Air Scouts Sea Scouts |
Rovers 18 to 30 years | ||||
Spain | Federación de Escultismo en España[17] |
Castores (Beaver Scouts) 6 to 8 years |
Lobatos (Cub Scouts) 8 to 11 years |
Scouts 11 to 14 years |
Escultas 14 to 17 years |
Rovers 17 to 20 years | |
Federacion Española de Guidismo[18] | 6 to 7 years | 8 to 11 years | 12 to 14 years | 15 to 16 years | 17 to 18 years | ||
Age group naming is determined by the member organisations of the federation. | |||||||
United Kingdom | Girlguiding UK[19] | Rainbows 5 to 7 years |
Brownies 7 to 10 years |
Guides 10 to 14 years |
Senior Section (Guides) 14 to 25 years Ranger Guides | ||
Young Leaders 14 to 18 years |
Adult Leaders 18 to 25 years | ||||||
The Scout Association[20] | Beaver Scouts 6 to 8 years |
Cub Scouts 8 to 10.5 years |
Scouts 10.5 to 14 years Air Scouts Sea Scouts |
Explorer Scouts 14 to 18 years Air Explorers Sea Explorers Young Leaders |
Scout Network 18 to 25 years | ||
Scoutlink All ages | |||||||
United States of America | Boy Scouts of America[21] | Cub Scouts 7 to 10 years |
Boy Scouts 10 to 18 years |
Venturers 14 to 21 years | |||
Girl Scouts of the USA[22] | Daisy Girl Scouts 5 to 6 years |
Brownie Girl Scouts 6 to 8 years |
Junior Girl Scouts 8 to 11 years |
STUDIO 2B 11 to 17 years |
See also
References
- ↑ "Guides Australia, How is Guiding in Australia organised?". Guides Australia. http://www.guidesaus.org.au/page.php?pageid=24#Organised. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
- ↑ "Scouts Australia, Sections in Scouting". Scouts Australia. http://www.scouts.com.au/main.asp?iMenuID=758. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
- ↑ "Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs, Our Four Age Levels". Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs. http://www.ppoe.at/int/about/03.html. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
- ↑ "Girl Guides of Canada". Girl Guides of Canada. http://www.girlguides.ca/. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ↑ "Scouts Canada". Scouts Canada. http://www.scouts.ca/default.asp?cmPageID=81. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ↑ "Bharat Scouts and Guides, Training". Bharat Scouts and Guides. http://www.bsgindia.org/TRAINING.HTM. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
- ↑ "Aufbau". Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder. http://www.pfadfinden.de/ueber-den-bdp/aufbau/. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ↑ "Die DPSG". Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg. http://www.dpsg.de/dpsg/. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ↑ "Strukturen der PSG". Pfadfinderinnenschaft Sankt Georg. http://www.pfadfinderinnen.de/index.php?id=41. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ↑ "Der Verband". Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder. http://www.vcp.de/index.php?id=8. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ↑ "Catholic Guides of Ireland: CHOICES Programme". Catholic Guides of Ireland. http://www.girlguidesireland.ie/choices.shtml. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
- ↑ "The Irish Girl Guides - Members". Irish Girl Guides. http://www.irishgirlguides.ie/members/index.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
- ↑ "Scouting Ireland". Scouting Ireland. http://www.scouts.ie/. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
- ↑ "Latar Belakang PPPM". Persatuan Pandu Puteri Malaysia. http://www.panduputeri.org.my/pengenalan/main.shtml. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ↑ "Girls in Guiding". Girl Guides Association of South Africa. http://www.girlguides.org.za/index.php?id=60. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
- ↑ "South African Scout Association". South African Scout Association. http://www.scouting.org.za. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
- ↑ "Scouting Facts: Spain" (pdf). The Scout Association. http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/facts/pdfs/fs260060.pdf. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
- ↑ "Formamos a:". Comité de Enlace del Guidismo en España. http://www.feg.org.es/conocenos_archivos/educamos.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ↑ "Girlguiding UK Home and welcome". Girl Guiding UK. http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
- ↑ "The Scout Association, Official UK Website". The Scout Association. http://www.scouts.org.uk/. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
- ↑ "Boy Scouts of America, National Council". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scouting.org/. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
- ↑ "Girl Scouts of the USA: Program". Girl Scouts of the USA. http://www.girlscouts.org/program/. Retrieved 2006-12-13.