Beaver Scouts | |||
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Totem | Beaver | ||
Age range | 5 to 7 | ||
Country | Canada | ||
Founded |
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Founders |
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Website https://www.scouts.ca/programs/canadian-path/beaver-scouts/overview.html | |||
Beaver Scouts is the Beavers section of Scouts Canada for children aged 5 to 7. When a Beaver graduates from the third year of the program, they become Cub Scouts.
The Scouts Canada section of Beaver Scouts was first inspired by the Beavers which began in Northern Ireland, named so in 1966. It began as an independent group in 1971, until absorbed by Scouts Canada in 1974. Scouts Canada's Beaver Scouts has, in turn, been the inspiration for many other divisions of Beavers scouts across the world.
The Canadian Beavers program was developed by three people: Harry McCartney, who was the Manitoba Executive Scout Director and the author of the short story Friends of the Forest; Alan Jones, who was a Winnipeg Scout Executive; and Gordon Hanna, who was part of the United Way Youth Council and was asked by McCartney to be the project's coordinator. As concepts were developed by Jones and Hanna, McCartney would write the next chapter of Friends of the Forest.
A one month grant from the United Way was provided to hire Gordon Hanna as the Project Coordinator to help develop and practically test the concepts. Three colonies were initially started in 3 parts of Winnipeg to pilot the ideas: Elmwood, St. James and St. Vital. The first colony in Elmwood had 13 boys join on Sept. 23rd, 1971. The program was an immediate success and grew exponentially. It was made an official part of Scouts Canada in 1974.
When in uniform, members normally wear a brown vest, a blue and brown bucket hat (with a tail signifying their year in the program), and a group specific neckerchief. [1] A diagram of the uniform, including placement of awards and crests, is provided on the Scouts Canada Website.
A new Beaver is called a "Kit"; a Kit must learn the Beaver Promise, Law, and Motto, and go through the Investiture and Tail Ceremony to become an "Eager Beaver". The ceremony officially welcomes the Beaver into the Beaver program, and during this ceremony the Beaver receives a tail, neckerchief, and badges for their uniform.
The color of the tail received is affixed to the back of their uniform hat, and represents their age: [2]
Beaver scouts must learn the Beaver Scouts promise, law, and motto. [2]
Many of the ideas incorporated into Beaver Scouts lore originate in Founder Harry McCarthy's short story Friends of the Forest, [4] where a colony of beavers discover new humans building a cottage upriver, and befriend them. The story provides many inspirations for names and symbols used in Beaver Scouts, including nicknames that may be given to adult and cub scout leaders; the core values of sharing and cooperation; and the graduation of Eager Beavers into Wolf Cub Scouts. [2]
An organized group of Beaver Scouts is called a Colony, and optional smaller groups inside the colony are called Lodges. These are analogous to Packs and Lairs, respectively, at the Cub Scout level. Lodges can be given animal names as chosen by the Lodge members.
Adult and older leaders inside the colony are referred to as Scouters, and they may have given to them one of the nicknames from Friends of the Forest, such as Hawkeye, Tic Tac, or Echo. A colony may also be assisted by second-year Cub Scouts (Trackers). New Cub Scout Tracker volunteers are given the nickname Grey Paw, and if they help frequently, they may be given a permanent wolf nickname by the colony. [2]
Beaver colonies and/or their lodges meet frequently, to engage in activities, games, skits, storytelling; all of which are done to help a Beaver along their personal achievement path on The Pond. [5] A beaver's Pond map stays with them and is updated throughout their days in Beaver Scouting; it is not reset each year.
At the end of a white tail's year, they have the option to participate in a Swim-up Ceremony, in which they are formally graduated from Beaver Scouts and into first year Cub Scouts, as Wolf Runners. [2]
Several classes of badges are made available to Beaver Scouts: [6]
The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association (B-PSA) is a worldwide youth organisation originating in the United Kingdom, with friendly relationships with similar traditional scouting organisations in various countries. Baden-Powell Scouting focuses on the importance of tradition in the scout movement.
Cub Scouts, Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programmes associated with Scouting for young children usually between 8 and 12, depending on the organisation to which they belong. A participant in the programme is called a Cub. A group of Cubs is called a "Pack".
Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association providing programs for young people, between the ages of 5 and 26, with the stated aim "To help develop well rounded youth, better prepared for success in the world". Scouts Canada, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. In 2021–22, youth membership stood at 33,899, a 48% decline from 64,693 in 2014–15. Over the same period, volunteer numbers also declined 43%, from 20,717 in 2015 to 11,765 in 2022. Scouts Canada has declined significantly in size since its peak: youth membership is down 82% from 288,084 in 1965 and volunteer numbers are down 50% from 33,524 in 1965.
The Scout Association, which also uses the name Scouts UK, is the largest Scout organisation in the United Kingdom. It's the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origins of the Scout movement in 1907, The Scout Association was formed in 1910 and incorporated in 1912 by a royal charter under its previous name of The Boy Scouts Association.
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Cub Scouts is the Cub Scout section of Scouts Canada for children aged from 8 to 10. Originally the "Wolf Cubs," the program offers badges to youth members as a mark of achievement in an interest area. The badges are grouped into six activity areas as described in The Cub Book. While youth experience fun and excitement presented by the program, each activity area focuses on a specific purpose and goal, intended to be relevant to modern children while meeting developmental needs. Originally the requirement entry was age 7 until 2001. Each activity area offers a variety of badges that youth may earn and sew onto their uniform sash:
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Beaver Scouts, often shortened to Beavers, is the second youngest official section of Scouting operated by The Scout Association in the United Kingdom. The core age range for Beaver Scouts is six to eight years. Sections of Beaver Scouts are known as Colonies and are run locally by Scout Groups. After reaching the age of eight, a Beaver Scout will then move on to Cub Scouts. The section officially launched in 1986 but had existed before this as trial and unofficial sections as far back as 1963.
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Cub Scouts is the section of Scouts Australia for boys and girls aged 8 to 11 (inclusive), often known simply as 'Cubs'. The Cub Scout section follows after Joey Scouts and is before Scouts. Cub Scouts wear a uniform shirt with navy blue panels, and yellow shoulders.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was inspired by and modeled on The Boy Scouts Association, established by Robert Baden-Powell in Britain in 1908. In the early 1900s, several youth organizations were active, and many became part of the BSA.
Cub Scouts, often shortened to Cubs, are a section of Scouting operated by The Scout Association with a core age of eight to ten and a half years of age. This section follows on from the Beaver Scouts and precedes the Scout section.
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The advancement program for the Scout Association of Japan is symbolized by the earning of several rank badges.
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