A focus on This Is Scouting

Within each of these components there are a number of training strands (training courses). The ‘This is Scouting’ component of the scheme enables the participant to:

• To integrate effectively into their local Scout Group
• Understand the fundamental principles of Scouting and the core elements of our Programme
• Understand the principles involved in Safeguarding our Children and Young People

The strands in This is Scouting are:

• Induction
• The Story of Scouting 
• Being a Scouter

Induction

The Scouting Ireland induction process is a supported journey that an adult will partake in when they show an interest in being a Scouter. This process is also used to support Youth Members who seek to become Scouters but are not required to undertake ‘The Story of Scouting’ eLearning Module and training course.

The process is supported within the local Scout Group by the Group Leader directly or by an ‘Induction Facilitator’ that they nominate.

Each person undertaking the Induction process will be given an Induction Handbook containing useful information which they should refer to during their Induction.

The handbook sets out a number of meetings to be attended and provides an amount of useful information for the person wishing to become a Scouter.

The Induction process is designed to support an adult who wishes to become a Scouter to understand what Scouting is and what it means to become a Scout before they agree to take on that commitment. It also helps the Scout Group welcome and include the new adult volunteer so that they come to feel that they will be a valued part of the team.

The Story of Scouting

The Story of Scouting starts with an eLearning module and continues with an interactive (trainer led) training session.

The eLearning module takes about 30 minutes for most people to complete. It provides the participant with an overview of our Aim, the age ranges we work with, some of the benefits of Scouting and an overview of the origins of the Movement.

The interactive session introduces the participant to some of the concepts and methodologies used in Scouting, such as the Scout Method. It is structured like a Programme Section meeting so that participants can experience and appreciate what we do and how we do it.

Being a Scouter

Being a Scouter, is a two day residential training course for all new Programme Scouters; those with previous Scouting experience, and those who have none. Normally there will be a large element of time spent in the out of doors during this course.

Participants who arrive feeling they know very little about Scouting will go away with confidence, knowledge and ability; feeling a lot more ‘like a Scout’, having experienced our methods, our symbolism and our motivations.

The participant who has already experienced Scouting as a Youth Member, will go away with a new outlook on how to achieve our Aim, and with the confidence to deliver Scouting as a Programme Scouter.

The Being a Scouter course programme;

• Provides an introduction to the fundamentals of Scouting: what we do, why we do it and how we do it
• Introduces the participant to non-formal education, the elements of the Scout Method, and the Learning Objectives through which we achieve our Aim; it does this though imaginative and interactive methods and the process of the earning sessions
• Provides an opportunity for the participant to ‘Learn By Doing’, to experience Scouting in action so that they leave with a bank of methodologies that they can use directly with Youth Members in their own Scout Group
• Promotes an understanding that programme direction and ideas come from the Youth Members and that the role of the Scouter is that of facilitation

During the course of Being a Scouter, participants will work together in small groups, to use and build their understanding of:

• The symbolism of Scouting, including spirituality, how it is used and how it is celebrated
• The Small Group / Patrol System, its benefits and how it supports the individual’s development and the group’s operation
• Fun activities with purpose, how the Progressive Scheme is an integrated part of the sections Programme Cycle
• The core values integral to Scouting, including the relationship between young people and adults, and promoting and facilitating Youth Led Programme
• The process of the Programme Cycle, how it works, breaking down the complexity of it, and how it offers opportunities for achievement
• The importance of ‘Plan, Do, Review’ as a tool for facilitating imaginative Youth Led Programme
• The components of a Section meeting, including games, the Small Group System, activities and Youth/Adult involvement
• The One Programme materials and their use in the Programme Section
• Scouting Ireland’s policies and guidelines for safeguarding young people

The Scout Method is the common thread through which Trainers will introduce the learning experience.

They will work together as a team, to provide the best possible experience for the participants who will finish the training course with a Promise Ceremony, welcoming them to the World Scout Movement.

By the end of Being a Scouter the participants will have become more knowledgeable and confident Scouters. They should feel that they are now full members of the World Scout Scout Movement and they will receive the Gillwell Woggle to symbolise this.

useful links:

My Scouts Member Login

More Scouter Resources

Scouting Calendar