Members of
1st Durbanville Scout Group
Scouting is all about the next generation and Scouts South Africa caters for the age group 5 to 30 years of age. Membership is categorized in four branches, which are Meerkats, Cubs, Scouts & Rovers.
Meerkats
Age: 5 to 6 | Motto: Stand Tall
This is where the adventure begins. This programme is designed for children aged 5 to 6 and creates a solid foundation upon which young children can start building scouting skills.
Meerkats attend weekly gatherings, together with a parent, at our Meerkat Den. The children learn the basics of living a healthy and active life and how to care for the environment. In the process they gain self-confidence and several life skills. They follow the Meerkat Trail to earn Challenge and Advancement badges along the way.
Also refer to Meerkats Wiki
Cubs
Age: 7 to 10 | Motto: Do Your Best
The Cub programme is based on The Jungle Book, a timeless novel written by Rudyard Kipling, which tells of the adventures of the man-cub Mowgli. Children relate to the characters and jungle animals in the story and the Pack’s adult leaders take on the names of some of the characters. The Pack Scouter is known as Akela.
The Cubs follow the Cub Trail where they earn numerous badges as they advance through the Silver Wolf, Gold Wolf and Leaping Wolf levels. They finally earn the Link Badge when they move up to Scouts upon turning 11.
Weekly programmes are designed around playing games, having fun and learning all sorts of interesting things. Cubs also earn many interest badges for activities such as swimming, model-making, animal care, first aid, and much more. They go on outings, play games, partake in competitions against other Cub Packs, and, from the age of 8, go camping.
Also refer to Cubs Wiki
Scouts
Age: 11 to 17 | Motto: Be Prepared
This is the core of Scouting! Being a Scout teaches young people to be independent, to take responsibility, to protect the environment, to contribute to their communities and to be prepared for life.
This is achieved through various levels of advancement, Interest badges, Scoutcraft badges and Challenge Awards. The Scout Trail will lead a scout through the Traveller, Discoverer and First Class advancement levels; culminating in the pinnacle of a scouting career, namely, the Springbok award. The programme covers a wide range of activities, including hiking, sailing, flying, camping, orienteering, canoeing and much more. It teaches personal and interpersonal skills like problem-solving, independent thinking, wilderness survival techniques, leadership and teamwork. In essence, it develops the youth of today into the leaders of tomorrow.
A Scout Troop is led by the Court of Honour (COH), which is made up of the youth Patrol Leaders in the Troop plus the adult Troop Scouter (TS). The COH determines, with occasional guidance from the TS, what the troop wishes to achieve, the composition of teams that need to be entered into competitions, the advancements they wish to achieve within their patrols, and much more. The other adult helpers in the troop, the Assistant Troop Scouters (ATS), design and run programmes which facilitate what the Scouts wish to achieve.
Also refer to Scouts Wiki
Rovers
Age: 18 to 29 | Motto: Be of Service
This is the final component of the Scout youth programme. The purpose of Rovers is to provide motivation for the self-training of young adults in citizenship and service, to encourage members to pursue useful and fulfilling careers and to be of service to their communities and the scout movement. Becoming a member of a Rover Crew provides young adults with challenges and opportunities to develop their personal abilities and, in the process, enables them to learn plenty of new skills. Crews thrive on social activities such as harbour cruises, inter-crew activities, sailing, hiking, camping and outreach projects.
Also refer to Rovers Wiki
