New Scouts Program

The need for a new scout program

Upon evaluating the current program and in collaboration with leader and scouts alike, a draft program was put forward. Here is the final draft version of this proposal.

First is how the new program will be divided

The New Program is to be divided into 5 sections; the first section will overlap the link badge of the cub program and also serve as the level entry for new scouts joining the troop.

The requirements of the Tenderfoot (level 1) will include all the requirements of the Link Badge plus 1 or 2 extra requirements (mainly flags and Scouts) - see Tenderfoot section - . Thus a Cub that joins the troop and a scout that joins from outside the group will start off their journey on the same footing.

The next 4 levels (pathfinder, explorer, pioneer and voyager) are the main section of the progressive training scheme.

Each level is mainly divided into 8 main section with each section building on from 1 level to the next.

The main sections are knots, first aid, mapping, cooking, scoutcraft leadership, choice and journeys.

Apart from these there are 2 service tests and 2 other tests which do not fall under any of the categories above.

By category:

Knots / First Aid / Mapping
2 / Basic Knots / 2 / Basic / 2 / Basic
3 / Lashings / 3 / Advanced / 3 / Advanced
4 / Rescue / 4 / Basic Medical Conditions / 4 / Orienteering
4 / Pioneering
5 / Ropework
Cooking / Scoutcraft / Leadership
2 / Fire & Cooking / 2 / Knife & axe / 2 / Basic Communication
3 / 3 course meal / 2 / Rucksack and Personal Eq. / 3 / Living with others
4 / Backwoods / 3 / Hike tents / 4 / Teach to teach
5 / Cooking for patrol / 3 / Campsite / 4 / Patrol Activity
3 / Country& Highway Code / 5 / Train Scouts
4 / Survival / 5 / Time Mgt
5 / Risk Assessment
5 / Organize Troop Meeting
Journeys / Choice / Other
2 / Hike / 2,3,4,5 / Technology / 2 / International Scouting
4 / PL’s Camp / 2,3,4,5 / Artistic Expression / 3 / Service
5 / Journey / 2,3,4,5 / Spirituality / 4 / Service
5 / Adventurous Activity

Table1

By level

Pathfinder / Explorer / Pioneer / Voyager
Level 2 / Level 3 / Level 4 / Level 5
Technology: IT / Technology: Comm. / Technology: Travel / Technology: Energy
Artistic: Creativity / Artistic: Sports / Artistic: Music / Artistic: Drama
Spirituality: Nature / Spirituality: Inner self / Spirituality: Faiths / Spirituality: ethics
Basic Knots / Lashings / Pioneering / Rope work
Basic Mapping / Advanced Mapping / Basic Medical condit. / Rescue Knots
Basic First Aid / Advanced First Aid / Orienteering / Cooking for patrol
Fire & Cooking / 3 course meal / Backwoods / Train Scouts
Knife and Axe / Hike Tents / Survival / Time Mgt
Rucksack and P.E. / Campsite / Teaching to teach / Organize troop Meetin
Basic Communication / Country & Highway / patrol Activity / Risk Assessment
International Scouting / Living with others / Service / Adventurous Act.
Hike / Service / PL’ Camp / Journey
Achieve 2 badges / Achieve 2 badges / Achieve 2 badges / Achieve 2 badges
Interest / Interest / Service / Pursuit
Interest / Service / Pursuit / Instructor

Table 2

As things are, each level has 12 requirements. A scout is with the troop for a period of 4 years. 1 test a month would mean that a scout will be able to reach his goal after his years with the troop.

How is this different from the old program?

Some will ask if we are creating a new program or just re-shuffling the old one. The above program has been structured in a way where after the first months with the troop a scout will gain the tenderfoot level. Also fewer absolute requirements in the level help the scout achieve the subsequent level even faster. A scout that is undertaking the scout’s standard now, and completes 6 tests will feel helpless knowing that he still has about 24 more to go! But with the new program after completing 6 tests only 6 tests remain to complete a level.

Is there an element of choice in the new program?

The first 3 requirements in each level (from 2-5) have a vast range of requirements in them giving the scout a choice in what his requirement will entail. This means that 25% of the program is all about choice.

Are all tests compulsory?

This question is usually put forward by troops that have a large inflow of scouts from outside the group. While the word compulsory is not a word we use one has to keep in mind that most of the program has a scouting background. Thus it would be difficult for a scout who has just joined the troop and is at an age where he should be at level 4 and while attempting the orienteering requirement he does not know how to read a map which is done in level 2...

The table 1 provided above shows all the tests in their respective category.

For a scout to complete his lashings test he needs to have the knots test. For a scout to complete the pioneering test he needs the lashings test - which of course requires the knots test.

Thus for the categories of Knots, Mapping, First Aid, Cooking and Leadership all the test in the previous levels have to be completed before attempting the current ones. Level 4 scout craft (survival) requires all the other scout craft requirements to be attempted.

Both Service requirements have to be completed

The Journey at the end of Level 5 requires all levels of knots, mapping, first Aid, cooking, Leadership and Scout craft to be completed.

However a scout can finish up to level 5 in knots and still be in level 2 in mapping.

Thus the five levels effectively build up on one another so it is not possible for a scout to take shortcuts around the program since all the building blocks have to be in place for the whole structure to stand.

What remains are the 3 choice requirements. The choices in these 3 will be so vast and diverse that Scouts who are not at their level (age wise) will easily fulfil the requirements of these 3 immediately. However it is up to the discretion of the leader in charge to assess the scout upon his/her ability to brush off these requirements so easily.

How will the change over happen?

The levels proposed are in such a way that they can easily be identified with the previous program;

The tenderfoot is the Link Badge/Membership

The Pathfinder covers 2/3 of scout standard

The Explorer covers the rest 1/3 of the Scout standard and 1/3 of the Advanced

The Pioneer covers 2/3 of the Advanced

The Voyager covers the Chief Scout Award

For the scouts that are already in the Troop when the change over happens what will happen is this;

Starting from the easy;

  1. Scouts that have just joined start the tenderfoot
  2. Scouts which have started the Chief scout award switch over to the voyager
  3. Scouts who have finished the scout standard start the explorer - less - Lashings, Hike tent and Country Code.
  4. Scouts which are halfway through the advanced scout standard are in the pioneer level - less - Pioneering, orientation, backwoods and service, provided that they have not completed these tests in the old advanced scouts standard. In that case they will have to do these tests in the pioneer version.

We recommend that you start migrating from the old program to the new when you feel that you are comfortable with the program. For example if you start the migration in October you have 3 months to bring the scouts in line with changeover procedure.

Scenario 1

A Scout has nearly finished his scout standard All he has left are tests that are found in the pathfinder level. Will the scout have to start the pathfinder or will he start in the explorer.

Answer

The leader will look at what these test are and try to encourage the scout to finish them before the change over date (€ date) . Thus the 3 months head start would bring the scout in line with point 3 above. If not than the leader needs to look at the pathfinder level and see which corresponding tests the ones that the scout has not completed yet and do those when €-day comes.

Scenario 2

The scout has finished his advanced in October, should he start on his chief or start immediately on the voyager badge?

Answer

It is recommended that in cases like these the scout starts immediately in the voyager class. If starting the voyager is not yet an option since the troop has no yet implemented the new system the the leader can preferably start the new scout on the voyager while the rest continue in the old system (till €-day) or continue with the Chief scout award and then on €-day together with discussion with the commissioner for scouts see what tests from the chief correspond to the voyager level.

For answer to other scenarios contact Commisioner for scouts.....

It is highly recommended that when a scout reaches one of the 4 targets listed above before €-day then the troop leader should start the scout off on how the recommendation tells him.

For scouts still halfway through the scout standard having completed the following requirements;

New Program / Old Scout standard
Pathfinder
Basic Knots / 3 knots
Basic Mapping / Mapping
Basic First Aid / Compass
Fire & Cooking / Set a map
Knife and Axe / Fire & Cooking
Rucksack and P.E. / Pack a Ruck Sack
Hike / Care of a knife
Care of an axe
Tenderfoot / Practice with an axe
Faints
Flags and scouts / Burns
Cuts
Stings
Bandages
Slings
First Aid Box
10 km hike
Maltese Flag

They can start on the explorer level. If one to eight of these levels (old program) are not completed then the scout needs to complete the corresponding level in new program. If more than 8 are no complete then the new program is applied to the scout and he has to complete the pathfinder level from the beginning (less tests he has already completed from the above)

Again individual enquiries are handled by commissioner for scouts Mr Kevin Camilleri. 

For the first 6 months of 2008 badges gained retrospectively will be counted as badges required for the completion of the level. From then on a scout has to tell the leader that he is doing the badge with respect to the x level.

What badges will be worn?

Let’s start from the beginning.

A scout joins the troop from the pack upon gaining his link badge. His link badge is carried over into his scout uniform showing that he was a member of the Pack. Upon joining the troop and completing the flags and scouts requirements the scouts gains the tenderfoot level which means that he starts his puzzle of badges. Each level gained does not mean that the old badge will be taken off but the next badge will be affixed next to the previous one.

The only difference for a scout that has joined from outside the group is that he will not have the link badge.