Scouts – 10½ to 14 years
Jump in and get muddy. Give back and get set. Scouts ignore the butterflies and go for it, and soon so will you.
Jump in and get muddy. Give back and get set. Scouts ignore the butterflies and go for it, and soon so will you.
The third section in the Dunblane scouting family, Scouts are a go-getting group of young people aged 10 ½ to 14 who:
Being a Scout is all about discovering the world on your own terms and making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.
Alongside your new friends, you’ll master the skills that’ll help you weather the storms of life, and try things you’d never get the chance to do at home or at school – working with trained volunteers to achieve whatever you set your mind to.
Scouts start small but think big. They stand up for what they believe in and make a difference on their doorstops, confident in the knowledge that their daily actions add up.
In a society that can often feel increasingly isolated and inward facing, Scouts build bridges and break barriers.
Throughout history, they’ve played all sorts of useful roles in society, and this legacy continues today.
Scouts seek out the answers to the big questions, and to the smaller questions that don’t seem to matter but really should. Most importantly, they say yes more often than they say no – whether they’re taking part in their first ever camp away from home, writing their first line of code, or accepting the last of the toasted marshmallows.
Sound like fun? That’s because it is. All that’s missing is you.
Each scout troop is made up of young people aged 10½ to 14, led by trained adult volunteers who are on hand to share their skills and keep everyone safe. Traditionally, scout volunteers were nicknamed ‘Skip’ – an abbreviation of ‘Skipper’, which is a name given to a ship’s captain. In some troops this name is still used, but these days it’s more common for scout volunteers to just use their real names.
Within their troop, scouts are part of a patrol – smaller groups of scouts who look out for one another, and help each other grow. Scouts usually gather in their patrols at the beginning and end of meetings. They might also stick together on expeditions or trips away, or during certain activities.
Scouts wear a uniform during their weekly meetings and sometimes on trips away, depending on where they’re going and what they’re doing. Usually, this consists of a teal green shirt or blouse with their badges sewn on, which they pair with a scarf, known as a necker. Exact uniforms will vary slightly if your Troop is part of the Air Scouts or Sea Scouts.
Alongside their shirts, Scouts might wear the accompanying blue uniform trousers or skirt, or they might save their uniform bottoms to wear for special occasions like awards ceremonies and public events – choosing to wear something more casual with their shirt during the week. Optional accessories such as hats, hoodies, are also available.
Uniform can either be bought from our online shop – Scout Store – or from a local supplier such as the Glasgow Scout Shop. If you’re not sure where to start, or could use a little help with uniform costs, fear not. One of your Scouts volunteers can chat to you about options such as making use of the reuse rack in the hall. The most important thing when you first arrive is wearing something that you feel natural and comfortable in.
Core Badges and Investiture The core uniform badges and neckie are typically awarded at your young person’s first investiture with the Dunblane Scout Group. New members to a troop may be offered the chance to renew their Scout Promise.
A Scout investiture is a welcoming ceremony where a new member formally makes their Scout Promise, receives their group neckerchief (scarf) and badges, and becomes an official part of the troop and the worldwide Scout movement. It is a significant, yet personal and often simple, milestone marking the start of a Scout’s journey and usually takes place only after your young person feels settled within the pack. Investitures, even if only renewing the Scout Promise, are important to us and our young people, so parents and guardians are invited to attend.
Our scouts take part in lots of activities that go towards various “activity” and “challenge” badges. You can enlarge the scout uniform diagram below.
More information about scout badges can be found on the scouts.org.uk website.
Dunblane Scout Group is home to two scout troops: Tuesday Scouts and Thursday Scouts. Both sections meet weekly from 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM for Tuesday Scouts and from 7:15 PM t 9:00 PM for Thursday Scouts at the Dunblane Scout Hall next to the Dunblane Sports Club’s tennis courts, although both sections will meet outdoors as much as possible.
Scouts are at the age where they can experience the true adventure that scouting has to offer – from arts and crafts in the meeting place to jumping off cliffs, climbing, sailing, hiking, raft building and many more! We aim to give scouts a wide range of experiences so they can learn some new skills by accident along the way.
Dunblane Scouts use Online Scout Manager (OSM) to maintain personal details, communicate programme and event details, and take payment for both regular subscriptions and event fees. When you begin scouts, your young person’s OSM record will be sent to your new section, and your new section volunteers will email an invite to join your new section’s OSM system. After you accept, you will be able to view your new section’s programme and event plans, make payments for subscriptions and events, as well as enter important personal details such as allergies, diet requirements, and emergency contact information for your young person.
Emergency contacts The emergency contact in your young person’s OSM record is the first person your young person’s section volunteer will call if they need to speak to a responsible adult. The emergency contact is expected to change as much as needed and can be different for each event the young person attends. For example, if your young person is away at camp for the weekend, their emergency contact should not take a holiday themselves or drink to excess at an evening meal, yes, those are actual experiences a scout leader has encountered.
After your young person turns 10½ they will be asked which of Dunblane Scout Group’s two Scouts sections they prefer. Unfortunately, there is more interest in the Scouts sections than we can accommodate, so the wait list can be long. Changing section usually happens at the end/start of a term. Dunblane Scouts follow the local school calendar with terms running from Aug-Oct (Term 1), Oct-Dec (Term 2), Jan-Apr (Term 3) and Apr-Jun (Term 4). The Membership Secretary manages our waitlists and will notify you when a place for your young person becomes available.
An explorer, adventurer and TV presenter, Dwayne's been seen in BAFTA nominated Channel 5 series Race to the Pole, on BBC Springwatch, Countryfile, National Geographic and Disney+.
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