About Us

Beaver Scouts (6-8)

Beaver Scouts are young people usually aged between six and eight years old.

They belong to the first and youngest Section in the Scouting family. Young people can join Beaver Scouts in the three months leading up to their sixth birthday. They can move to the next Section, Cub Scouts, between eight and eight years six months.

Easily recognised by their distinctive turquoise sweatshirts, Beaver Scouts enjoy making friends, playing games, going on visits and helping others. They usually meet together once a week in a Beaver Scout Colony.

Beaver Scout Colonies also organise Sleepovers and Camps. These are often the first time a young person spends a night away from home and are a very exciting adventure for them.

Cub Scouts (8-10.5)

There are loads of fun things that you can do as a Cub Scout.

For Cubs, excitement and adventure are key. Their programme offers a huge variety of activities surrounding areas of fitness, global and beliefs; whilst allowing them to be creative and get involved in their local communities. Cubs are introduced to exciting outdoor skills and take part in adventurous activities, as well as camps and residential experiences.

You will get a chance to try lots of different activities like swimming, music, exploring, computing and collecting. If you do them properly you will get a badge which you can wear on your uniform.

Cub Scouts also get to go on trips and days out, to places like the zoo, theme parks or a farm. Sometimes you will be able to go camping with the rest of your Pack. This will mean you sleeping in a tent and doing loads of outdoor activities.

Scouts (10.5-14)

The Scout Section is for young people, usually aged between 10.5 and 14 years.

A young person can come in to the Troop at 10 and may stay until they are 14.5 years old. The Scout Troop is the third and final Section in the Scout Group.

Scouts are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities as part of their programme. “Participation” rather than meeting set standards is the key approach and for the Scout who wants to be recognised for his or her achievements there are a number of Challenges Awards and Activity Badges. Scouts take part in a balanced programme that helps them to find out about the world in which they live, encourages them to know their own abilities and the importance of keeping fit and helps develop their creative talents. It also provides opportunities to explore their own values and personal attitudes.

Being outdoors is important and half the Programme is given over to taking part in both the traditional Scouting skills, such as camping, survival and cooking as well as the wide range of adventurous activities, anything from abseiling to yachting.

The international aspect gives Scouting a special appeal and some Scouts now travel abroad during their time in the Section. Scouting is about being with friends, as part of a team, participating fully in the adventure and opportunities of life.

Sea and Air Scouting

Sea Scouting is a branch of Scouting, not a separate organisation, which has a nautical twist to the programme and activities. It is not training for the a Navy career, although it can be very useful for young people who are so interested.

Explorer Scouts

Explorer Scouts are young people, usually aged between 14 and 18 years old.

They make up the fourth Section of the Scouting family. There are many types of Explorer Scout Units, some may be linked to your local Scout Group, others may be based around different activities.

Not all Units meet each week, because you will often be out and about at weekends or in the holidays doing activities. There will be times when you will be busy doing other things such as exams, and being an Explorer Scout will have to fit around these.

As an Explorer Scout, you will get the chance to work with other Explorer Scouts in your District, not just your Unit. By doing this, you will get the chance to do many more actvities, not just the ones your Unit organises.

Scout Network (18-25)

If you’re 18 to 25 and still want to enjoy your Scouting you can by joining Scout Network.

As a Scout Network Member you get to take part in all the usual great Scouting activities such as kayaking, climbing, orienteering… as well as work on projects helping to support you local community.

Scout Network can give you the opportunity to gain the many awards and qualification made available to you like Queens Scout Award and Explorer Belt to name just a couple.

You can also, if you choose, get more closely involved in working with the younger Sections and providing them with the same kind of opportunities you’ve had through Scouting.

Scout Network allows 18 to 25 year-olds who have an interest in both Scouting and their own personal development, and ultimately want to have fun, the opportunity to do so.

Activities

Scout Network members take part in a variety of activities, which they undertake and organise themselves with the support of a Scout Network Leader.

Example activities include:

Abseiling, award work, bowling, camping, circus skills, climbing, cooking, games, go-karting, gorge walking, hiking, pioneering, shooting and watersports.

The District

East Somerset District as the name suggests cover the eastern side of the County of Somerset. Somerset County Scout is divided into 3 Districts of which East is one and the others being Blackdown and Moors & Coastal.

East currently contains 30 Groups and 15+ Explorer Units and two Scout Active Support Units (ASU). Due to the geograhpical size of the District it is split into two areas from a Group Support perspective. These areas are called ‘Avalon’ & ‘Camelot’ which both have an historical meaning as old District names from the past.

Each of these areas have a District Commissioner – Adult Support, who look after the day-to-day support of the Group & Units and their Adult members. Both DC’s are a member of a team that also includes one more District Commissioner who deals with support for the ASU’s (including Activity Clubs), Compliance, Training & Appointments. The DC Team report upto the County Commissioner for Somerset. See the District Team along with the ADC’s, DESC’s etc. HERE.