PREPARE FOR LIFE!
PREPARE FOR ADVENTURE
3rd Ringwood East Scout Group
ABOUT SCOUTS
Who We Are
3rd Ringwood East Scout Group is an active community group located on Knaith Rd (behind the Ringwood East shops). Our Scout Group was founded in 1955 and currently caters for youth aged 5-17 years old.
LEADING YOUTH TO LIFELONG VALUES
Our Section Leaders are predominantly parents of Scouts and ex-Scouts. You can read more about who they are as individuals on our 'Meet the Leaders' page. Collectively, they work tirelessly to deliver fun, educational, and exciting programs for our youth members.
What We Offer
A safe environment for your child to explore the outdoors.
A place for them to learn skills that can't be taught in a classroom.
An opportunity to make lifelong friends.
Each age-based Section (see the 'Sections' page for more information about the different Sections) meets one night a week for 1-2 hours (depending on the Section). These weekly activities are supplemented by occasional weekend activities such as camps, hikes, and excursions.
The Scouting Method
Scouting offers a unique education method which involves continuous learning for young people. As our youth members progress through the (age-based) sections, they gradually take on more responsibility and independence. The seven basic principles outlined below are evident in age-appropriate forms for each section, and are implemented to help young people develop into valuable members of their community.
Small group activities
Within their Section, members are regularly broken down into small groups or Patrols. Working as a team provides youth with valuable skills in cooperation and communication, and also ensures everyone has the opportunity to participate in the activity. We also encourage peer instruction, where younger members are shown what to do by their older peers, rather than relying on adults.
Learning by Doing
Scouting supports youth members to learn through active participation, rather than through theoretical instruction. This method ensures that everyone gets to have a go at the activity. It also fosters skills like independence and problem solving as participating in an activity allows the Scouts to make mistakes, which they are encouraged to try and fix themselves.
Opportunities for leadership and responsibility
Leadership is demonstrated in different ways for youth at different ages. In the younger sections, it might be explaining a game to someone else or agreeing to be the buddy of a new member. As our Scouts get older and develop their skills, they are given more responsibility, sometimes even being in charge of their peers on overnight hikes. Venturers have the opportunity to hold positions such as Treasurer or Membership Coordinator on their Unit Council.
Award schemes
Each Section has an award scheme; a series of targets that encourage participation in all the opportunities Scouting presents and allows recognition of individual achievement. Each award scheme culminates in an ultimate award that is exclusive to that Section. These are the Joey Scout Promise Challenge, the Grey Wolf Award (Cub Scouts), the Scout Medallion, the Queen Scout Award, and the Baden Powell Award.
The Scout Promise and Law
Every Scout makes a commitment to live by the Scout Promise and Law when they first join. The Promise and Law help shape young people to be the best person they can be. Our Scouts are expected to apply this commitment within all aspects of their lives, not just when they are at Scouts. The Promise and Law are modified for each Section to make them relevant to that age group (these can be viewed on each of the Section pages on this website).
Increasing self-governance within a uniformed group
This aspect of the Scout Method is closely linked to development of youth leadership. In each of the Sections, the role of the adult Leader lessens and youth input and ownership increases. As our Scouts take on more age-appropriate responsibility, the Leader fulfills more of a guidance and support role. The opportunity to do this within a uniformed group is almost unique to Scouting; very few organisations give their youth members such control over their own program.
Constructive, challenging, and adventurous activities
The weekly programs of each Section aim to aid the youth members’ learning, by presenting games and activities in a way that makes learning fun. We also aim to challenge our Scouts so that they have opportunities to develop their skills, whether they are fine motor skills, public speaking, or first aid knowledge. And finally, one of the most important aspects of Scouting is the opportunity for adventurous activities such as caving, water skiing, and camping! By providing our youth members with the chance to participate in these activities, we help them develop an understanding of their environment and of their own abilities.