Scouting - A New Program

A Langer's Blog has an excellent post on the upcoming Scouting Ireland National Council which will decide on a new program for Scouting in Ireland. He seams faily in favour of it, I'm not convinced. I don't like the way things are at the moment as there is no program and it leaves alot of us leaders in a very difficult poistion at times, so I'm willing to give the new program a go.

The one thing I am dissapointed with is the abolition of Macaoimh, well there has been no reference to it so far. I will state an interest here as I am Macaoimh Leader in the 37th Cork Group in Togher. The new age groups is one of the stumblimg blocks, the original proposal was

Tracker Scouts - 7-10 years
Explorer Scouts - 10-14 years
Discovery Scouts - 14-17 years
Rover Scouts - 17-21 years

This compares to the current system

Beavers - 6-8 years
Cubs/Macaoimh - 8-11 years
Scouts - 11-15 years
Venturers - 15-21 years

There was alot of concern about dropping the 6 year olds and there was alot of opposition within my own Group, so the National Management Committee has put forward an alternative proposal

Tracker Scouts - (6), 7, 8, (9) years
Explorer Scouts - (9), 10, 11, (12), (13) years
Discovery Scouts - (12), (13), 14, 15, (16), (17) years
Rover Scouts - (16), (17), 18, 19, 20, 21 years

Confused? Well it is a bit but this will allow groups to decide their own age ranges. I can see some groups trying to stick to the current system which I am told will be impossible as each section will be limited to three years.

My own scout county have decided we will harmonise our age ranges so that county events and competitions will be fair and will not have disparite ages. Which is something I hope most scout counties will do.

I have been involved in scouting since I joined Beaver Scouts when I was 6. I am glad that a new program is as this will allow scouting to develop and sustain in the future. So I hope the proposals do pass on later this month.

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Orginal Post:
irish scout decision time - A Langers Blog

Links of Interest:
Scouting Ireland
Program 2008

Scouting Age groups from around the world - Wikipedia