Who are we?

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Get Involved & Be Prepared!

Are you a youth looking for an awesome journey? Are you a parent who would like their child to experience the outdoors and learn while doing in a safe and wholesome environment? Are you an adult who want to indulge in their love for the outdoors and be of service to others? Then we are the youth organisation for you!

SCOUTS South Africa is the biggest youth organisation in the country with over 34 000 children, youths and adults nationwide.  We are open for all children (5-6 and 7-10), teens (11-17), youths (18-30) and adults who want to embrace their adventurous spirit, enjoy challenging activities and make a positive impact on their communities.

Scouting changes lives and  helps children and young adults to reach their full potential. Leadership abilities, teamwork,  self-motivation, commitment, perseverance, environmental and cultural awareness and strong values are just a few of the life skills our members acquire whilst having fun and ‘learning by doing’. Positive peer pressure and outdoor activities all contribute to individuals growing up with the belief that they can and are changing the world in order to leave it a better place than how they found it.

What we do?

Not every child or youth likes the same thing. Our award winning programmes and projects provide a wide range of activities for them to choose from. A number of challenges contribute to their growth and advancement through the Scouting programmes and others are specifically designed to appeal to their interests.

Meerkats (5-6) follow the Meerkat trail where they learn new skills, play educational games and take on challenges divided into a number of themes. This Early Childhood Development programme was developed to address a direct need in our communities.

Cubs (7-10) follow the Cub trail where they learn new skills, play games, complete creative crafts, enjoy fun camps and community projects,. Along their journey they make new friends and acquire a number of badges.

Scouts (11-17) are guided by the Scout Trail. This adventure trail includes a wide range of activities such as hiking, camping, abseiling, swimming, survival skills, first aid or even flying! Scouting is an awesome and creative way to have fun, meet new people and active outdoors while exploring the world around you!

Rovers (18-30) get the opportunity to indulge in their love for the outdoors while being of service to others.

Scouting is for Adults too!

Our Adult volunteers are the people that make Scouting in South Africa what it is today! Thousands of dedicated adults volunteer their time to support children and youth all over the country. Our Adult volunteers take up a wide range of roles ranging from working directly with the Meerkats, Cubs and Scouts, to Group, District or Regional management. In order for our volunteers to feel supported and happy in their roles, SCOUTS South Africa provides training, mentoring and resources.

Our Structure

Groups

Scouting is run in local Groups, which may be made up of units of each branch, for example, a Meerkat Den, a Cub Pack, a Scout Troop and a Rover Crew. Groups are run by volunteer adult leaders and parents. The volunteer leaders, known as Scouters, run a programme of weekly meetings, camps and other activities.

Districts

Scout Groups form local Districts which are coordinated by a volunteer District Commissioner and assistants.

Regions

SCOUTS South Africa is divided into regions. The regions are run by a Regional Commissioner and assistants, a Regional Manager and a small number of paid staff.

National

SCOUTS South Africa is a registered non-profit organisation with a Governing Board. The daily management is administered by an Executive Committee, the Chief Scout and Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer. They are assisted by several National Commissioners and Committees. The National Office consists of the Chief Executive Officer and a small number of paid staff.

SCOUTS South Africa Bank Details:  SCOUTS South Africa, NEDBANK – Foreshore Cape Town, Branch Code – 108309, Account Number – 1083278509.

International affiliations

wosmSCOUTS South Africa is a member of the World Organisation of Scout Movements, WOSM and is affiliated to the Africa Region of the Scout Movement whose mandate is to assist WOSM in fostering the Scout Movement in the Africa region.

Certifications

BEE:
SCOUTS South Africa is a Level One B-BBEE contributor. BEE or Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) is a national transformation programme launched by the Government to give previously disadvantaged groups economic opportunities that were previously unavailable to them.

SGS NGO Benchmarking certification:

SGS certification

The certification confirms that SCOUTS South Africa subjected itself to a voluntary system measuring accountability to stakeholders and compliances with best practices. Moreover, it shows that such assessment has been performed by a strictly independent third party, based on International Best Practices.

Awards

2012:
Greening the Future Award Mail & Guardian for Scouting and Climate Change programme and community projects in respect of climate change and participation at the COP17.

2006:
Special commendation, Greening the Future Award Mail and Guardian for Scouting and Climate Change pilot project

2005:
Habitat Council for Scouting and Climate Change pilot project

Huguette Labelle Award for Excellence in Youth Programming in partnership with Scouts Canada at the 13th Annual Canadian Awards for International Cooperation

2004:
Greening the Future Award Mail & Guardian for environmental education camps for disadvantaged learners in the North West

2003:
Habitat Council for environmental education camps for disadvantaged learners in the North West

More information 

Email info@scouts.org.za