* Canadian boy scout levels








Canadian Scout Levels: Permanent Programs


Figure 1.--Here some Canadian Scouts are checking out their local Scout shop. The photograph is not dated, but looks like the 1960s.

Canadian Scouts are organized similarly to British Scouts. Scouts Canada has five full-time levels which they refer to as program sections. All are coed, open to both boys and girls. There are Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturer, and Rover groups. This is the traditional set up with the new Beaver levels for the younger children. Scouting began with the Scout level and Wolf Cubs added because so many of the younger boys showed an interest. In recent years the younger children have become an increasinly important part of Scouting which is why the Beavers were added. The same general trends have proven the case in Britain and America. The level of participation by older youth has been declining. Scouts Canada has attempted to address this trend. In addition to the traditional levels, there is also a vocational program. This is largely a medical/first aid program.

Beavers (Age 5-7)

Beaver Scouts are the new origram for very youg children adopted by many national Scouting movements. Theu are designed to draw youing children into Scouting at about the time they begin school. They prepare the children for Cubbing and stress cooperation and sharing. Scouts Canasa tell parents (because many of the children are just beginning to read), "Fun and friendship is the cornerstone of the Beaver Scouts program. Beaver Scouts opens the door for your child to discover the world. It is filled with a little bit of everything � outdoor activities, games, music and sports. Along the way, Beaver Scouts meet new friends, learn cooperation and teamwork and develop self-confidence. Beaver Scouts are welcomed into a group of energetic boys and girls just like them. They will meet with kind and caring leaders that will help them with anything they need to know about being a good Scout. They will feel respected and appreciated for their own uniqueness, and encouraged to bring all they can to their group and activities." Different names are used in other countries in part because bdeavers are North American. Both America and Britain asopted the Beaver name. The British do not have beavers, but the children all know about them.

Wolf Cubs (Age 8-10)

Canadian Scouts introduced Wolf Cubs in Canada at the sane tyome the program wa intriduced in Britain (1916). It would be another 14 years before Cubbing was introduced south of the border in Canada. The program and uniform as essentially copied from British Cubbing. The Cub Scout program is designed for 8-10 year old boys and focuses on six activity areas: The Natural World, Outdoors, Creative Expression, Healthy Living, Home and Community and Canada and the World. Cananadian Wolf Cub activies seem to mix a more outdoors slant then most countries with hiking, weekend camping, canoeing, and kyaking normal being reservered for Boy Scouts. Most Cub Scout programs tend to be more family and neighborhood based. We do see crafts, music, and story telling mentioned which may indicate a home base as well. Cubbing provides an oppotunity for adventure and imagination. Both are impotyant to boys this age. The advebtures are carefully developed for this age group. The activiies include: Gamesof all kinds, simple skills, sense training, outings and camp, stories, music, acting and handicrafts are all combined in the Cubbuing program.

Scouts (Age 11-14)

The Scouts were the origibal Scouting prigram designed by Baden Powel and first developed in Britain abd Canada. The several other leveks now opwrating were subsequnt develoopments. The Canadian Boy Scout program is designed for boys aged 11-14. The Boys transution from the Cub program to couting. Some boys remain in the oprogram to age 16 although there are separate programs for the older teens. Commonly soosiing organizatiions have noth Cun packs and a Scout troop. As the boys are older, the program is less home based and there are more outdoor activities. The progam is based on outdoor and environmental activities, citizenship and community service, leadership and personal development. Activites include outdoor high adventure, boating, leading camping, and hiking events. Scouts get out, camp extensively, perform service projects for the community, do challenging activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking and scuba diving. The boys participate in youth forums at the province and national levels. The original Canadian Boy Scout Uniform closely followed the English uniform with green shirt, blue shorts, knee socks, neckerchief with the classic "lemon squeezer" campaign hat. In the 1960s the campaign hat was replace with the blue beret, and long pants were allowed as in Figure-1. The green shirt uniform was replaced with the kaki shirt uniform. Currently, the uniform has reverted to a green shirt with "recommended" youth tan long pants, neckerchief, and no hat.

Venturers (Age 14-17)

Venturing is a Scout youth development program that origuinating in America. Canadian Scouting has been influenced by both Brirish and American Scouts. Cnaandian Venturing is a coed program for teenage boys and girls 14-18 years of age. The state purpose is to offer positive experiences to help teenagers mature and prepare to become responsible and caring adults. Canadian Venturer Scouts are organized into a company. Venturer companies are usually structured with an Executive, composed of President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and may also include a Quartermaster depending on the group's size and equipment needs. The Canadian Venturer Scout program is designed for teenage boys. It is based on an active, healthy lifestyle, career development and outdoor high adventures. The focus shifts from the provincial level to international events. Like the American Explorer program some units to focus on career and are known as Vocational Venturers. There is a real focus on leadership, preparing for adult leadership in scouting. Activites center around high adventures, survival training, and hands on leadership opportunities. Many Venturers partipate in FOCUS (Future Of Canada United in Scouting), a "for-youth-by-youth" leadership program aimed towards Venturer Scouts and RoverScouts.

Rovers (Age 18-26)

The Rover program is the final stage in Canadian Scouting and follows on to the Venturer (ages 14�17) program. This was essentially the British set up. Americans use the term Explorers. Following important program reviews for the Cub and Scout sections (mid-1960s), the Canadian Rover program was reviewed and substantial changes consuidered (1971). An important part of this review was 3-year experiment to allow young women to join the Rover Section. The BSA gavev each Rover Crew the option of voting to become a co-ed for the duration of the experiment. At the end of the 3 years, the 2,850 Rover Crews s in Canada enthusiasticallyn adopted a coed approach (1974). This was the first step in Scouts Canada becoming a fully co-educational organization (1998). Rover Knights are the Baden-Powell Scouts Association equivalent and is open to all adults 18 years of age and over. It is the final stage after Senior Explorers (ages 14�17), and is open to both genders. In actual practice, the term Knights is usually dropped and the section is referred to simply as Rovers. The outdoors is an central part of both Rover programs. Rovers participate in adventurous outdoor activities like mountain climbing, white water rafting, para-sailing, and much more. There is an imprtantn public service component. Rovers contribute to their local communities by organizing service activities such as food drives, park clean-ups, tree plantings, and other efforts. Rovers meet in units called a crew. They develop and manage their own program and activities under the mentorship of an adult advisor. Rovers adhere to the promise that is used in the Scout section onwards, and the motto 'Service'.






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Created: November 15, 1998
Last updated: 11:15 PM 11/7/2013