The Beaver Colony

The Beaver Colony is the first and youngest section of the Scout Group. A Beaver Colony may be organised into smaller groups called Lodges. There are normally 6 Beaver Scouts in a Lodge, the same principle as the Sixes in Cubs and Patrols in the Scout Troop. Lodges can be used in a number of ways to facilitate the organisation of the Beaver Scout Colony. They may provide a ‘home’ area for Beaver Scouts to gather at points before, during or after the Colony meeting. Given sufficient demand (and helpers) we can have more than one Colony, if it is appropriate to do this.

Beavers spend lots of time outside with their Colony. Together, they might build a den, or go on a trip to the seaside, or host a Beaver sleepover beneath the stars, whatever a Beaver Scout does they are guaranteed plenty of adventures on their doorstop, being a Beaver is all about making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.

Beaver Scouts enjoy all that Scouting has to offer; being introduced to outdoor activities, having the opportunity to be creative, exploring their local community and experiencing the excitement of a Beaver Scout Sleepover with their friends. During their time in the Colony, Beaver Scouts will get a chance to try a wide range of different activities. Participation, rather than meeting set standards, is the key approach, and there are a range of badges and challenge awards that Beaver Scouts can gain in recognition of their achievements.

The Beaver Scout Promise

The Promise is a simple way to help young people and adults keep the Fundamentals of Scouting in mind. The Promise is the oath taken by all Members as they commit to sharing the values of Scouting. It is therefore vital that every Member considers the Promise and discusses its meaning before making the Promise and being invested into Scouting. There are a number of variations of the promise to reflect the range of faiths, beliefs and attitudes and nationalities in the UK within Scouting.

Promises and Ceremonies

As well as enjoying plenty of adventures, being a Beaver is about exploring who you are and what you stand for. These are big ideas, and when you join the Colony, you’ll start thinking about them by making a promise. A promise is a set of words that mean something to you, which you try to follow every day.

Making the promise is a big celebration within the Colony. Every time a new Beaver decides to join, they chat through their promise with their leader before saying it out loud in front of their fellow Beavers. Family and friends might come along to see this, too. Doing this is called being ‘invested’ into Beavers, and it usually takes place once you’ve had a few weeks to settle in.

Everyone is unique but there are some things all Beavers agree on – such as treating everyone with kindness and promising to do their best. Depending on their own beliefs, they might also promise to live by their faith.

Uniform

Wearing a uniform is comfy and practical. It means no one feels uncomfortable or left out and helps everyone feel part of the group. Our uniform consists of a sweatshirt that you can sew badges on, a coloured scarf to represent your group and trousers. There are various other optional accessories you can wear such as hats or hoodies.

The uniform can either be bought from Hewitts of Croydon who have a very longstanding connection with Scouting or from Scouting's online shop - or Scout Stores, as well as Ebay, Facebook, Market Place as well as Shpock if you’re not sure where to start talk to your leaders.

The 10th Croydon also operates its own uniform recycling scheme, which is especially popular considering how quickly young people grow. There can also be grants available for parents who need help to buy a uniform, ask your leader for more details.

Beaver Scout activity badges

Activity badges – allow Beaver Scouts to show their progress in existing pursuits, but also to try all kinds of new things and form new interests. Challenge badges – involve accomplishing a number of more ambitious tasks within the Colony or community. There are several challenge badges across a number of themes, from the physical and outdoor to challenges dealing with the local community or issues connected with the Scouting world. Core badges – these are obtained upon joining or moving on from the Colony, or for time spent in the Scouting movement. Activity packs – some activity badges are sponsored by outside companies, and these companies often provide extra exciting resource packs to help Beaver Scouts towards gaining their badges.

Scouting is open to all young people, regardless of their mental or physical ability. We can usually arrange things to make sure everyone can join in the fun. If you have any questions about accessibility, have a chat with your leader. By being upfront from the start, parents and carers can work in partnership with the colony leaders to make sure their young person has the best experience Scouting can offer.

Many young people will require some special consideration to enable them to fully participate in all Scouting activities. By identifying an individual’s additional need and providing them with appropriate support, we can include more young people in Scouting.

Some additional needs are not immediately obvious (behavioural problems such as ADHD and learning difficulties), these are referred to as hidden disabilities. Scouting provides a range of resources available to help us include young people with particular needs in our Group.

No one knows better than a Scout Group that has been operation for more than 100 years about the natural exuberance of young people especially when undertaking exciting activities. That said we need to maintain order, and there are lines that we cannot allow to be crossed. So first and foremost, we make certain that our members are fully aware of the expected standards of behaviour, Young people will always "push a bit", and that is a natural part of understanding their limits.

Maintaining Discipline

So when they go too far, first they will be issued a very clear verbal warning which is usually enough. If that does not deal with the matter and the bad behaviour persists, they will be shown a "yellow card" (like in football) so now they clearly know they are out of line, in the unlikely event that’s not enough they will be shown a "red card", which like football means they will be sent home straight away and have to miss the next meeting. Unlike in football, verbal warnings and Yellow Cards carry over to the next meeting attended, and are then wiped clean, assuming there are no further problems.

We use the same system at sleepovers and camps, but when cards are shown, the young person is offered the "opportunity" to do extra chores to "work off the card", rather than being sent home in disgrace. In our 100 year history I can't find any record of a young person ever being sent home from camp due to behaviour problems, so I guess the system works.

How much does it cost?

When you are first thinking about joining, you should know that the 10th Croydon offers any potential new members a free trial of 2 weeks, during which time the young person will be able to take full advantage of everything Scouting has to offer and will be fully covered by our insurance.

After two weeks they will pay "subs" (membership subscriptions). This is paid monthly by Standing Order, and is to cover the costs of running the regular meetings, including the costs of the hall, it's upkeep, heating and lighting, insurances and materials used for activities and badges. We try to keep our subs as low as possible so that anyone can come to Scouts, (Ask your Leader how much subs are). If you need help paying subs, please speak to your leader.

MONEY SAVING OFFER

We all know that everything costs more every year, prices increase all the time. Well when you pay your Subs by standing order, the amount will remain fixed, IT NEVER INCREASES, for as long as that standing order runs. Over the years this will save you a considerable amount, and makes it easy to fit Scouting into the household budget.

Trips, camps and special activities are charged separately. Cost should not be a barrier to anyone taking part in Scouting and if this is an issue, you can speak to the local Section Leader in confidence.