Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Scout Promise

On my honour, I promise
To do my best,
To be true to my spiritual beliefs,
To contribute to my community and our world,
To help other people,
And to live by the Scout Law.

What is the Scout Law

Be Respectful
- Be friendly and considerate
- Care for others and the environment

Do What is Right
- Be trustworthy, honest and fair
- Use resources wisely

Believe in Myself
- Learn from my experiences
- Face challenges with courage

What are the Milestones?

Milestones are the foundation of the Scouting programme and recognise a Scout's leadership, assistance and participation. Active involvement over 6 to 12 months is usually required to attain each Milestone. Leadership skills involve participation under the direction of others, assisting a leader, and acting as an activity leader. SIA badges match the section (e.g. cub badges are yellow).

Challenge Areas

Scout activities are structured under four key categories to ensure a diverse program full of engaging experiences.

What are the Outdoor Adventure Skills (OAS)?

The Outdoor Adventure Skills framework promotes youth members’ exploration of outdoor pursuits. The optional Outdoor Adventure Skills is a pathway towards a peak award designed for all ages and abilities. Scouts can continuously build on these skills throughout their Scouting journey, starting with foundation skills and advancing to specialist skills. There are nine skill areas: bushcraft, bushwalking, camping, alpine, cycling, vertical, aquatics, boating, and paddling. Skill areas advance from beginner (stage 1) to advanced (stage 9). The advanced stages may qualify for Vocation, Education, and Training (VET) qualifications. Leaders or qualified adults may assess youth members and award badges recognising the stage of knowledge and competence. All Scouts, starting with Joeys, are encouraged to maintain a personal logbook. The logbook should record details of bushwalks, abseiling, camps, cycling, paddling etc. For OAS stages two and above, Scouts must demonstrate that their personal logbook is current and provides evidence of accomplishment relevant to the award.

What are the Special Interest Areas (SIA)?

The Special Interest Area framework encourages Scouts to explore new and existing interests. The optional Special Interest Areas are a pathway towards a peak award and encourage creativity, independence, and problem-solving. Each Scout develops a personally challenging project in one of the six Special Interest Areas: Adventure & Sport, Creating a Better World, Growth & Development, Arts & Literature, Environment, STEM & Innovation. Scouts, individually or in patrols, set a goal and plan and then work towards achieving their goal. Younger Scouts (e.g. Joeys) usually set their goals in discussion with parents and leaders. SIA badges match the section (e.g. cub badges are yellow).

What are the SPICES? - REVIEW

Scouts seek to assist with six areas of personal development:  Social, Physical, Intellectual, Character, Emotional, and Spiritual. These six areas are known as the SPICES. The Spices are used as a review tool to ensure youth members are achieving the fundamentals of scouting

What are the Peak Awards?

Peak awards represent the highest level of achievement in each section of Scouting. Attainment of the peak award requires achievement in the Outdoor Adventure Skills, Special Interest Areas, and Milestones. The Scout must complete a leadership course, Adventurous Journey and personal reflection. It's not expected that all Scouts will attempt and complete this award, but all are encouraged to 'give it a go'. Scouts wishing to complete their peak award should discuss it with their leader at least 18 months before transitioning to the next section.

What other badges can be awarded?

Scouts undertake a variety of activities which are recognised by a range of badges. 

What is Scouts Terrain?

Scouts Terrain is a web-based system for Scouts to record their Scouting journey. Whilst parents and leaders typically assist Joeys and Cubs with Scouts Terrain, older Scouts are expected to maintain their own Scouts Terrain account.

What is the significance of the Colours in the 1st North Sydney Scarf?

Each Scout Group selects colours of significance from their local area. At 1st North Sydney, the background ochre represents the shade of ochre used by the Cammeraygal people indigenous to the North Sydney region. The grey chord represents the colour of the Harbour Bridge.

What is the Scout uniform?

The regular uniform is a Scout t-shirt with a scarf, woggle, comfortable pants and enclosed shoes. Second-hand Scout shirts may be available from the Leaders, or new uniform t-shirts may be purchased from The Scout Shop. On more formal occasions, such as participation as a guard of honour meeting the NSW Governor, Scouts are encouraged to wear stone-coloured pants. Scouts provide all badges, scarves, and woggles. The location of badges on uniforms can be found on the Scouts Australia website. As Scouts grow or advance to the next section, we welcome the return of unused uniforms.

Where should badges be sewn on?

It is expected that Scouts promptly sew badges onto their uniform. Please use this link to Scouts Australia's official badge placement guide.

Where can I purchase Scout uniforms and outdoor equipment?

Scout uniforms may be purchased from the ScoutShop. The ScoutShop also has an extensive range of outdoor and camping supplies.

Where can I find out more information?

Your leaders are ready to assist with enquiries. Other resources include the Scouts NSW website and the Scouts Australia Website. 

When should my child progress to the next section?

Your child typically progresses from one section to the next on or near their birthday. However, there is some flexibility to allow friends to transition together or at the end of a school year etc. Please discuss options with your leaders to identify appropriate timing. Youth members are encouraged to 'link' between sections, which involves concurrently attending the old and new sections for a few weeks until they have made new friends and feel comfortable with the new section.

Can I make suggestions?

Please discuss with leaders any opportunities for improvement, concerns, activity ideas, volunteering opportunities, etc.

Does Scouts have any religious affiliation?

Scouting is inclusive and open to all. Scouts is not a religious organisation and has no religious or faith affiliations. Scouts encourage youth members to explore their own feelings and beliefs regarding their purpose in life, connection to others and place in the world around them.

When should youth members be invested?

After attending Scouts for a few weeks, you should discuss investiture with the leaders. The leaders will organise a brief discussion with the youth member and parents (usually during a regular meeting) to provide a brief overview of Scouting, discuss the Scout Promise and Law, and set a date to conduct the investiture ceremony.

What are Scout blankets used for?

A Scout tradition is to have a woollen blanket that event badges, swap badges, and retired badges are sewn onto. Individuals may accumulate many badges as Scouts progress from Joeys to Cubs and Scouts. Such badges are traditionally sewn onto the blanket. Scouts take great pride in taking their blankets to camps and jamborees to share their scouting history with friends.

What is a "Scouts' Own"?

A Scouts' Own is a gathering of Scouts that helps us reflect on our connection with nature and the world around us. A Scouts' Own is typically a minute of quiet reflection followed by each Scout taking turns to recount their thoughts. Scouts are encouraged to reflect on friendship, community, nature, personal growth, learning, experiences, gratitude etc. The recounting of thoughts may be a story, dance, reading, reflection, song, or prayer from any faith or religion. Scouts' Own often occur around a campfire, a clearing in the bush, or at any gathering of Scouts.

How can I get involved?

Scouts is a volunteer organisation. Volunteers are primarily parents of current Scouts and adults who enjoyed scouting in their youth. Parents are expected to assist with group activities at meetings but may also assist in many other ways. Parents are also encouraged to share vocational skills or hobbies with Scouts. Scouts usually beam with pride and happiness to see their parents get involved. Ideally, each Scout unit has enough leaders to operate with vacations, sickness, vocational demands, and diverse interests and skills. Please discuss volunteering opportunities with the leaders.

Adult Camping and District Events

Adults attending camps and District Events must have a Working With Children Check and be registered with Scouts NSW as an Adult Helper. Please use this link to apply for membership and become an Adult Helper.

What are our youth safe protocols?

Youth protection is our number one priority and is everyone’s responsibility. Leaders follow protocols to enhance youth safety:

• Two-deep: Leaders must ensure that at all times, at least two adults are present in the company of youth members.
• In sight but out of hearing. When leaders wish to have a private conversation with a Scout, such as to discuss behavioural issues or individual progression with badge work, such conversations must be within sight of other leaders but sufficiently separated so that the conversation is uninterrupted and private. Parents are encouraged to participate in such conversations. For younger Scouts (Joeys and Cubs), the leader usually prearranges a suitable time for such conversations with parents.

Please discuss behaviour inconsistent with these protocols with our Group Leader (Stuart Warren), or report to Scouts NSW. More information can be found on the Scouts NSW website.

In addition, parents and guardians who regularly assist with activities at the hall are expected to have a Working With Children Check and be registered with Scouts NSW as Adult Helpers. Please use this link to apply for membership and become an Adult Helper. Additional YouthSafe training is available to Adult Helpers.

Leaders may complete additional training to be appointed as a Youth Safe Advocate (YSA). Youth Safe Advocates undergo extensive online training by the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian. Youth Safe Advocates aim to provide additional support for our youth members, giving them a safe environment where they understand their right to feel safe and can speak openly about any issues and concerns.

What is the waiting list policy?

Each section has a maximum number of youth members to maintain leader-to-youth member ratios. When demand for places exceeds these limits, a waiting list system becomes operational. Waiting lists are managed on a priority basis in the following order:

1. Children of leaders.
2. Children of Group Committee members.
3. Siblings of existing group members.
4. Chronological order of membership application.