What is Scouting?
Isn't it 'Boy Scouts' - just for boys? How come
there are girls as well?
How do you achieve non formal and informal
education?
What is the
Scouting progressive training scheme?
Nowadays no one does
anything without a gain. So what do leaders gain out of it?
How can I join as a
young member?
How can I join as a
leader?
How do I fit in such
a large movement? I am afraid I will be just a number!
What is Scouting?
Scouting was founded by Robert Steven
Baden Powell in 1907 in the UK. Scouting in Malta started just a
year after in 1908. Today there are about 40 Groups - 3000 members
– split up in 4 Districts.
Scouting is Education for Life, a Movement
for Youth, International, Open to All, Fun with a Purpose, a Challenge
for Adults, Voluntary, Non-Political, Non-Governmental.
Education for Life.
Beyond
the school desk - Learning by doing;
Explore & discover;
Self teach ;
Pass on the knowledge to others;
Build a strong character.
A
Movement for Youth A
Movement on the Move;
Changing and Adapting to youth trends;
Serving according to local needs;
Not closed within itself.
Open to
All Open
to all irrespective of Gender, Race, Religion & difficulties.
Fun
with a Purpose Towards,
Physical, Spiritual and Intellectual Development;
True friends under the supervision of
trained leaders.
A
Challenge for Adults Adults
have an opportunity to help young people;
To improve the understanding of the
generation gap;
To Learn from the young members;
To make a difference in tomorrow's
society.
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Isn't it 'Boy Scouts' - just for boys? How come
there are girls as well?
The Scout Association of Malta does not
make any distinction between boys and girls in its recruitment process.
Scouting in Malta became co-ed in 1995 and since then even the name of
the Association changed so as not to have the word 'boys' in it.
The same approach was adopted in most countries around the world.
Obviously there are co-ed policies which indicate a set of rules to
apply for the safety and comfort of both males and females.
The Association has not imposed
co-education on all the Scout Groups and this is an option left at the
discretion of the Group in the particular locality. There are
still Scout Groups today that only allow boys as members. On the
other hand, there are no Scout Groups dedicated to just girls.
If you are a girl and would not like to
attend a mixed group, but would still like to enjoy the fun and learn
all the skills associated with scouting, than we strongly suggest you
have a look at the Girl Guides
website as this might be
just what you are looking for. The Girl Guides are a separate
Association from the Scout Association but we share the same principles.
We also get together for a number of national events which we
co-organise for the benefit of all our members.
Whichever way you opt for, may we wish you
great scouting or guiding!
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How do you achieve
non formal and informal education?
Learning by doing! And we do a lot!
A variety of activities and meetings. Sky is the limit as long as
what we do is in line with our principles and in line with the
capabilities and safety of our members. Activities include, but
are definitely not limited to:
Beach activities
Hikes - Day & Night
Cookouts
Camps (Even Abroad)
Joint Activities with other Groups Cultural Visits
Service to the Community
Internet and Radio Activities
Obviously we do have our 'syllabus' which
is our progressive training scheme.
We also get the opportunity to be on the
front line on special occasions such as the Pope/ Queen Visit, during
the Small Nations Games etc…
We also organise a variety of family
activities such as Father/Mother and child activities, Carnival Parties,
Talent Shows etc..
Youngsters learn a lot when they practice
what they learn and by participating in the planning process of the
above mentioned activities/events
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The Scouting progressive training
scheme
Most meetings and activities are aimed at
achieving the progressive training scheme, which is our way of reaching
our aims. The topics include a variety of skills and general
knowledge. We also promote what we call Proficiency Badges.
These are badges that are worn on the members uniform after attaining
special skills of his/her own interest.
At every step of the progressive training,
the member is awarded a badge to be worn on the uniform. We
believe a lot in individual abilities, and thus, everyone is
assessed according to his/her own capabilities.
Like with most other things, children and
youths tend to achieve more when followed by their parents/guardians,
and we therefore encourage involvement in everything that we do.
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What do the
leaders gain?
All leaders have an above average
'salary' within scouting. Shall we say a special reward! And
that is satisfaction. A smile on a youngster face is all we need
to make our day. Scouting aims to develop its members physically,
spiritually and intellectually in order to help members
build a healthy positive strong character and become responsible
citizens with an active role in society. Every scout in Malta,
during the investiture ceremony, promises to honour the duties to God,
the Country and all the people in general. Leaders gain
satisfaction in their role by knowing that they are contributing towards
our own and our children's society. A lot of people complain about
society.... we are doing something to improve it.
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How can I join as a
young member?
This might be your very first step to an
exciting experience! Just check out our
recruitment page for details.
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How can I join as a
leader?
This might be your very first step to an
exciting challenging and satisfactory experience! Leaders need to
undergo training as laid out by the Scout Association of Malta Adult
Training Department which also includes First Aid and Food Handling
certificates.
Just check out our
recruitment page for details.
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How do I fit in
such a large movement? I am afraid I will be just a number!
Scout
Groups within a locality are divided into sections according to a
defined age bracket.
The 3
younger sections, i.e. the Beaver Colony, the Cub Pack and the Scout
Troop, are split up in smaller teams, referred to as a Lodge, Six and a
Patrol for each section respectively usually made up of 5 to 7 members.
This is done for 3 main reasons. Firstly, so that each member
feels as part of a small identifiable group, rather than as a number in
a large section. Secondly, these members, through internal
friendly competitions and games, start learning the importance of
teamwork. Thirdly, they are given a taste of leadership and the
responsibilities involved, as each team may be assigned its own young
leader/coordinator to help the others in their ‘team’, under the
supervision of trained
adult leaders.
The older sections, i.e. the Venture Unit
and the Rover Crew function very much like a small democracy with
elected members for a defined term to represent the others and to
organise activities and take care of their own training.
So essentially you never feel lost and are
sure to make a number of new friends.
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