The Scout Association

This article is about the scouting organisation in the United Kingdom calling itself The Scout Association. For other Scouting organisations in the United Kingdom, see Scouting in the United Kingdom. For other Scouting organisations with 'The Scout Association' as part of the name, see The Scout Association (disambiguation).

The Scout Association
The Scout Association logo
Age range4 to 25 (in various sub organisations)
HeadquartersGilwell Park
LocationChingford
CountryUnited Kingdom
Founded
  • 1910; 114 years ago (1910); incorporated 1912; 112 years ago (1912)[1]
FounderRobert Baden-Powell
Membership
  • 444,682 (4–18 year olds)
  • 83,792 adult leaders
  • 68,974 other adults[2]
Chief ScoutDwayne Fields
UK Chief VolunteerCarl Hankinson[3][4]
Chief ExecutiveAiden Jones[5]
ChairJennie Price[3][4]
Patron
Joint Presidents		The King
The Princess of Wales
The Duke of Kent
AffiliationWorld Organization of the Scout Movement
Website
www.scouts.org.uk
Scout section uniform
Adult and Network uniform
 Scouting portal

The Scout Association is the largest Scout organisation in the United Kingdom. Following the rapid development of the Scout Movement from 1907, The Scout Association was formed in 1910 and incorporated in 1912 by a royal charter under its previous name of The Boy Scouts Association.[1] It is a founding member organisation of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.

The organisation is the largest national Scout organisation in Europe, representing 35% of the participants of the European Scout Region.[6] As of 2024, the organisation claimed to provide activities to 444,682 infants to youths (aged 4–18) in the UK, with 83,792 direct adults leaders but 68,974 adults in "governance", "support" and other roles, which is more than one adult for each 3 children.[2] The organisation's participation declined 22% from 464,700 in 2018[7] and has not recovered despite commencing a programme for even younger children.

Its programmes include Squirrels (aged 4–6), Beavers (aged 6–8), Cubs (aged 8–10+1⁄2), Scouts (aged 10+1⁄2–14), Explorer Scouts (aged 14–18) and adult Network members (aged 18–25).

The organisation's current aim is to provide "fun, adventure and skills for life and give young people the opportunity to enjoy new adventures, experience outdoors and take part in a range of creative, community and international activities, interact with others, make new friends, gain confidence and have the opportunity to reach their full potential".[8]

  1. ^ a b "Royal Charter of The Boy Scouts Association". Scoutdocs. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Scouts - Our members: Annual Report 2023-2024". Scouts Annual Report 2023-24. Scout Association. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b UK Chief Commissioner Handover Ceremony 2021 (video). The Scout Association – via facebook.
  4. ^ a b "Scouts - Welcome to our new UK Chief Commissioner and our new Chair of the Board of Trustees".
  5. ^ "Welcoming Aidan Jones as our new Chief Executive". Scout Content. 7 October 2024.
  6. ^ Atanackovic, Mihajlo (12 August 2013). "Membership Report 2013 (p. 13)" (PDF). Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  7. ^ "The Scout Association's Annual Report and Accounts 2016–2017" (PDF). The Scout Association. Retrieved 3 January 2018. (pp. 58)
  8. ^ "What we do". The Scout Association. Retrieved 11 September 2016.