The advancement program for Scouts of Scouting Ireland has been designed and refactored since the merger of earlier organizations.
Contents
ONE Programme
The ONE Scout programme has been designed using a number of key underlining principles.
• The use of the Scout Method • One programme for all age ranges • Youth Participation within the planning process • Individual personal journeys/experiences
One Programme for all
The principle of 'ONE Programme for all' means that each age range section delivers the programme in a similar way. Small groups are present in all Sections. Documentation is designed to appeal to the age range of the Section but presents the same concepts to young people in appropriate visual presentations and language. The badge scheme is also similar and the badge designs only signify different age ranges via different coloured designs.
Programme creation
Young people are fully involved in the creation and management of their Scouting experience. This is done via the team and Section Council gatherings. They suggest, design and implement their own adventures and experiences assisted and facilitated by Adult Scouters. This collective experience is the programme of the group.
Personal Journey
Every Scout is responsible for their own Personal Journey/experience of Scouting and plays a hand in designing and planning that journey. The Personal Journey ideal draws a young person to explore the SPICES and enable them to learn, acquire knowledge and develop while participating in the Scout programme. The programme, that young people have designed with the help and assistance of Scouters follows a simple process PLAN, DO, REVIEW. Programmes are planned, activities are executed and the whole process is reviewed. The review process is an important stage as it allows young people to learn by doing, reflect on what has been learnt and carry this knowledge through to the next programme cycle. The review and reflection process is an important part of the personal journey of young people. It allows them to position themselves on their chosen path and provides them with pathways to future discoveries and experiences.
Badges
There are four types of badges available to young people.
Personal Progress badges
Personal Progress Badges are awarded to young people in recognition of how they have developed and travelled along their personal Scouting journey. The badges are roughly linked to a 'Scouting years' programme. It is not based on individual tests but rather on a concept of bringing young people 'one step forward'. For some young people this will be easy for others more challenging. It will also be related to maturity of young people as they grow and develop. Scouters therefore need to be fully aware of 'where their Scouts are at' so they can have a fuller understanding of how far a young person has travelled in a particular Stage.
Adventure Skills badges
Adventure skills badges set prescribed detailed requirements to young people to achieve a set standard in a particular adventure skill. The requirements are progressive and ultimately reflect and pave the way to outside recognition by a governing body of a chosen skill. There are currently nine adventure skills badges.
Special Interest badges
Special interest badges are open ended badges that reflect the interest of the young person undertaking them. Any subject is possible and the requirements are designed by the young person in consultation and agreement with their Scouters. There are five badge designs, badges are presented under a number of heading into which the special interest subject will fall. Heading include -Skill, Physical, Adventure, Community, Environment. Badge requirements will differ depending on the individual, the main requirement being 'doing one's best', recognising personal effort, rather than achieving a prescribed standard. Badge requirements are broad enough to allow youth members to set agree their own criteria with their Scouter.
Chief Scout Award
The Chief Scout Award is the superlative youth programme award in each of the Programme Sections. It is designed to tie-in with the Gaisce Award, and the Chief Scout Award for Scouts, Ventures Scouts, and Rover Scouts are awarded jointly with the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards respectively. Requirements for the award are a number of Adventure Skills, Special Interest Badges, an Expedition, and camp with an inter-cultural aspect.
Role of Scouters
The role of the Scouters is one of assisting, supporting, facilitating, motivating, being a role model rather than directive. Younger age ranges will require more facilitation and direction but this should be reversed in older age ranges to one of 'mentor or coach'. The Scouters need to be aware of the young people in their Section,and understand 'where they are' in relation to their development as young people. Scouters will assist in reviewing activities and help young people to reflect on their experiences and personal journey through Scouting.
Attainment badges
Attainment badges were awards earned by youth members of Scouting Ireland, the Irish national Scout organisation, based on a variety of adventurous outdoor activities. These badges were originally developed by the former Scouting Ireland S.A.I. for its sectional programmes in the Scout section and the Sea Scout section. These programmes, among others in Scouting Ireland, continue to be used until the conclusion of the current programme development process. The Attainment badges are different from Merit badges, also awards earned by youth members of Scouting Ireland, based on activities within an area of study by completing a list of periodically updated requirements.
Badges
A core of 7 attainment badges ("The Magnificent Seven") were developed by the SAI which are universal across the Scout programme and the Sea Scout programme. A further 7 badges were developed by the Sea Scout team which are mostly specialist water activities badges that aid the Sea Scout programme, supplementing its primary progressive badge scheme. These badges, while developed for just one of the programmes, are open to members of both the Scout and Sea Scout section to achieve. The 14 attainment badges are listed below.
Replacement
The ONE Programme, introduced from 2011 replaced attainment badges with "Adventure Skills" - a set of 9 Scouting skill proficiency badges at stages 1–9, available through all programme sections - and "Special Interest Badges (SIBs)" - a genericised set of 5 badges with a different interest area (Community, Adventure, Skill, Physical, Environment), 4 of which also tie-in with the Gaisce Award Scheme, these 5 badges are coloured to match the brand of the Programme Section the badge was earned in. There is also a set of Nautical Badges in each section to tie-in with the Sea Scout symbolic framework.
Merit badges
Merit badges were awards earned by youth members of Scouting Ireland, the Irish national Scout organisation, based on activities within an area of study by completing a list of periodically updated requirements. These are different from Attainment badges, also awards earned by youth members of Scouting Ireland, based on activities in 14 different areas of outdoor activities.
Merit badges were a universal award for achievement within the Scouting movement. The purpose of the merit badge programme was to allow Scouts to examine subjects to determine if they would like to further pursue them as a career or as a vocation. Originally, the programme also introduced Scouts to the life skills of contacting an adult they hadn't met before, arranging a meeting and then demonstrating their skills, similar to a job or college interview. Increasingly, though, merit badges were earned in a class setting at troop meetings and summer camps.
Many of the badges are more advanced versions of Cub Scout (Macaoimh) badges.
Replacement
The ONE Programme, introduced from 2011 replaced merit badges with "Adventure Skills" - a set of 9 Scouting skill proficiency badges at stages 1–9, available through all programme sections - and "Special Interest Badges (SIBs)" - a genericised set of 5 badges with a different interest area (Community, Adventure, Skill, Physical, Environment), 4 of which also tie-in with the Gaisce Award Scheme, these 5 badges are coloured to match the brand of the Programme Section the badge was earned in. There is also a set of Nautical Badges in each section to tie-in with the Sea Scout symbolic framework.