Beavers (Scouting): Difference between revisions

'''Beavers''' is a programme associated with some [[Scouting]] organizationsorganisations generally for children aged 5/6 to 7/8 who are too young for the [[Cub Scout|Cub]] programme.

Beavers programmes had their origins in the [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] organizationorganisation ''The Little Brothers'', founded in 1963 and renamed "Beavers" in 1966 to provide a programme for boys who were too young to be Wolf Cubs.<ref name=ScoutsUK>{{cite web|last1=Member Resources|title=In which country did Beavers first start?|url=https://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/1480/in-which-country-did-beavers-first-start|website=Scouts UK|access-date=14 March 2017}}</ref> A Beavers programme for [[Scouts Canada]] was designed and tested in 1971 and adopted in 1974. Since then, other scouting organizationsorganisations in some countries have developed their own Beavers or similar programmes. Some organizationsorganisations do not call their programmes "Beavers" and often use an animal local to their region instead. Many share common ideas between them, such as:

* OrganizedOrganised in groups, each called a Beaver "Colony", with optional smaller groups called "Lodges"

* Special ceremonies to commemorate new members, and the graduation of the oldest Beaver members into Cubs

Many Beaver groups that began as boys only now allow girls into their programmes as well, and many Beaver programmes which were not initially considered official parts of their parent scouting organizationsorganisations are now fully embraced by them.{{CN|date=April 2021}}

The [[Boy Scouts of America]] never created a distinct identity for children of this age. Instead, over time, their Cub programme has expanded to fill this age group. Others, such as some [[Traditional Scouting]] organizationsorganisations, have never adopted programmes for younger children at all, typically on the grounds this was not one of [[Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell|Robert Baden-Powell]]'s original programmes.

A pre-Cub scheme was set up in [[Northern Ireland]] by the 1st [[Dromore, County Down|Dromore]] Group in 1963 and it was called ''The Little Brothers'' spreading to [[Belfast]] with seven groups two years later.<ref name="ScoutBase BS history" /><ref name="Stories 114" /> The creation of an under -eight provision was sparked by the launch of other younger sections in other youth organizationsorganisations at the time including the Anchors section of the [[Boys' Brigade]] which some feared was partly causing a drop in numbers of Cubs experienced at the time.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wellbeloved|first1=Andrew J.|url=https://cms.scouts.org.uk/media/6409/a-review-of-under-8-provision-in-scouting-findings-1975.pdf|title=Under Eight Activity: An ln-depth investigation into many aspects of Under Eight Activity with particular reference to a possible future involvement by The Scout Association.|date=1975|publisher=The Scout Association|location=London|page=10|access-date=20 September 2020}}</ref> As the scheme expanded throughout the rest of the province, it was given the official name of ''Beavers'' in 1966, having been a name considered by [[Robert Baden-Powell]] when creating Wolf Cubs.<ref name="ScoutBase BS history">{{cite web|title=Beavering Away - A history of Beaver Scouting in the U.K.|url=http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/history/beavers/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040224061030/http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/history/beavers/index.htm|archive-date=24 February 2004|access-date=12 September 2020|website=ScoutBase UK|publisher=The Scout Association}}</ref><ref name="Stories 114">{{cite book|last1=Leard|first1=Steve|title=Scouts: The stories that built a movement|last2=Ward|first2=Rob|date=2019|publisher=Studio Press|isbn=9781787415546|editor1-last=Blackman|editor1-first=Sophie|location=London|pages=114–115|language=en}}</ref>

A Canadian Beaver programme was designed and tested in [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]] in 1971 by Harry McCartney, Alan Jones, and Gordon Hanna.{{CN|date=April 2021}} and in 1972 it was expanded across the [[Scouts Canada]] organizationorganisation.{{CN|date=April 2021}} It was made an official programme of Scouts Canada in 1974.{{CN|date=April 2021}}

This was closely followed by the Republic of Ireland in the same year. Beaver became an official section inof the [[Scout Association]] of the [[United Kingdom]] in 1986. Beavers and programmes for similar ages spread to a few other Scouting organizationsorganisations around the world. Beavers were not formally adopted by many Scouting organizationsorganisations until well into the 1980s.

The [[Baden-Powell Scouts' Association]] in [[Australia]] has a programme called Koalas, although some Groups do not operate Koalas as they were not part of [[Baden-Powell]]'s concept. The programme serves 5 to eight 8-year -olds, and is followed by [[Wolf Cubs (Baden-Powell Scouts' Association)|Wolf Cubs]]. The Koalas programme uses a catch phrasecatchphrase and themes around "Koalas climb high" with participants reciting the phrase and mimicking the motions of a climbing Koala.

[[Scouts Australia]], has a programme called Joeys for 5 to 7 -year -olds. A [[Joey (marsupial)|joey]] is an infant [[kangaroo]]. The Joeys' programme uses a catch phrasecatchphrase and themes around "Hop, Hop, Hop" such as Help Other People with participants reciting the phrase and mimicking the motions of a hopping joey kangaroo.

In [[Scouts Canada]], Beavers are aged five to seven. Members normally wear a brown vest as a uniform with a brown Beaver coby hat.

Beaver Scouts (Japanese: ビーバースカウト) started in [[Japan]] in 1986. Like all of the [[Scout Association of Japan]] units, Beavers have been coed since 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=Johoku Tokyo Boy Scouts|url=http://www.boyscout.tokyo/history.html|website=www.boyscout.tokyo|publisher=Johoku Tokyo Boy Scouts|access-date=6 March 2019}}</ref> Beavers are the youngest age group in Scouting Japan, a two 2-year programme that covers 1st and 2nd grades.

[[Scouts New Zealand]] has a programme called Keas for this age group. A [[keaKea]] is a New Zealand parrot.

In 2019, [[Scouts South Africa]] launched a Meerkats programme initially started by Sherley Southworth, and officially recognised under Chief Scout Dr. Brendon Hausberger, for children ageaged 5 and 6. The motto "Stand Tall" is based on the upright posture of a [[meerkat]] standing guard near its burrow.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scouts.org.za/2019/10/01/meerkat-branch-launch-message-craig-rens/|title=Stand tall and Do your best!|date=1 October 2019|first=Craig|last=Rens|publisher=Scouts South Africa}}</ref>

[[The Scout Association]] officially recognised Beavers in 1986, but there had been a fully -fledged Beaver section in Northern Ireland since 1966, plus informal colonies in other parts of the UK country for many years prior tobefore 1986. The programme is run for 5¾ to 8 -year -olds, and precedes [[Cub Scouts (The Scout Association)|Cubs]].

The uniform is a turquoise sweatshirt or T-shirt, with the group colours for the neckerchief. The motto, shared with the rest of the UK Scout Association sections, is "Be Prepared".

The [[Baden-Powell Scouts' Association]] recognised Beavers in 1982, although some Groups do not operate Beaver colonies as they were not part of [[Baden-Powell]]'s concept. The programme serves five5 to eight 8-year -olds, and is followed by [[Wolf Cubs (Baden-Powell Scouts' Association)|Wolf Cubs]].<ref>[http://www.traditionalscouting.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=76 Baden-Powell Beavers]</ref>

The uniform is a vest that can be of many colours, with the group colours for the neckerchief. Some groups also issue Beavers with caps.

As of 1981, the earliest program available in Cubs was the Wolf Scout programme, intended for boys eight8 years of age. In the fall of 1982, BSA introduced the Tiger Cubs programme for 7-year-olds, as a programme distinct from the Cubs.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1982-09-23|title=Tiger Scouts will serve 7 year olds|pages=51|work=The Morning Call|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60021850/tiger-scouts-will-serve-7-year-olds/|access-date=2020-09-26}}</ref> When BSA participation was changed to grade-based instead of age-based in 1986, Tiger Cubs became the 1st -grade programme, effectively changing the eligible age of most Tiger Cubs boys to 6. Tiger Cubs were opened to Cub Packs in 1993, and Tiger Dens were introduced in 1995. By 2001, Tigers (as they are now called) were fully integrated into Cubs and havehad their own merit badge.