Beavers (Scouting)

Beavers is a programme associated with some Scout organisations, for young children aged 5/6 to 7/8 who are too young to be Scouts and make the Scout Promise.

Beavers programmes had their origins 1963 and, since then, some scout organisations have developed Beavers or similar programmes by other names, often using an animal local to their region instead. However, many Scout organisations, such as some Traditional Scouting organisations, have never adopted programmes for younger children at all, typically on the grounds that this was not one of Robert Baden-Powell's original programmes and his warnings against too close identification with juvenile programmes.

Beavers and similar programmes usually involve:

  • A pledge and/or motto,
  • Earning merit badges
  • A uniform, distinct from that of programmes for older children and youths
  • Organised in groups, e.g. a Beaver "Colony", with optional sub-groups e.g. "Lodges"
  • Special ceremonies to commemorate new members and the graduation of members into programmes for older children
  • Symbols unique to the programme, such as sitting and standing formations, salutes, and handshakes
  • Use of lore and nicknames e.g. in Beavers, that sourced from Harry McCartney's 1971 short story Friends of the Forest.
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