The Chief Scouts' Advance Party Report
Encyclopedia
The Chief Scouts' Advance Party Report was a publication produced in 1966 by The Boy Scout Association in the United Kingdom
, intended to modernise the Scout Movement. The report was attempting to address falling numbers within the Movement.
The Advance Party met as a body for six weekends, with various sub-committees holding an additional 166 meetings and the chairmen of these committees meeting on three occasions.
Secretary: E.W. Hayden; Training Secretary, Headquarters
.
2 Wolf Cubs be renamed Cub Scouts.
3 That the Scout and Cub Scout Promise be the same, with the removal of the phrases "On my honour" and "at all times".
4 That the original Scout Law be re-written, becoming-
5 That a new training and advancement scheme be introduced.
6 All Sections should use the same Scout salute.
7 That "Be Prepared" be the motto for the whole Scout Movement.
8 That the minimum age for entry into the Scout Movement be 8 years, with no pre-Cub training.
9 That the maximum age for membership of a Training Section of the Movement be 20 years.
10 That there be three Training Sections in the Movement;
11 That Scout Troops of approximately 36 members be formed by amalgamation or pooling of resources of smaller troops.
12 That the registration of Lone Scouts
be discontinued.
13 That a set of minimum standards be introduced, with Groups failing to meet these standards being closed;
14 That a maximum age-limit for Scouters and Commissioners be introduced.
15 That there be an increase in the number of paid Scouters.
16 That shorts will only be worn as part of the uniform by members of the Cub Scout section.
, it was not welcomed by all members and a rival report, "The Black Report", was produced in 1970 by "The Scout Action Group". This provided some alternative proposals for the development of the Movement and asked for Groups that wished to continue to follow Baden-Powell's original scheme to be allowed to do so. This content of this Report was not accepted by The Scout Association, resulting in a split developing in the Movement and the formation of the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association.
The Advance Party Report failed to recover the losses of older boys, with 55,206 Senior Scouts and Rover Scouts recorded in 1966 having been replaced by 21,698 Venture Scouts in the 1969 figures. The highest recorded membership of the Venture Scout section was 39,307 in 1989 (after the 1976 admission of girls into the Venture Scout section). By 1998 the majority (68%) of members of The Scout Association were under 11 years old.
The idea of three training sections was dropped in 2001, when the original age range of The Scout Association was returned to 4 sections; Cub Scouts (8-10), Scouts
(10-14), Explorer Scouts
(14-18) and the Scout Network
(18-24). The Association also introduced a pre-Cub training section for 6 to 8 year olds, Beaver Scouts
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, intended to modernise the Scout Movement. The report was attempting to address falling numbers within the Movement.
The Advance Party
The Chief Scout's Advance Party was formed in January 1964, when 24 Scout Leaders under the age of 45 were invited to "study all apects of the future of Scouting and to make recommendations, after consultation with the Movement, to the Chief Scout as to the development of the Movement, both in the immediate future and for the 1970s."The Advance Party met as a body for six weekends, with various sub-committees holding an additional 166 meetings and the chairmen of these committees meeting on three occasions.
Members of the Chief Scout's Advance Party
Chairman: The Chief Scout, Sir Charles MacleanSecretary: E.W. Hayden; Training Secretary, Headquarters
- J.W. Bereford; (Senior Scout Leader, and Assistant County Commissioner (Senior Scouts)
- P.R. Blanchflower; Scoutmaster and Assistant Deputy Camp Chief in SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
- Major R.H. Carr-Ellison; County Commissioner for NorthumberlandNorthumberlandNorthumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
- Hon. R.H.V. Cochrane; Scottish HQ Commissioner for Rover ScoutsRover ScoutsRover Scouting is a service division of Scouting for young men, and in most countries, women. A group of Rovers, analogous to a Scout troop, is called a 'Crew.'...
- J.N. Coffey; Assistant County Commissioner in East Cheshire
- C.A. Cutress; Group Scoutmaster and District Commissioner in SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
- D.F. Dunford; District Commissioner in MonmouthshireMonmouthshire (historic)Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
- J.M. Elliot; Assistant County Commissioner in SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
- D.W.R. Evans; Assistant County Commissioner in EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
- C.R. Griffin; Cubmaster in Greater LondonGreater LondonGreater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
Central - Sqn. Ldr. D. Grisbrook; Senior Scout Leader in LeicestershireLeicestershireLeicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, HQ Commissioner Cyprus - Sqn. Ldr. C.M. Henderson; Travelling Commissioner ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
- Dr. P. Johnson; District Commissioner and Deputy County Commissioner in HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
- K.C. Lock; Formerly District Commissioner in North StaffordshireNorth StaffordshireNorth Staffordshire describes an area of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It contains the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands and the City of Stoke-on-Trent. The Stoke and Newcastle areas make up The Potteries Urban Area, whilst the Moorlands are largely...
- Lt. Col. H. Mainwaring; Group Scoutmaster and Assistant Commissioner in CambridgeshireCambridgeshireCambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
- J.C. Moorman; assistant County Commissioner in SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
- W.B. Moule; Headquarters Commissioner for Wolf Cubs and Akela Leader in SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
- J.A.P. Norris; District Commissioner in ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
- D.I.N. Olliver; Assistant County Commissioner in Central YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
- G.S. Preshner; Group Scoutmaster and Assistant Deputy Camp Chief in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- J.N. Price; District Commissioner in LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, North West - L.C. Reynolds; County Secretary and Assistant County Commissioner in WestmorlandWestmorlandWestmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
- K.H. Stevens; Deputy Chief Executive Commissioner at Headquarters
- J.B. Young; Assistant County Commissioner in GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
The Report
The final report to the Committee of the Council was 200,000 words long. This was reduced to 50,000 words in a published "Popular Edition" through summarising and omitting many of the arguments relating to the 409 recommendations.Key recommendations
1 That the Boy Scouts Association be renamed as The Scout AssociationThe Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
.
2 Wolf Cubs be renamed Cub Scouts.
3 That the Scout and Cub Scout Promise be the same, with the removal of the phrases "On my honour" and "at all times".
4 That the original Scout Law be re-written, becoming-
-
-
-
- A Scout does his best to honour his promise.
- A Scout is to be trusted.
- A Scout is loyal.
- A Scout is friendly and considerate.
- A Scout is a brother to all Scouts.
- A Scout has courage in all difficulties.
- A Scout makes good use of his time and is careful of possessions and property.
- A Scout has respect for himself and others.
-
-
5 That a new training and advancement scheme be introduced.
6 All Sections should use the same Scout salute.
7 That "Be Prepared" be the motto for the whole Scout Movement.
8 That the minimum age for entry into the Scout Movement be 8 years, with no pre-Cub training.
9 That the maximum age for membership of a Training Section of the Movement be 20 years.
10 That there be three Training Sections in the Movement;
-
-
-
- Cub Scouts (ages 8 to 11)
- Scouts (ages 11 to 16)
- Venture Scouts (ages 16 to 20)
-
-
11 That Scout Troops of approximately 36 members be formed by amalgamation or pooling of resources of smaller troops.
12 That the registration of Lone Scouts
Lone Scouts
Lone Scouts are members of the Scout movement who are in isolated areas or otherwise cannot participate in a regular Scouting unit. In order for a boy to become a Lone Scout, he must meet the membership requirements of the area's Scouting organization and have an adult counselor who may be a...
be discontinued.
13 That a set of minimum standards be introduced, with Groups failing to meet these standards being closed;
-
-
-
- Minimum number of young people (Cub Scouts: 12, Scout Troop: 12, Venture Scouts: 9)
- Minimum number of leaders (At least 2 adults for each section)
- Minimum level of progress made by members of each section
- Appropriate programme being operated by each section
-
-
14 That a maximum age-limit for Scouters and Commissioners be introduced.
15 That there be an increase in the number of paid Scouters.
16 That shorts will only be worn as part of the uniform by members of the Cub Scout section.
Outcomes
Although the Report was adopted by The Scout AssociationThe Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
, it was not welcomed by all members and a rival report, "The Black Report", was produced in 1970 by "The Scout Action Group". This provided some alternative proposals for the development of the Movement and asked for Groups that wished to continue to follow Baden-Powell's original scheme to be allowed to do so. This content of this Report was not accepted by The Scout Association, resulting in a split developing in the Movement and the formation of the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association.
The Advance Party Report failed to recover the losses of older boys, with 55,206 Senior Scouts and Rover Scouts recorded in 1966 having been replaced by 21,698 Venture Scouts in the 1969 figures. The highest recorded membership of the Venture Scout section was 39,307 in 1989 (after the 1976 admission of girls into the Venture Scout section). By 1998 the majority (68%) of members of The Scout Association were under 11 years old.
The idea of three training sections was dropped in 2001, when the original age range of The Scout Association was returned to 4 sections; Cub Scouts (8-10), Scouts
Scout Section (UK)
The Scout section is the direct descendant of the original Scout Patrols which formed The Scout Association of the United Kingdom in 1908. The section is open to both boys and girls between the ages of 10½-14 years, and are now formed into local Scout Troops.Scout Troops form part of a Scout Group...
(10-14), Explorer Scouts
Explorer Scouts
Explorer Scouts , a section of the Scout Association in the United Kingdom for 14- to 18-year-olds, was introduced in 2001 replacing Venture Scouts . This was part of a greater change in programme, including the introduction of Scout Network for 18- to 25-year-olds...
(14-18) and the Scout Network
Scout Network
The Scout Network is the fifth and final section of The Scout Association in the United Kingdom, catering for 18- to 25-year-olds and introduced in 2001, following the review of UK Scouting. It, along with the Explorer Scout section, replaced the Venture Scouts...
(18-24). The Association also introduced a pre-Cub training section for 6 to 8 year olds, Beaver Scouts
Beaver Scouts
Beaver Scouts, often shortened to Beavers, is the youngest section of Scouting operated by The Scout Association in the United Kingdom. The core age range for Beaver Scouts is six to eight years, though exceptions can be granted. Individual sections of Beaver Scouts, known as a Colony, are run by...
.