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PRI is the face of things to come for the Scout Association.  We already have the new uniforms and, by the end of 2003, we will have a new structure - 2 new sections with an exciting new programme.

How did we get this far?

Well, it is what you wanted.  Over the past few years, the Scout Association has been gathering and collating information from its Leaders and Young Members, in the form of a questionnaire, about which way they wanted the movement to go.  It looked at what the members enjoyed about Scouting.  They spoke to over 700 young people who had left Scouting in the previous 12 months, and asked them why they had  left and what it would take for them to come back.

From this information, they put together a list of recommendations to put to the Committee of the Council.  These  recommendations included:-

• The fundamentals of Scouting

• The age ranges

• Membership of the Association - The Promise and the Law

• The programme

• Awards

• Activity badges

• National programme initiatives

• How Scouting is structured in the Group, District, and County/Area

Age Ranges

Here are the new age ranges:-

• Beaver Scouts -- 6 to 8

• Cub Scouts -- 8 to 10½

• Scouts -- 10½ to 14

• Explorer Scouts -- 14 to 18

• Scout Network -- 18 to 25

As already stands, there can be some flexibility for movement between sections, with the exception of the top age of the Beaver Section, and lower age in the Cub Scouts.  Due to current laws, Beavers cannot join the Cub Pack until their 8th birthday.  With all of the other sections, it is up to the Leaders discretion as to when your Young people are ready to move up to the next section.

Here, in Gloucestershire, one of the County PRI team was asked the question "My brother wants to know if he can come back to Venture Scouts, but he is too old".  The answer was YES.  With the new age ranges in place, Young People can now stay on in Venture Scouts until their 25th birthday.  So, if you have some Ventures that left to go away to University, for example, and want to come back and complete their Queen Scout Award, they can do.

Why change the Programme?

It was clear from the information that was gathered that the Association needed to update our current programme and to bring it into the 21st Century.  It was noticed that the needs of the Young Person was changing, as was the need for a new challenge.  It was decided to change the Activity Programme to provide a more adequate and exciting approach to Scouting.