Do you have school aged children? Want to get them outside and learn some life skills? Scouts maybe an answer for them to achieve these goals. Through a program based on Responsible Risk-taking we have provided many young people with the skills they can use in life as well as careers too.
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Below you may find some quick answers to questions we are often asked. You are always welcome to request a call back using the form on this page.
Understanding the term “Scouts”
It can be confusing at first, but all members of the Scout Association are called “scouts” and are divided into “Sections”. One of the sections is called Scouts (11yo – 15yo) while others indicate the age group explicitly e.g. Cub Scouts who are 8yo -10yo. To help you read this, the term Scouts will refer to the Scout Association members in general rather than the Section of Scouts for 11-15 year old age group.
How old do you need to be to join Scouts?
At least 5 years old i.e. already started school
What are Sections:
Scouts is divided into Sections based on age brackets. The Sections are:
Section Target Age Group
Joey Scouts 5yo – 7yo
Cub Scouts 8yo – 10yo
Scouts 11yo – 14yo
Venturer Scouts 15yo – 17yo
Rover Scouts 18yo – 25yo
Scout Leaders 18yo +
Of course, not every child is the same. For example, it may be more suitable for a 10 ½ year old to be in the Scout Section. This can be discussed with the relevant leaders.
What is a Region
Scouts NSW is divided into 10 Regions for administrative and geographic reasons. Each region has a Regional Commissioner who is responsible and accountable for all aspects of Scouting in the region. They, in-turn, delegate actions and recieve information back from the District Commissioners who are appointed to oversee teh running of the Districts
What is a District
Each Region is divided into geographic Districts. Hume Region has 6 Districts being:
- Fairfield
- Liverpool
- Macarthur
- Nepean
- Powells Creek
- Southern Highlands
Where does Hume Region cover?
The Hume Scout Region of the Scout Association of NSW located to the South West of Sydney and consists of approximately 30% metropolitan area and 40% rural. The remaining 30% is bushland incorporating the Sydney water catchment areas of Lake Burragorang and the Upper Nepean plus the Nattai and Dharawal National Parks.
Hume Region covers an area from Cabarita and Mortlake in its northeast corner to west of the Warragamba Dam and Lake Burragorang in the northwest to Wingello and Bundanoon in the South West to Robertson in the southeast. The Hume Highway forms the Region’s backbone from near Yagoona most of the way to Marulan.
We have active scout groups in the towns and suburbs of Appin, Bargo, Cabarita Mortlake, Camden, Camden South, Campbelltown, Canley Heights, Catherine Field, Chipping Norton, Cobbitty, Concord, Fairfield Heights, Glenfield, Green Valley, Hoxton Park, Ingleburn, Leumeah, Liverpool, Mittagong, Narellan, Rhodes, Sefton, Smithfield, St Andrews, Tahmoor, The Oaks, Wattle Grove & Yaralla
What Nights do Scouts Meet
There is no particular night of the week that scouts meet. If your closest Group has a meeting night for your child’s section on an unsuitable night, a nearby Group may have a meeting night that suits you better.
I have different aged kids - do all Groups have every Section?
Some Groups do but not all. A couple of our Districts now have a District Venturer Unit.
Remember, you can shop around different groups till the sections offered suit your kid’s ages.
How Much does Scouts Cost?
The quick answer is “a lot less than Dancing”. There isn’t a fixed fee structure as every Scout Group has different expenses depending on things such as the hall maintenance, rent and power for example. There is a joining fee per child after a couple of weeks checking out the group you have chosen and there are fees payable each term. The first week or two are fee free.
After approximately 6 weeks, your child will be ready for Investiture which is when they become a Uniformed member and presented with their group Scarf. The uniform will need to be purchased at this point.
Using the Active Kids/Creative Kids Rebate
Scouts is a registered Active Kids provider and you can use your voucher with us.
Also, your scout may get involved in one of the Gang Shows, a variety show produced and staged by Scout and Guide members – the Creative Kid Rebate can be applied against any fees there too.
Are Activities included in the Fees?
No, they are extra. Cost of the activity depends on the size or nature of the event.
My child already has things to do on some weekends – do they have to do all activities?
Nothing is compulsory in Scouts. We publish our Region Calendar for the coming year so you know where any conflicts in soccer, visitation weekends etc might occur. Your Unit will have its own schedule for events too.
When do I need to Pay for things?
A rough schedule for a New Chum just joining is :
- Week 1/Week 2 - $0
- Week 3 – Joining Fee and first Term Fee
- Week 6 – Purchase Uniform
- Each School term – Term Fees
- Each Activity – Activity Fees