Scouting is about trying something new and developing skills, and this is where it all starts! From day one at Beavers, you’ll start working towards badges and awards. Our leaders will plan activities each week which will contribute towards badges. Most of the time Beavers will know they are working towards a badge, for instance making a new gadget, or doing some cooking but on top of this, our Leaders are always looking out for other ways to tick off badgework such as working as a team or perhaps bringing a friend.
Membership Award
The membership award is the first badge you’ll get when you join us as a Beaver, and you’ll be awarded this when you make the Scout Promise. This badge is worn by every single Scout in the world!
Activity Badges
There are 24 activity badges available to earn in Beavers. Activity badges are earnt by grouping a number of skills together that relate to the same activity. An example would be Camp Craft. You’d do things like help put up a tent, collect wood, help build a fire, help to cook and tie a reef knot. Once all the requirements are met, the badge will be given to you! These badges are yellow, with a navy outer edge.
Staged Activity Badges
Staged Activity Badges are similar to a standard activity badge and there are 14 of them! The difference is they allow a young person to gain whichever badge is appropriate to the level of skill they have in that particular area. Generally speaking a Beaver will start on Stage 1 of the badge, however as an example; a Beaver who joins us and they are already an excellent swimmer they’d gain a higher level badge than a Scout who has only just started swimming. These badges are light blue, with a purple outer edge and a number at the bottom which tells you the stage they are at.
Example Activity Badge
(Space Acivity Badge)
Example Staged Activity Badge
(Emergency Aid Stage 1)
Challenge Awards
Challenge awards are what they say on the tin! You’ll complete a set of challenges to get the badge. An example would be the Personal Challenge Badge; a Leader would set an individual challenge for you to complete, and then you’d set your own challenge to complete, once you’ve done both of those, you’d get the badge! Easy peasy right?
My Adventure Challenge
Personal Challenge
My Outdoors Challenge
My World Challenge
My Skills Challenge
Teamwork Challenge
Chief Scouts Bronze Award
This is the highest award a Beaver can earn, and it’s something you work on gradually throughout your whole time in the section. To get your hands on this top badge, you’ll need complete all of the Challenge Awards (the red ones), as well as any four Activity Badges of your choice (the yellow or blue ones).
Other Awards
Joining In Award
Joining In Awards celebrate every year you spend with us. If you’re an eager Beaver, you can collect up to two during your time in the section. If you move through all of our sections from age 6 to an adult you’ll get 12 of these!
Leadership Stripes
Within a Beaver Colony, you’ll be part of a Lodge. A Lodge is a smaller group of Beavers, sometimes headed up by a peer leader. These peer leaders may be known as Lodge Leaders, Lodge Friends, Junior Leaders or another name. You’ll earn the badge by having a go at being a peer leader for a set amount of time. You will get to keep your stripes until you move on to Cubs, wowee!
Moving On Award
Between the ages of 7½ and 8½, it’s usually time for Beavers to become Cubs. Now this badge is an easy one to get! All you’ll need to do is get to know your new leaders at Cubs, make some new friends and just get a taste of what Cubs is really like before the big move. Do all of that, and the badge is yours!
YouShape Award
At Scouts, young people learn how to speak up and take the lead. That’s what the new YouShape Award is all about.
Badges aren’t just earnt by joining us for an hour or so a week. Our badge criteria is flexible and you can sometimes earn badges by doing things outside of Scouts too. Maybe you can play an instrument, or you’ve done some first aid at school. If you can demonstrate or talk to us about the skills you’ve learnt, or print off the badge requirements for your chosen badge and get it signed by your teacher or instructor, we’ll see about awarding you with that badge! Maybe you could even share the skills you’ve learnt with the other Beavers too!
