The aim of the Scout Association is to encourage the development of young people to achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of the local, national and international communities.

This aim is achieved by providing an enjoyable and attractive programme of progressive training, based on the Scout Promise and Law … guided by a well trained adult leadership.

With an international membership of approximately 28 million, the Scout Movement is the world’s largest voluntary organisation for boys and girls. Impressive figures – particularly when you consider that Scouting began with 20 boys and an experimental camp held during the first nine days of August 1907, at Brownsea Island, Dorset. The camp was a great success and proved to its organiser, Robert Baden-Powell, that his training and methods appealed to young people and really worked. He published ‘Scouting for Boys’, which was issued fortnightly at 4^d each. It was an immediate success.