Beaver Scouts

Beavers are young people aged 6 to 8 who:

Master new skills and try new things
Have fun and go on adventures
Make friends
Are curious about the world around them
Help others and make a difference, on their own doorsteps and beyond

Every week, they gather in groups called Beaver Colonies to hop, skip and jump their way through lots of different games and activities – achieving anything they set their minds to and having lots of fun along the way

1st Radyr has one Beaver Scout Colony, which meets on a Monday, 18:15 – 19:15.

What Beavers get up to

Being a Beaver is all about growing and learning in small but mighty ways. Here are some of the things you’ll get up to with your new friends.

Exploring the great outdoors

You’ll spend lots of time outside with your Colony. Together, you might build a den, or go on a trip to the seaside, or host a Beaver sleepover beneath the stars. And even though you might not be ready to climb Mount Everest just yet, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of adventures on your own doorstep because being a Beaver is all about making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.

Trying new activities and learning new things

Going to Beavers is very different from going to school. Instead of learning from books, you’ll figure the world out by exploring, playing and doing.

The most important skills you’ll learn at Beavers are the ones that will make you feel super strong standing on your own two feet. We call these character skills. They include integrity, which means being honest and doing what you think is right – and initiative – which means knowing how to take the lead on something without being asked. It’s all about having the courage to try new things and learn from them.

Helping others

Beavers work as a team to help other people in their local communities and beyond. Whether they’re changing the whole world or helping a friend take the leap to try something new on a rainy Tuesday night, they always lend a hand.

Who leads Beavers?

Each Colony is made up of young people aged 6 to 8, led by an adult Beaver leader. Other adult volunteers are on hand to supervise activities, share their skills and keep everyone safe. In our group, Beaver leaders are nicknamed after characters from the Lion King. Other young people aged 14 to 18 might help out, too. These are young people taking part in the Explorer Scout Young Leader programme.

Within their Colony, some Beavers are also part of a Lodge. A Lodge is a smaller group of Beavers, usually headed up by a young person who takes on a peer leadership role (sometimes known as a Lodge Leader or Junior Leader). Being a peer leader is about being a superhero for a little while – doing things like welcoming new people to the Colony, being extra helpful during a camp, or taking charge of a game or activity. Everyone takes it in turns to take on the challenge.

The bigger Scout family

There are Scouts all over the world. From the rainy rainforests of the Amazon to the smallest of the Scottish Isles, Beavers are a part of this worldwide Scout family. Closer to home, they’re also part of their wider local Scout Group, alongside Cubs (aged 8 to 10½) and Scouts (aged 10½ to 14). When they’re older, they can also join Explorers (for young people aged 14 to 18) and Scout Network (for young people aged 18-25). Although both are closely associated with the younger sections, they are not part of the local Scout Group.

Promises & Ceremonies

As well as enjoying plenty of adventures, being a Beaver is about exploring who you are and what you stand for. These are big ideas, and when you join the Colony, you’ll start thinking about them by making a promise. A promise is a set of words that mean something to you, which you try to follow every day.

Making the promise is a big celebration within the Colony. Every time a new Beaver decides to join, they chat through their promise with their leader before saying it out loud in front of their fellow Beavers. Family and friends might come along to see this, too. Doing this is called being ‘invested’ into Beavers, and it usually takes place once you’ve had a few weeks to settle in.

Everyone is unique, but there are some things all Beavers agree on – such as treating everyone with kindness and promising to do their best. Depending on their own beliefs, they might also promise to live by their faith.

Beavers choose the promise that best suits them.

Beaver Promises

Uniform

Beaver uniform consists of a blue sweatshirt with your badges sewn on and a coloured scarf or ‘necker’, representing our group. You can wear lots of other optional accessories such as hats, hoodies, navy blue trousers or shorts if you’d like to.

We provide the necker, woggle and all badges.

Why uniform is important

Wearing a uniform is comfy and practical. It means you can run around and get messy without ruining your other clothes. It makes you feel part of a team. It means no one feels uncomfortable or left out. And it gives you a place to show off all the brilliant badges you earn.

Where to buy uniform

Uniform can be bought from our online area shop or in-person from the Hub in Cardiff (If buying in person, mention that you are from 1st Radyr Scout Group as we then get a % back). If you’re stuck, ask our adult volunteers to tell you more about what to buy and where to buy it. If cost is an issue, they will be more than happy to see how we can help.