Explorer Scouts

Young men and women from 14 to 18 are called Explorer Scouts - the 4th section of Scouting. Explorer Scouting allows young people to take part in life challenging adventures, meet up and have fun with other people of their own age, and to become Young Leaders.

Hello from Simon Fairless! (aka Buff's Blog)

Team X 2008 got off to a flying start in May with 22 Young Leaders attending the first of three planned training weekends. The venue was Miskin Mill, just north of Cardiff and the facilities at this Scout site, the weather and the young people made for a fantastic weekend. 

Scouting’s Young Leader scheme has been a success story since its launch a few years ago. It encourages Explorers to get involved with the younger sections and, by completing the 11 training modules, gives young people the skills and experiences to really make a difference. Team X has taken this concept further still.

Any Explorer who is active as a Young Leader is automatically a member of Team X and can purchase Team X merchandise regardless whether you have attended a weekend event or not and can be ordered from the web site.

A number of Explorers including Welsh Dragonz, Merlins ESU and Brecon ESU attended the recent Wye Cruise – 3 days of glorious paddling over the May Day bank holiday down the River Wye – excellently run, as always, by the Welsh Scout Council Water Activities Team.

The X Factor

This year’s All Wales Scout Camp was the biggest yet – with over 750 Scouts attending this event. Team X played an important part with 35 Explorers running many of the daily activities which included rocket launching, a custard run and space hopper races. Saturday evening saw our members running the “Pub Quiz” and marshalling the push-cart finals. This was followed by organising the evening’s campfire before we could retire to our base on site for a much needed party! Check out the photos on the Team X page.

Nationally there are a number of weekend events and large camps scheduled. If your unit is attending any of these activities, please let me know and your unit name will appear on our Diary page.

Team X training weekends will be continuing throughout 2008 but with a few major changes to format – full programme and booking forms are available now together with merchandise order forms - see Team X and download your booking form.

Please support Challenge 8for8 and make this unique Welsh award successful in the Explorer section. For the campers amongst you I need to know the Dragon Award Top 10 – i.e. the most Bronze, Silver and Gold awards attained by a single explorer unit.

I look forward to seeing some of you at the Sun Run weekend and wish the rest of you on Gilwell 24 or your own summer camps a great summer.

Coming Soon

In the coming weeks, this website will be increasingly used to communicate with leaders, helpers and young people. News, information, opportunities and programme swaps will go out first via these pages (as well as the normal channels).

Please email the links to your own Explorer Unit web page to enable us to communicate more easily. (explorers@scoutswales.org.uk)