Right from the time of Baden-Powell, there have been arrangements for the young people who wanted to continue after their time in the Scout Section, and in 1967, Venture Scouts were formed from the existing Senior Scout and Rover Scout Sections.
During the late 1990s we decided that, to meet the changing needs of young people, there should be two sections for the over-14s: Explorer Scouts for 14 to 18 year olds, and the Scout Network for 18 to 25s.
Explorer Scout are young people, usually aged between 14 and 18 years old. They make up the fifth section of the Scouting family after Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.
Structure
A group of Explorer Scouts is called a Unit. Not all Units meet every week, partly due to activities, holidays, exams and other commitments that crop up in teenager’s life, and also because Explorers tend to get out and about at weekends more often than other sections.
Activities
Explorer Scouts often get a chance to work with other Explorer Scouts in their District, not just their own unit so can take part in an even wider spectrum of activities. There is also a range of ambitious badges and awards, through which Explorers can demonstrate their proficiencies and expand their interests. You can see what badges they can work towards by following this link.
Awards
The Queen’s Scout Award is the top achievement for Explorer Scouts and Scout Network members and comprises of a variety of activities to complete.
The Queen’s Scout Award (QSA) is linked closely to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award and it is worth working on the two awards together. More information can be found here.
