The Scout Association is a council that registers local Scout groups, which "are autonomous charities affiliated to The Scout Association". The organisation and its affiliated local groups have the largest enrolment within the Scout Movement in the United Kingdom. Following the rapid development of the Scout Movement from 1907, Robert Baden-Powell formed an advisory council in 1910, which was incorporated by a royal charter in 1912 under its previous name of The Boy Scouts Association. It is a founding member organisation of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
As well as Scout programmes, divided into those aged 10½–14 and older "Explorer" Scouts (aged 14–18 year), it now also operates other programmes for those too old to be Scouts (adult Networks for ages 18–25) and those too young to be Scouts and make the Scout Promise (Cubs aged 8–10½, Beavers aged 6–8 and Squirrels aged 4–6).
, the organisation claimed to provide activities to 445,916 enrolled 4 to 18 year olds in the UK. It had 86,875 adult volunteers in leader roles and 57,970 adults in governance, support and other roles, including Network members. That is one adult for every 3 children under 18 but 40% of the adults are not involved directly in leadership of children.
The organisation is the largest national Scout organisation in Europe, representing 35% of the participants of the European Scout Region. , there are over 7,000 charities operated by and affiliated to the organisation.The Scout Association, Prevention of Future Deaths Report: Jack Saunders, Response from The Scout Association, published on 22 May 2026, accessed on 16 June 2026
The organisation's current published aim is to provide "fun, adventure and skills for life and give young people the opportunity to enjoy new adventures, experience outdoors and take part in a range of creative, community and international activities, interact with others, make new friends, gain confidence and have the opportunity to reach their full potential".North East London NHS Foundation Trust, CAMHS London Activities, accessed on 17 May 2025
Admission practices The organisation's programmes are open to all, regardless of abilities, faith or belief, gender, sexual orientation, race or social background.The Scout Association, Policy, Organisation and Rules, Spring 2025 edition, accessed on 4 May 2025
Gender From 1912 to 1967, the organisation was called The Boy Scouts Association and until 1976 only boys were admitted to its programmes. In 1910, Baden-Powell created an entirely separate organisation for girls, the Girl Guides. From December 1916, following the introduction of the organisation's Wolf Cubs programme for 8 to 10 year olds, in which Vera Barclay played a pivotal role, the organisation allowed women to take on limited volunteer roles, working with the younger boys. In 1976, the organisation allowed girls to join the organisation's Venture Scouts for 16 to 20 year-olds. In 1991, the admission of girls to all the organisation's programmes became optional. Since 2007, this has been compulsory. , girls made up 71% of all new participants, with approximately 2.5 girls for every boy. Girls also made up 27% of all the organisation's participants, with a total of 99,989 female participants, aged between 6 and 25. 69,460 adult women were involved in volunteer roles (being more than 1 adult female for every 2 female young people). (pp. 58)
Sexual orientation While its founder, Baden-Powell, vilified homosexuality and "deviants", the organisation's programmes are now open to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other (LGBTQA+) young people and adults.
Religion and beliefs While originally requiring a promise of "Duty to God", the organisation's programmes and leader roles are now open to those of any faith or none, with variations to the Scout Promise to accommodate those of any religion or beliefs. Following criticisms of its original requirement for a commitment to God, in October 2013, the organisation announced that an alternative version of the promise would be available from January 2014 to admit those without a pronounced faith.
Disability The organisation's programmes are open to all abilities: flexibility is built-in to the programme, with reasonable adjustments being made to badge and award requirements for anyone who needs them. Some area bodies also have a specialist commissioner or adviser to support inclusion. The disabled branch (later called Extension Scouting) was formed in 1926. However, in more recent years, emphasis has been placed on integrating young people with disabilities into mainstream Groups. After the Second World War, specialist Agoonoree camps were run to cater for those unable to camp with their own Scout Groups, with some still running today.
History Formation For the origins of Boy Scouts and the Scout Movement, before the formation of The Scout Association, see Scout Movement.
The organisation was formed in 1910, in order to provide a national body in the United Kingdom which could organise and support the rapidly growing number of Scout patrols and troops, which had already formed spontaneously following the publication of Scouting for Boys and The Scout magazine in 1908. It was also the wish of Robert Baden-Powell to separate control of the Scout Movement from his book's publisher. It was felt it was not given the status it deserved, as the publisher C. Arthur Pearson controlled much of Scouts.
1910–1920: growth
The organisation grew and spread to much of the British Empire. In 1910, the organisation approved special uniforms for Sea Scouts and formally adopted use of the name in 1912. On 4 January 1912, the organisation was incorporated throughout the British Empire by Royal charter for "the purpose of instructing boys of all classes in the principles of discipline loyalty and good citizenship".
The organisation's programme was originally just for boys aged between 11 and 18. However, many girls and younger boys wanted to join in. In 1910, a separate organisation, the Girl Guides were created by Baden-Powell and his sister, Agnes, to provide a more "proper" programme of activities. In 1916, the organisation launched its Wolf Cubs, for boys aged 8 to 11. In 1918, the organisation launched its Rovers for those over 18 who had grown out of being Scouts but wanted to be remain connected.
During the First World War, more than 50,000 Scouts participated in some form of war work on the home front. Scout buglers sounded the "all clear" after air raids or air strike, others helped in hospitals and made up aid parcels; Sea Scouts assisted the Coastguard in watching the vulnerable East coast.Cohen, Susan (2012), The Scouts, Shire Publications, (pp. 19–22)
In 1920, the organisation organised the first World Jamboree, held in Olympia, London, together with an international conference for leaders which led to the formation, in 1922, of the International Conference of the Boy Scout Movement now called the World Organization of the Scout Movement, of which the organisation was a founding member.
The Headquarters Gazette was first published in July 1909, as a publication for adult Scouters and administrators,Cohen p. 13 alongside The Scout, a magazine for youths which had been launched in April 1908.Cohen p. 7
1920–1967 In 1929, the organisation hosted the 3rd World Scout Jamboree at Arrowe Park in Cheshire; some 56,000 Scouts from 35 countries attended, making it the largest World Scout Jamboree to date. The first Gang Show, produced by Ralph Reader, opened at the Scala Theatre in London in October 1932.Cohen pp. 29–30 Following the outbreak of World War II, over 50,000 Scouts trained under the National War Service scheme. Tasks undertaken included police messengers and stretcher bearers. In January 1941, the organisation launched its Air Scout branch, allowing Scout Troops to specialise in activities related to aircraft and flying.
The organisation continued to be headed by Baden-Powell, as its Chief Scout and chairman for life until he retired in 1937 and moved to Kenya in 1938, where he died on 8 January 1941. The organisation then appointed Lord Somers as its Chief Scout.Cohen p. 36
Starting in 1944, the Scout International Relief Service (SIRS) sent teams of Rovers and Scouters to continental Europe to provide humanitarian aid; ten SIRS teams worked at the recently relieved Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.Cohen p. 37 After years of trial schemes, in 1946, the organisation launched its Senior Scout programme for Boy Scouts aged fifteen to eighteen years to form separate patrols or troops, with age appropriate activities and badges. Scouts were prominent in their support of the 1948 Summer Olympics, playing leading roles in the opening and closing ceremonies at Wembley Stadium and the sailing events at Torbay.Cohen p. 39 The first Bob a Job Week took place in April 1949, in which Scouts did small tasks for the public in return for a "bob" - colloquial name for the shilling coin (5 new pence) - to raise funds for the organisation and for C. Arthur Pearson's fund for the blind. Over the organisation's history, some boys had been challenged to justify their enrolment because of their own or even their parents' religious or political beliefs. In the early 1950s, some Boy Scouts were dismissed or marginalized in their Scout Groups due to their involvement with the Young Communist League or related communist activities – the most high-profile case being that of Paul Garland from Bristol in 1954 which resulted in media reports and a debate in the House of Lords, where the organisation's Chief Scout, Lord Rowallan defended the organisation's political and religious discrimination based on claims about foreign communist regimes' antipathy to Scout organisationsMoynihan p. 178 and it took 60 more years for the organisation to change its discriminatory policy and accept atheists.
In 1957, to commemorate fifty years of the Scout Movement and the centenary of Baden-Powell's birth, the organisation hosted the 9th World Scout Jamboree, which took place at Sutton Park near Birmingham.
1967–2001
The organisation's programmes went largely unchanged until it underwent a major review in the 1960s. The Chief Scouts' Advance Party was formed in 1964 and was sent to survey the organisation to see why participation was falling. Their report was published in 1966 and changes were implemented later that year and throughout 1967. As a result, the word "boy" was dropped from the organisation's name which was changed to The Scout Association and major changes were made to the age sections and their respective programmes. The youngest section were now named Cubs, the Boy Scout section was renamed simply as the Scout section and the Senior Scouts and Rovers sections were replaced with Venture Scouts for 16- to 20-year-olds. The uniform were also changed with the inclusion of optional long trousers, as opposed to the compulsory wearing of shorts and the wearing of a Beret instead of the Campaign hat.
The Advance Party Report was not welcomed by all involved and a rival report, A Boy Scout Black Paper, was produced in 1970 by The Scout Action Group. This provided alternative proposals for the development of the organisation and asked for groups that wished to continue to follow Baden-Powell's original scheme to be permitted to do so. The rejection of these proposals resulted in the formation of the traditionalist Baden-Powell Scouts' Association.