Who is Scouting and Guiding Meant For?

Boys. Girls. Children. Young people. Adults. In short: Everyone.

Suomen Partiolaiset- Finlands Scouter offers the Finnish Scout program to all its members between 7 and 22 years of age. Within the frames of this program, the Scouts are divided into five different age groups. The adults within the organization support and empower the children and young people to carry out their hobby.

The Cub Scouts are 7-10 years old, and they are organized in packs of 8-12 Scouts. The pack is lead by an adult Scout leader who is called “Akela”. The group meets weekly for its Cub Scout meetings. In addition, it also goes on short hikes and participates in competitions and other Cub Scout events.

Scouts between 10 and 12 are called Adventurers and work together in teams with 10-15 members. Each of these teams is divided into two or three patrols and the patrol leadership is circulated between the members of the patrol. The patrol leader carries out smaller tasks during the team meetings, whereas the major responsibility for the program activities lies with the adults leading the team. The Adventurers meet on weekly meetings and also go hiking about once a month.

The Trackers, ie the 12-15-year-old Scouts, are organized in patrols, males and females separately. The patrols consist of 4-12 Scouts and meet once a week. The weekly activities are lead by a patrol leader (an Explorer, see below) but the pilot of the patrol, an adult Scout leader, is ultimately responsible for the group's activities. About once a month all the Trackers in a local troop meet together for a larger gathering, where they have the chance to get to know the other Scouts outside their own patrol more closely. These gatherings may for example be hikes, camps, or courses.

The Explorers are Scouts within the age range 15 to 17, and they are organized in weekly meeting patrols. In addition to the meetings, the patrols also go hiking and participate on camps and other events. About once every two months all the patrols within the age group also meet together. The Explorer patrol is lead by one of the Explorers and supported by a pilot, a trained adult Scout leader, who is also responsible for the Explorer activities.

The 18-22-year-old Rovers work in project based groups, either within their own local troop or in cooperation with Rovers in the neighbouring troops. The Rover patrol consists of 3-5 Rovers and meets once or twice a month. It is lead by one of the Rovers themselves, whereas the patrol's adult pilot mentors the planning and fullfillment of the Rovers' personal development plans.

Withing the Finnish Scout progam, the term adult refers to Scouts older than 22. In the organization, the role of the adults is to support the growth and development of the children and young people. Thus, even though Scouting is a youth organization, adults play an important part in the movement. In fact, some people do not join until grown-up age, when for example their own children choose Scouting as their hobby. It is never too latee to join or re-join the Scouts!