If your question is not answered here, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via scoutingattanglin@gmail.com
Q: At what age can my child start Scouting?
A: Boys and girls are eligible to start Beavers the term after they turn 5 3/4. They move up to our Beavers Year 3 colony when they are in the Juniors and to Cubs when they are in Year 4. At 10 1/2 once they are in Year 6 they can join Scouts.
Q:When should I register my child for Beavers? Is 4 too young? A: You should register your child as soon as they express an interest or as soon as you think it might be something they’re interested in. We have children on our registers from as young as 3!
Q: Can girls join 1st Singapore TTS Scouts? A: Absolutely! As Scouting was traditionally a male exclusive activity, we still attract mainly boys but we are open to both boys and girls and we do have already have some girl Beavers!
Q: Is there a waiting list?
A: Some units are currently oversubscribed and so have a waiting list. If no space is available your child will join the list and you will be keep informed of the delay and notified when a place comes available. Sometimes the list can move quite quickly as children leave Scouting or Singapore.
Q: Does a child who has been in Scouting before, for example in a different country, get a guaranteed place?
A: We do prioritise children with UK/BSO Scouting experience, and then children who have been in Scouts in other countries. However, we cannot exceed the adult to children ratio prescribed by UK Scouting for the health and safety of all our members. Please do give us details of previous experience when you make your application.
Q: What qualifications and/or training do the leaders have?
A: Leaders all undergo training from UK Scouting and are CRB checked in the UK. At least one leader per unit has First Aid training in Singapore. All our current leaders either have children in Scouting or are former Scouts who want to give back to the community. Please get in touch if you would like to know more.
Q: Do I have to volunteer if my child gets a place?
A: Most groups operate a volunteer rota and of course we would love it if you could help out at a meeting. However, we realise that this is not always possible. Many units ask for volunteers to send in snacks for weekly meetings, or maybe you could help with a weekend outing, offer to be the treasurer or even do some admin for the leader? There are many ways in which you can help and all offers are gratefully received.
Q: Why is there no Explorer Unit?
A: We only set up a Scout troop in 2013 after several years of having Beavers and Cubs. We would love to have an Explorer unit in the future if there is enough demand!
Q: What are the subs spent on?
A: Each unit’s subs (approximately $90-150 per term depending on the unit) are held in an account to pay for all snacks, badges, equipment, trips, activities etc. We also have to pay approximately $50 for every member to UK Scouting every year for the Scout census. It also pays for first aid training and one uniform shirt per leader. Any subs remaining at the end of the year may be used to subsidise a camp or end of year party as the leaders decide. Any excess after this goes into group funds for camping equipment, flags etc.
Q: How are you linked to UK Scouts when you are on the other side of the world? A: TTS Scout group is part of British Scouting Overseas which encompasses groups everywhere from Singapore and Malaysia to Norway and the Falkland Islands! We abide by UK Scout regulations, badges and training. This means that it is easy for our Scouts to transition to another BSO group or back to the UK. Our District is Rest of the World.