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Becoming a member

3.2.1.1 Youth members

  1. Young people become members of Scouts’ when they make the Promise appropriate to the first section they join, whether that is Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers (including Young Leaders), or Scout Network.
    In Scotland young persons aged 16 or 17 who join solely to become a Young Leader must be added to the membership system before they make their Promise.
  2. Once they have become a member of Scouts, a young person’s membership is then continuous as they transfer between sections but, after each transfer, they should make the Promise appropriate to their new section soon after the move to the new section. 
  3. The UK Headquarters membership subscription must be paid annually for all members aged under 18.
  4. Any Country, County, District and Group membership subscription, as determined locally, must also be paid for each member.
  5. The Group Leadership Team must ensure that accurate records are kept of the names and personal details of all youth members in each of their Squirrel, Beaver, Cub and Scout sections. 
  6. District 14-24 Teams must ensure that accurate records are kept of the names and personal details of all youth members in each of their Explorer (including Young Leader) Units.
  7. In Scotland
    1. District 14-24 Teams must ensure that all Young Leaders aged 16 and 17 are recorded on the membership system to enable a criminal record check (Scouts PVG disclosure) to be carried out. Young Leaders can be added to the membership system from the age of 15 years and 8 months so that the criminal record check (Scouts PVG disclosure) can be completed before their 16th birthday.
    2. Young Leaders who began their role as Young Leaders at age 14 or 15 must not continue in their Young Leader role beyond their 16th birthday until their satisfactory criminal record check (Scouts PVG disclosure) is recorded on the membership system. However, they may continue to participate as members of an Explorer Unit during this time.
    3. Young people aged 16 or 17 must not begin a Young Leader role until their satisfactory criminal record check (Scouts PVG disclosure) is recorded on the membership system. However, they may take part as members of an Explorer Unit while awaiting clearance.
  8. District 14-24 Teams must ensure that all Scout Network members  are recorded on Scouts’ membership system.

3.2.1.2 Adult members

  1. Adults become members when they have:
    1. recorded their acceptance of the Promise and the other elements of the membership declarations in the membership system
    2. completed their personal details in the membership system.
  2. Adult members must hold a ‘member’ role listed in the POR Chapter 16 Teams Table.
  3. Initially, new adult volunteers are assigned a ‘provisional’ membership status. This status will change to ‘full’ once they have satisfactorily completed each of steps (a) and (b) above and all seven steps of the volunteer joining journey (POR Chapter 16). Restrictions on the volunteer’s activities during ‘provisional’ status are described in POR Chapter 16.
  4. Adults who do not hold a ‘member’ role listed in the POR Chapter 16 Teams Table are not members and do not enjoy the member benefits listed in POR 3.1.1.7.
  5. Any Country, County, District and Group membership subscription, as determined locally, must also be paid for each adult member
  6. All adult members must be recorded on Scouts’ membership system.