Tasks
Some tasks you could do before, during or after your meetings to get you up and running as a Young Leader
Here are some suggested tasks that you might do as a Young Leader. Talk to your section leadership team if there’s anything you’d like to do that you’re currently not doing.
When they come in
Welcome at the door
Saying hi and being a welcoming face for your young people and their grown-ups can start their meeting off in a great way.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Communication
- Customer service
Set up
Before the activities get started, there's often things that need to be set up.
Jump right in and help to get things prepared for the session.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Planning
- Following directions
- Teamwork
Taking the register
Do you read out names on a paper register? Or have a board where young members can sign themselves in? Either way you could take a lead in helping to mark everyone into the meeting.
It’s an important job, especially for using in an emergency, such as a fire alarm.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Communication
- Administration
- Responsibility
Leading the welcome ceremony
Get everyone started and ready for the meeting by leading the opening ceremony for your meeting, such as a song or flag break.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Confidence
During the meeting
Introduce an activity
Being able to give clear, concise instructions that everyone can follow and understand is a great skill to have. Introducing an activity is a great next step for you when you’re thinking about running a whole activity.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Communication
- Giving instructions
- Teamwork
- Leadership
Running a game
Be prepared with a quick filler game to run before the next activity? You could run a game that you enjoyed as a child.
Look at our activity guide for some inspiration.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Planning
- Leadership
- Adapting activities
- Confidence
- Risk assessing
Work towards your Young Leader Scheme:
Help to make section youth led
Lead a session and ask young people what they want to be doing in the future. It's important that we continue to be a youth-led organisation, and a session like this helps to make that happen. Try to think about what's fun, deliverable and affordable in the section, too.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Confidence
- Diplomacy
- Strategy
- Leadership
- Communication
Reading the story
Storytelling is a key part of the Squirrels programme, whether it's reading a book from the library or watching a video of the story. You could make it interactive too, such as by having your young members do actions when they hear certain words! The more you make them feel involved, the more they'll enjoy it.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Creativity
- Interaction
- Engaging young people
Run an activity
Maybe you're ready to take a lead on running a whole activity? You'll need the correct resources and a plan for what's happening.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Organisation
- Planning
- Communication
- Teaching
Share a skill
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a leader is being able to share the things you’ve learned with others.
Is there something you learned in Scouts, a skill or hobby you love, or something you did as a part of your Duke of Edinburgh's Awards that you could teach to your section?
Which skills does this task develop?
- Teaching
- Communication
- Confidence
Supporting a young person
Sometimes individuals might need a little extra help and support in the meeting. You could be there to assist them.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Communication
- Interaction
- Leadership
- Engaging young people
Run a follow-up activity
Are the young people doing an activity they'll all finish at different times? You could run a quick activity that they can join in with when they've finished.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Organisation
- Planning
- Communication
- Teaching
At the end of the meeting
Clean up
It's the task everyone looks forward to, right?
Tidying up is an important task to make sure the space is ready for the next user. It helps us to keep our Scouts value of ‘Respect’, too.
Try to keep everyone involved in this task, as teamwork makes the dream work. People could be responsible for their own area, or there could be a prize for the most helpful or tidiest Scout at the end of the term.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Teamwork
- Responsibility
- Following directions
- Attention to detail
Saying goodbye
Sadly, all sessions come to an end. Greet grown-ups, pass on any queries to the leadership team, let parents and guardians know how well their young people did and let them know what to expect in the next session.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Communication
- Leadership
- Planning
- Customer service
Plan a session
Think about what you'd want to run in a session and start getting a plan together for what you’d like to do.
Don't forget the to use the sessions you've been a part of while in Scouts as inspiration, too.
There are lots of great ideas on the Scouts Activities pages, and we've added some games that other Young Leaders planned too.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Planning
- Leadership
- Strategy
- Communication
Presenting awards
Presenting awards is a big responsibility. If you were in Scouts, then you may remember the excitement of receiving your next badge or award.
Remember to smile and congratulate the young member. Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back too, as you've helped the young person to get the award.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Awarding
- Leadership
- Communication
- Responsibility
Deliver a theme
Go a step further and develop a plan that takes more than one session to complete the task. Perhaps there's a staged badge you'd like to deliver or a theme that you'd like to have for that term.
Let your leadership team know your ideas, before you start planning for and delivering the sessions. The leadership team could help you get together the resources you need, too.
Which skills does this task develop?
- Planning
- Leadership
- Strategy
- Delivery