The Fundamentals are what Scouting is built on. They cover why Scouting exists, what we believe in, how we deliver the program, and what we are trying to achieve. This article walks through each one. A supporting fact sheet is linked at the end of this article.
The Purpose of Scouting is to help young people grow. From this we get SPICES. SPICES is the name for the six areas of personal growth. The six are Social, Physical, Intellectual, Character, Emotional, and Spiritual. The 'C' for Character is added to the first five. Character is the sum of growth in the other areas.
Every part of the program ties back to these six areas. When a member finishes a Milestone, they reflect on what they have learned across SPICES.
The Purpose of the Scout Movement is to contribute to the education of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.
Scouting rests on three Principles. These are the values that shape the Movement. Each one is a Duty.
This is about spiritual values. Scouts Australia takes a broad view. Spirituality is a person's feelings or beliefs about their purpose in life, their links to others, and their place in the world. These beliefs can shift as a person grows.
This is about playing a part in society. Respecting other people. Caring for the natural world. Working for peace. The global tagline 'Creating a Better World' sits inside this Principle. All Scouts act as Messengers of Peace.
This is about caring for and growing yourself. Scouts commit to growing in all areas of their life.
Every Scout makes a promise to live by all three Principles. The promise is the Australian Scout Promise and Law.
The Scout Method is how we deliver Scouting. There are eight elements. All eight are equally important. They are community involvement, learning by doing, nature and the outdoors, the patrol system, personal progression, Promise and Law, symbolic framework, and youth leading with adults supporting.
The Method is what makes Scouting different from school or sport. The full article on the Scout Method covers each element in depth.
The Mission is the action that comes from the Purpose. In short: help young people grow into adults who do good in the world.
The full official statement reads:
The Mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.
The Educational Objectives are specific outcomes the program is built to produce. They sit under SPICES. They break each of the six areas down further. There are age-based outcomes for each section, from Joey Scouts to Rover Scouts.
Take Social Development as an example. A Joey Scout should be 'aware of oneself' and use 'appropriate behaviour'. A Rover Scout at the other end of the program should 'identify and address bias and injustice'. The full set of Objectives is in the attached PDF.
Scouts Australia also produces a version called SPICES I-Statements. These turn the formal language into first-person statements ('I can...') that members can use to reflect on their growth.
Scouting is non-formal education. It works alongside school, not in place of it. The Linking the Australian Curriculum resource maps the program against what schools teach.
Schools build seven 'General Capabilities'. These cover skills like literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and working well with others. Scouting builds all of them, through the Method, the Achievement Pathways, and the tools we give to members and leaders.
Schools also work to three 'Cross-Curriculum Priorities'. These cover First Nations histories and cultures, Australia's links with Asia, and sustainability. Scouting supports all three.
The Purpose, Principles and Mission Fact Sheet is a one-page summary of the Fundamentals.
Purpose, Principles and Mission Fact Sheet