Scouting in Wales
Encyclopedia
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, although some groups of the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association also operate there.
The Scout Association in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
is administered through 12 Scout Areas
Scout Counties
A Scout County is an administrative division within The Scout Association of the United Kingdom. There are currently 115 Counties and Areas in the United Kingdom. These bodies are responsible for providing programmes and support for their member Scout Districts.The term County is used by England...
. It has 12,000 young people, and over 3000 adult volunteers. The Welsh Scout Council is the governing body. There is a Chief Commissioner
Scout Commissioner
In the Scout Movement, a commissioner is the person whose role it is to oversee a Scout association's programs, usually within a particular geographic area. Normally, commissioners are volunteers. In some Scout associations, the term Executive Commissioner is used to refer to a paid staff...
for Wales and Commissioners for the various sections - Commissioner for Beaver Scouts (Wales), Commissioner for Cub Scouts (Wales), Commissioner for Explorer Scouts (Wales) and Commissioner for the Scout Network (Wales). The Field Service in Wales comprises two paid Field Commissioners, along with four Local Development Officers funded by various short-term grants. A small team of staff manages the administrative office in Llantwit Major.
Aberystwyth Student Scout and Guide Organisation, Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
Guides and Scouts, Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
Scouts and Guide Society, Glamorgan University Guides and Scouts, and Students of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
in Guides and Scouts, all affiliated to the Student Scout and Guide Organisation
Student Scout and Guide Organisation
The Student Scout and Guide Organisation exists to support Scouts, Guides, and people who have never been members of a Scout or Guide Association, who are students at Colleges and Universities in the United Kingdom and are interested in the aims, objectives, and methods of The Scout Association...
(SSAGO), are situated in Wales.
History
The 1st Colwyn Y.M.C.A. Baden Powell Boy Scouts appears to be the oldest Scout Troop in Wales, founded in late April or early May 1908.In 1911, Edward, Prince of Wales accepted the appointment as Chief Scout of the Principality of Wales and held this position until he became official patron of the Scout Movement across the British Empire on becoming King Edward VIII in 1936.
In the Centenary year of 2007, The Scouting Association in Wales received five awards totalling more than £16,000 in lottery grants, awarded under the Awards for All Wales programme. In March 2008, it launched a pilot scheme in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan similar to the Health Challenge Wales Guiding Scheme introduced earlier by Welsh Guides throughout the country.
In 2007 Welsh Scouts were involved with the Scouts for Trees Project.
In 2008, Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice opened its own Scout group. This was the first hospice in Wales to do so.
Brecknock Scout Area
The Area contains four Scout Districts, Brecon, Builth Wells, Glanusk and Ystradgynlais.Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan Scout Area (CATVOG)
The Area contains five Scout Districts: Afon, Barry, East and South, Penarth and Vale There is an Area Scout Network Unit.1st Cathays Al Huda
The 1st Cathays Al Huda Scout Group in Cardiff became the first Muslim Scout Group in Wales in 2006 and the tenth in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Informal meetings of the Group started in 2002, prior to its official establishment in January 2006. 1st Cathays Al Huda had 61 members in 2006, 70 in 2007, 65 in 2008, 78 in 2009 and 98 in 2010 It is composed of a Beaver Scouts section, separate Cub Scout
Cub Scouts (The Scout Association)
Cub Scouts or Cubs are an age-based section of The Scout Association for young boys and girls ages 8 to 10½. This section follows on from the Beaver Scouts and Cubs will move on to Scouts at the age of 10½. The section originally opened as Wolf Cubs in 1916...
s sections for boys and girls, and separate Scouts sections for boys and girls.
Carmarthenshire Scout Area
Carmarthenshire Scout Area (Sgowtiaid Sir Gar) covers the administrative county of Carmarthenshire, with two exceptions, Pencader and Newcastle Emlyn Scout Groups are registered with Ceredigion Area. Since 2005 there have been no Districts in Carmarthenshire and the Area now operates as a single structure.Clwyd Scout Area
The Area, covering the principal areasSubdivisions of Wales
For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 single-tier principal areas, which are responsible for the provision of all local government services, including education, social work, environment and roads services...
of Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
and Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, has sixty Scout Groups organised in four Scout Districts, with two having District Explorer Scout Units. The Districts are Flintshire, Llangollen District, Vale of Clwyd (Denbighshire) and Wrexham.
The former National Scout camp Brynbach
Brynbach
Brynbach was a National Campsite of the Scout Association, situated in Wales in the county of Denbighshire and near the village of Saron.It comprised a summer-house , a 1 metre deep man-made boating lake, swimming pools filled by natural springs, a scout emblem, an arrow of trees pointing towards...
is situated in Denbighshire near the village of Saron.
There is a Scout Shop situated at the Wrexham District Scout Headquarters. The County Camp Site, Gladstone Training Centre and John Clarke House, is located between Hawarden
Hawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
and Broughton
Broughton, Flintshire
Broughton is a small district in Flintshire, Wales, close to the Wales–England border and located to the west of the City of Chester, England. Along with the nearby village of Bretton, the total population was 5,791 at the 2001 Census....
.
Glamorgan West Scout Area
The Area covers the Unitary AuthorityUnitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
boundaries of the City and County of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
and Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
. There were four Scout Districts: Afan Nedd, Cwm Newydd, Swansea and Swansea Gower, but these were amalgamated into one district: Glamorgan West, at the end of 2007.
Gwent Scout Area
The Area has four Scout Districts, coterminous with unitary authorities of the same name: Blaenau GwentBlaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in South Wales, sharing its name with a parliamentary constituency. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
. The 25th Newport Air Scouts are the only Royal Air Force recognized Scout Troop in Wales.
Mid Glamorgan Scout Area
As of 2008, the Area has four Scout Districts, aligned with the bounaries of unitary authorities: Bridgend, CRAI (Caerphilly, Rhymney Valley and Islwyn), Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff..Montgomeryshire Scout Area
This Area covers the County of MontgomeryshireMontgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
. There is a single District, also called Montgomeryshire.
Snowdonia and Anglesey Scout Area
This Area, covering the regions of SnowdoniaSnowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
and the Isle of Anglesey, has three Scout Districts: Conwy, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
and Isle of Anglesey, with 31 Groups. All of these Districts have Explorer Scout Units, and the Area currently hosts a Scout Network
Scout Network
The Scout Network is the fifth and final section of The Scout Association in the United Kingdom, catering for 18- to 25-year-olds and introduced in 2001, following the review of UK Scouting. It, along with the Explorer Scout section, replaced the Venture Scouts...
.
Scout Association Camp Sites
The Welsh Scout Council maintains two Welsh headquarters sites in Snowdonia: Yr Hafod - the specialist Mountain training centre situated in the glacial Ogwen Valley and Cornel, a large camping and indoor accommodation site situated on the banks of Llyn CrafnantLlyn Crafnant
Llyn Crafnant is a lake that lies in a beautiful valley in North Wales where the northern edge of the Gwydir Forest meets the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountains and, more specifically, the ridge of Cefn Cyfarwydd. The head of the valley offers a profile of crags which are silhouetted at...
, high above the Conwy valley. Both of these facilities are available to all youth organisations.
Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan Scout Area is responsible for Jubilee Fields , and has joint responsibility with Mid Glamorgan for Miskin Mill.
Carmarthenshire Scout Area is responsible for the Cwm Rhaeadr Scout Camp.
Clwyd Scout Area has four campsites: Cae Llwyd, Coxwood, Gladstone, and Rowallan.
Glamorgan West Scout Area is responsible for Silver Cross Scout Centre. The Swansea Gower District is responsible for Parc-le-Breos Scout Campsite on the Gower Peninsula
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
. Craig Gwladys Camp Site at Cadoxton, Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
is the Neath District Camp Site.
Gwent Area is responsible for Botany Bay Training and Activity Centre.
Mid Glamorgan Scout Area is jointly responsible with Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan Scout Area for Miskin Mill Scout Village, which has been in continuous use by Scouts since 1929. Dolygaer Scout Activity Centre is in the Mid Glamorgan Scout Area.. The recently-merged district covering the Caerphilly unitary authority area is responsible for Islwyn Scout Parc.
Gwersyll Y Bryniau Scout Camp, Machynlleth is in the Montgomeryshire Scout Area.
St Brides Scout Camp, Haverfordwest is in the Pembrokeshire Scout Area.
Snowdonia and Anglesey Scout Area's Conwy District is responsible for the Rowen (Gwersyll Parc Mawr) site Its history has been described on BBC Wales.
There are some activity centres in Wales, run by English Scout Counties:
- Yr Hen Felin, a former Youth HostelYHAYHA may refer to:* YHA Australia, a youth hostel association in Australia* Youth Hostels Association , a youth hostel charity in the United Kingdom* Youth Hostel Association of New Zealand, a youth hostel association in New Zealand...
at CynwydCynwydCynwyd is a small village and community in the Edeirnion area of Denbighshire in Wales, located about south west of the town of Corwen. It had a population of 528 in 2001, and is home to a large factory, run by Ifor Williams Trailers....
, North Wales, was purchased in 2007 by Northamptonshire Scout County. - Coetmor Mill, Bethesda is owned by Hertfordshire Scout County
- Yr Hen Neuadd ('The Old Hall'), Bethesda, originally a Salvation Army Hall, was converted in 1970 by Greater London South West Scout County as an Activity Centre.