Adult role
The various roles of the volunteer adult leaders are specifically structured to facilitate the development of youth through the Scout Method. Some of the roles involve running and organising events for the various branches of the youth programme, whilst others involve assessing and evaluating levels of youth development. Then there are roles that involve managing SSA itself. These can be both adult and youth related management roles.
The primary responsibility of an adult leader is to fulfil the requirements of the role that was voluntarily accepted. In terms of the roles linked to the youth, this will mean the active facilitation and management of the development programme. The youth have not joined Scouting to become better citizens – they have joined for the excitement, challenge and thrill associated with being involved in scouting activities.
Running Scouting calls for many different talents and adult leaders are offered many development opportunities – but whatever your role, it is always important to remember that the prime focus of Scouts will always be on the youth for whom Scouting was invented and whose adult lives we are shaping by the richness that we add to their process of development to adulthood.
Irrespective of which role you choose to join Scouting in – the more fun and adventure you can provide through Scouting, the more successful you will be in achieving the Aims and the Principles of Scouting and the more eager the youth will be to achieve the goals set by the Scout Movement.
Warranted Group roles
All the branches of Scouting require warranted adult leaders, known as Scouters.
Older terms that have fallen into disuse are Scoutmaster or Cubmaster. These are no longer used, in the same way we speak of "teachers" instead of "school masters".
Meerkat Den roles
The leader of the Meerkat Den is the Den Scouter (DS) assisted by Assistant Den Scouters (ADSs).
Cub Pack roles
The Pack Scouter (PS) runs the Cub Pack, assisted by Assistant Pack Scouters (APSs). Adult Cub leaders usually have names linked to The Jungle Book. The Pack Scouter is known as Akela, and the other adults are often Baloo, Bagheera, Hathi or one of the other characters (many not seen in the Disney version of the book).
Scout Troop roles
The Troop Scouter (TS) supports the Scout Troop and the Court of Honour (CoH), and runs the opening and closing parades at meetings. The TS is assisted by Assistant Troop Scouters (ATSs).
Adult leaders in the Scout Troop sometimes take on a pseudonym when joining scouts. This is often an African animal, but may be a town of origin or other pseudonym.
Rover Crew roles
The Rover Scouter (RS) is the adult leader responsible for ensuring the continuity of the Rover Crew and Crew Council, and serves a mentorship role within the Rover Crew. Leading the Rovers is very much a mentoring and guiding role as the Rovers are all legally adults.
Scout Group roles
The Scout Group Leader coordinates (and sometimes mediates) between the Den, Pack, Troop and Crew. The Scout Group Leader also leads the Group Committee and communicates to the District, for instance to submit census details. An Assistant Scout Group Leader can be appointed to assist the SGL.
Appointed roles
The Group Committee consists of the unit leaders as well as non-uniformed adult volunteers who are responsible for the administration of the group (finances, facilities and so on).