Parents / Guardians: Your Essential Role in Scouting

Your Level of Involvement

Now that your child has joined a section of Scouts, you are a part of the broader Scouting family. Welcome!

We encourage you to become involved in activities and programs. There are very few organisations where parents can participate fully in activities alongside their children, Scouting is one of them.

Parents and guardians sometimes wish to attend ongoing activity evenings (more than the occasional visit every couple of months) or an overnight activity. To help us ensure young people’s safety, all adults volunteering with Scouts need to get a Working With Children Check, with Scouts Victoria listed as the organisation you are working with. 

All Leaders in Scouting are unpaid volunteers and have a Working With Children and Police Check before starting.

Other ways that parents help their local Scout Group include:

• Volunteering as Leaders (screened, ongoing training and uniformed).

• Volunteering as Adult Helpers (screened, less training, not uniformed, more activities).

• Volunteering as Registered Helpers (screened, no training, not uniformed, fewer activities)

• Helping out on weekend activities/camps.

• Volunteering on the Group Support Committee.

• Providing your skills and interest as input to parts of the program.

• Helping with occasional fundraising, maintenance, community events, etc.

When parents help their Scout Group, the Leaders are free to focus on delivering a great program to the Joeys, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers.

Group Committee member roles include Treasurer, Quartermaster, Maintenance Manager and Grants/Fund raising Officers. The Committee meets only occasionally and your roles is to be a contact, and to organise and manage your area of responsibility for the group, in collaboration with the Group Leader.

If you would like to volunteer with us but aren't sure how, please talk to one of the Leaders, or send us a message.

What is the cost?

Our annual cost per Scout is $500, invoiced in March.

This covers;

• the annual State fee which includes insurance and goes towards Scouts Victoria running costs

• 4th Kew Scout group running costs

• Investiture scarf and badges

If you become a Leader, 4th Kew will not charge fees for your children and covers the cost of Leader training.

There are some additional costs from time to time for some activities and camps. We try to keep these fees as low as possible by using Scout campsites.

Major events held every few years (like Kangaree, Cuboree and Jamboree) cost more because of the scale of the program and entertainment.

Financial issues should not be a barrier to any child being a Scout. If you have any concerns, please speak with our Group Leader or any of the Leaders to discuss payment options.