National Scouting and Guiding organisations are divided into different age groups in order to deliver the Scouting and Guiding programmes for a full range of youth.

History

Originally, there was only a single section for all members of the Scouting (

Scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpack ...

) and Guiding (

Girl Guides and Girl Scouts A Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian co ...

) Movements. Typically, these were for 11–17 year olds, although the exact ages varied between the countries and organisations. Within the first twenty-five years of Scouting its founder,

Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the wor ...

, saw that there was a demand to provide the Scouting programme for young people both above and below the core age range. The first section to have a separate programme to the Scouts were the

Wolf Cubs Cub Scouts, Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with Scouting for young children usually between 7 and 12, depending on the organization to which they belong. A participant in the program is called a Cub. A group of Cubs is called a 'P ...

. This development allowed the younger brothers of Scouts to participate in similar activities. Later on, a senior section known as

Rover Scouts Rover Scouts, Rovers, Rover Scouting or Rovering is a program associated with some Scouting organizations for adult men and women. A group of Rovers is called a 'Rover Crew'. Rovers was originated by The Boy Scouts Association in the United ...

was created. This was mirrored by similar sections being created for the Guide Movement — the

Brownie Guide Brownies are the section in the Girl Guides (or in the United States, Girl Scouts) organization for girls aged seven years old to ten years old. Exact age limits are slightly different in each organization. History Brownies, originally called ...

s (equivalent to the Wolf Cubs) and Ranger Guides (the senior section). In addition to the expansion of the age ranges, new programmes which ran parallel to the core

Scout method The Scout method is the informal educational system used in the Scouting Movement. The aim of Scouting is character training with the goal of helping participants become independent and helpful, and thereby become "healthy, happy, helpful citize ...

were developed. For example, the

Sea Scouts Sea Scouts are a part of the Scout movement, with a particular emphasis on boating and other water-based activities on the sea, rivers or lakes (canoeing, rafting, scuba, sailboarding). Sea Scouts can provide a chance to sail, cruise on boats, ...

and Air Scouts. Another parallel programme is

Extension Scouting Extension Scouting are programs in Scouting organizations which cater for young people with special needs. Background Extension Scouting was earlier called ''Scouts Malgré Tout'', which is French for "Scouts Despite Everything". It aims to meet ...

, which aims to bring Scouting to young people with special needs. Over time, the various Scouting and Guiding organisations around the world have continued to adapt their programmes to meet the requirements of the society they function in. However, while the age ranges and names vary, the core principles of the Scout or Guide Method are applied throughout.

Sections around the world

There are a number of similarities in the Scouting and Guiding sections around the world, and the following articles contain generic information on the various age groups: In most countries a local organisation, a Scout Group, combines different sections together into a single body. The following table contains links to articles with information on specific sectional programmes within the various organisations where available:

Africa

Benin

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Côte d'Ivoire

Ethiopia

Gabon

Ghana

Kenya

Mali

Mauritania

Morocco

Mozambique

Nigeria

Rwanda

Senegal

Seychelles

South Africa

Sudan

Tanzania

Togo

Tunisia

Asia

Afghanistan

Armenia

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Brunei

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Japan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Macau

Malaysia

Mongolia

Nepal

Pakistan

Philippines

Singapore

Sri Lanka

Taiwan

Tajikistan

Thailand

Vietnam

Europe

Austria

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland

:''Guiding and Scouting in Northern Ireland are administered by Irish and UK organisations, respectively.''

Italy

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Republic of Macedonia

Malta

Moldova

Monaco

The Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

:''Guiding and Scouting in Northern Ireland is served by Irish and UK organisations.''