The Outdoor Adventure Skills incorporate the entire Scouting Program encouraging participation and engagement from all sections and all youth members. There are no age restrictions on achievement, except where required by Australian legal framework.
The Outdoor Adventure Skills present a number of the most popular outdoor pursuits challenging youth members to further advance and develop their abilities and capabilities through each Outdoor Adventure Skill.
Each skill is split into nine Stages, with each Stage involving a series of competencies. As youth members progress through the stages some Outdoor Adventure Skills split into streams allowing youth members to focus on specific skills.
The nine Outdoor Adventure Skills are split into ......
CORE AREAS
BUSHCRAFT
SKILLS ACQUIRED
BUSHWALKING
SKILLS ACQUIRED
CAMPING
SKILLS ACQUIRED
Scouts are encouraged to share their interests with others. Experienced Scouts should mentor and support less experienced ones through their Outdoor Adventure Skills progression. There is a 'two-down approach' to youth assessing youth. That is, a Scout who has achieved an Outdoor Adventure Skill Stage at least two stages more advanced than another Scout (regardless of Section) within the same stream can assess their skills.
LAND BASED SKILLS
ALPINE
SKILLS ACQUIRED
CYCLING
SKILLS ACQUIRED
VERTICAL
SKILLS ACQUIRED
The Outdoor Adventure Skills recognise competency, so if a Scout can demonstrate part of Stage 4 before completing Stage 2, it can be assessed! Scouts will need to complete each full Stage before they can complete the next. This means, in order for a Scout to be awarded their Stage 4, they will need to have fully completed Stages 1, 2 & 3 for that Outdoor Adventure Skill area.
WATER BASED SKILLS
AQUATIC
SKILLS ACQUIRED
BOATING
SKILLS ACQUIRED
PADDLING
SKILLS ACQUIRED
Once a Scout has completed an Outdoor Adventure Skills Stage, they can hold this Stage and wear the badge for as long as they're in the program as a youth member and their skills are current - regardless of Section. The Scout will only ever wear the highest Stage held for each Outdoor Adventure Skills area. This means if a Scout has Stage 5 in the climbing stream of Vertical Outdoor Adventure Skills & Stage 4 in the Caving stream, they'll wear only the Stage 5 Vertical Badge.
The top level of each Outdoor Adventure Skill earnt, transfers with the Scout as they progress through each Section throughout their youth Scouting Journey.
UNIFORM BADGE PLACEMENT
