King’s Scout Award

Registration

If you are planning to start doing the King’s Scout Award then you need to register following the link below before you start your “KSA journey”.

Information about the King’s Scout Award

To gain the award you must complete all of the following requirements before your 25th birthday.

Membership

Award participants must:
• Be aged 16  or older to start the award and complete the award before your 25th birthday
• Be a member of either Explorer Scouts or Scout Network (or a combination of both) for at least 18 months to complete the award – time can only be counted from your 16th birthday.
• Be a member of Explorer Scouts or Scout Network at the time you complete the award

This means members can only start working towards and count activities undertaken in achieving the QSA from their 16th Birthday. Activities and nights away completed in achievement of the Chief Scout Platinum and Diamond Awards can be counted towards the QSA.

Nights Away

Complete 18 nights away as an Explorer Scout or Scout Network member, of which at least 12 must be camping.

Nights  away  used for  this  requirement  must  be  different  from nights
away undertaken for one of the five challenge activities (such as expedition and residential) or those used for the ICV list, but can include those nights away used for the nights away requirement of the Chief Scout’s Platinum or Chief Scout’s Diamond Awards.

Nights away undertaken as an Explorer  Scout  Young Leader or by  Scout Network members who are also an adult leader in Scouting may count towards this requirement, ie a night away with a Cub Pack where you volunteer.

International, Community & Values (ICV) List

Complete six activities in total, two from each topic area of the ICV activities list. Click here to view the ICV list for the KSA.  A minimum of two must be from the KSA ICV list and the others from any of the KSA, or Chief Scout Platinum or Diamond ICV lists.

If you have completed your Chief Scout’s Platinum Award, you will have already done two activities and will only need to do a further four activities.

If you have completed your Chief Scout’s Diamond Award, you will have already done four activities and will only need to do a further two activities.

Challenges

Complete the five King’s Scout Award challenges or hold the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE).

•    Skill
Take up a skill for six or 12* months, and show progress and lasting interest. The skill can be an existing interest or something entirely new.

•    Physical Activity
Take up a physical activity for six or 12* months, completing an agreed programme by taking part and achieving your objectives.

•    Service
Provide service to an individual or the community for 12 months. Briefing and training should be given in order to gain the necessary skills. This may include helping with another section of the Movement as an Explorer Scout Young Leader or adult volunteer.

•    Expedition
Undertake training, a practice expedition and a four day, three night self-led
final expedition (including a project).

You should undertake training (to show you are ready to do your expedition, a practice expedition and then the final expedition).

Training:
Before you undertake any expedition you should demonstrate that you are competent in the following areas:

• First aid (covering First Response as a minimum) and emergency procedures
• Risk assessment/health and safety
• Navigation and route planning
• Camp craft, equipment and hygiene
• Food and cooking
• Country, highway and water sports codes
• Observation, recording and presentation
• Team building
• Proficiency in mode of travel

Practice:
Undertake a minimum three-day, two-night (consecutive) self-led expedition in wild country by foot, cycle, horse, canoe, boat or dinghy.

Final:
Undertake a four-day, three-night (consecutive) self led expedition with an aim. The expedition should be completed in wild country by the same method used in your practice. Expeditions should have a minimum of eight hours of activity per day, of  which  at  least half must  be  journeying.  The  final  expedition  must  be  a  different  area  to the  practice  with  similar  conditions and ideally with the same team of people.

•    Residential
Undertake a five-day, four-night residential project in an unfamiliar environment with people that are unknown to you. This project could be environmental work, project based, service to others or personal training.

In exceptional circumstances, this can be done over two consecutive weekends as long as the activity is the same and the majority of people are unknown to you.

*All members should complete 12 months in either the skill or the physical activity challenges.

Award participants who are not holders of the Chief Scout’s Diamond Award or Silver DofE must complete an extra six months in either the service or the longer of the skills or physical activity challenges.

Presentation

Make a presentation covering all elements of your award to a suitable audience, with the aim of inspiring and motivating others to achieve the award. The presentation should be the final activity you complete.

Sign-Off

Each requirement needs  to be signed off  by an assessor, this is someone who can vouch for the activities you have undertaken and provide some basic evidence (a short statement) about your participation. This is often your Explorer Leader or your  District  Scout  Network  Commissioner.  However, assessors can be anyone who has witnessed the activities you have undertaken for the specific requirement.

Once  you have completed all of the above requirements,  a Commissioner  (appropriate to the section you are a member of) must approve your award as complete. For more information, see the support material for this award.