AMENDMENT: changes due to new rules on mixed-Scouting; Addition of District Scout Network.
All Scout Groups registered after 1st January 2000 are required to be open to male and female membership except in special situations.
Scout Groups registered before 1st January 2000 may have either mixed or single sex membership as decided by the Group Scouters' Meeting following the suggested consultation process available from the Scout Information Centre.
If a Group has decided on mixed membership in one of the Sections, there must be the opportunity for Members (male and female) to progress to the next Section(s) within the Group.
Single sex Sections may exist within a mixed Group.
Once a decision has been taken to have a mixed membership Section(s) within a Scout Group, under the provisions of the Sex Discrimination Act, the decision is not reversible.
All Explorer Scout Units are required to be open to male and female membership except in special situations.
All District Scout Networks are required to be open to male and female membership except in special situations.
From 1st January 2007 all Scout Groups will be required to be open to male and female membership except in special situations. Single sex Sections may exist within a Scout Group provided that membership is available for both sexes across all Sections within that Group.
Special situations are defined as being where:
there are cultural or religious requirements for single sex working;
Scouting is offered in a single sex institution (e.g. school, young offenders insititute) through a closed Scout Group;
a specialist single sex provision is required to meet a clearly identified educational need (e.g. Scouting for young mothers).
The decision whether Groups or Explorer Scout Units may become an exception to the policy is made by the District Commissioner in consultation with the County Commissioner.
Guidance to those Groups wishing to have mixed membership is available from the Scout Information Centre.
