At its June 2004 meeting, the Committee of the Council agreed a change in policy to remove the upper age limit on adult appointments. It also confirmed the minimum age limit for all appointments as 18. This means that as of 1 August 2004, the appointment of adults in The Scout Association is to be based on an individual's ability and suitability to carry out that role and not their age.
This decision has been made as part of the Movement's commitment to diversity, and brings with it a number of benefits to both the Association and individuals. These include offering a variety of role models to young people, combating age discrimination and allowing individuals to fulfil the roles that they have the skills and abilities to carry out, and provides a larger pool of volunteers to recruit from.
The key messages from this policy change are that:
- individuals who are doing a good job in their Scouting role can continue if they want to,
- appointments are made on the basis of skills, ability and suitability for the role,
- all appointments are subject to formal review,
- Appointments sub-Committees play a key role in the appointment and review of adult roles.
