Scouting Ireland () is one of the largest youth movements on the island of Ireland, a voluntary educational movement for young people with over 45,000 members, including over 11,000 adult volunteers . Of the 750,000 people between the ages of 6 and 18 in Ireland, over 6% are involved with the organisation. It was founded in 2004, following the amalgamation of two of the Scouting organisations on the island. It is the World Organization of the Scout Movement-recognised Scouting association in the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland it operates alongside The Scout Association of the UK and the Baden-Powell Scout Association.
The organisation is independent, non-political, and open to all young people without distinction of origin, race, creed, sexual orientation, spiritual belief or gender, in accordance with the purpose, principles and method conceived by Lord Baden-Powell and as stated by WOSM. The aim of the organisation is to encourage the social, physical, intellectual, character, emotional, and spiritual development aspects (known as the SPICES) of young people "so that they may achieve their full potential and as responsible citizens, to improve society". The process of founding the new organisation came on 21 June 2003, after a merger between Scouting Ireland C.S.I. and Scouting Ireland S.A.I. was announced, becoming effective on 1 January 2004. Its national office is at Larch Hill, County Dublin.
The organisation, which is registered with the Companies Registration Office as a company, is headed by the Chief Scout, and governed by a board of directors who are answerable to the Scout Groups as company members. A small professional staff team is led by a chief executive officer.
Sections
The organisation is known for, and primarily operates through, its Youth Programme, for members aged between 6 and 25 years, divided into the following Sections: Beaver Scouts – Ages 6–8 Cub Scouts – Ages 9–11 Scouts – Ages 12–15 Venture Scouts – Ages 16–17 Rover Scouts – Ages 18–26
Sea Scouts – Sea Scouting is a model for implementing the Scout Method with an emphasis on maritime tradition, nautical skills and water-based activities. Sea Scouting operates throughout the sections, consistent with the above age ranges.
Organisation
Scout Group
The basic unit of Scouting in Ireland is the Scout Group. Each Group is based around a single meeting place, often a dedicated Scout hall or Scout Den, or may sometimes be a school assembly hall or community facility. A Group may have a number of sections, meeting at different times, and a meeting place may be used by more than one Scout Troop or Cub Scout Pack. Each Group is coordinated by a Scout Group Council, headed up by the Group Leader and Deputy Group Leader, these roles being appointed by the Chief Commissioner (Adult Resources) based on nomination by the Scout Group Council and recommendation by the relevant Scout County Commissioner. Membership also includes roles such as Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Quartermaster, and adult representatives of all sections, and youth representatives of the Scouts, Venture Scout and Rover Scout sections, made by the Scout Group Council itself. In 2018, there were around 520 Scout Groups, while there were 492.
Scout County
Scout Groups are members of their local Scout County, some are which based on geographical counties, while others, depending on membership density, are based in parts of cities or across county boundaries. The Scout County supports the training of Scouters, the youth programme, and the development of Groups within the county. Each Scout County is coordinated by a County Commissioner.
Scout Provinces
Above the Scout County level, Ireland is divided into six Scout Provinces, namely the Northern, Southern, North Eastern, South Eastern, Western and Dublin provinces. Each Province is coordinated by a Provincial Commissioner, who in turn appoints a Training Co-Ordinator as well as Youth Programme and International representatives. The Provincial Management / Support Committee consists of County Commissioners, Provincial Officers, co-ordinators and representatives. Each Province has a professional Provincial Support Officer.
National Council
The National Council was the primary decision-making body of Scouting Ireland from 2004 to 2018 and met at least once a year. National Council was the body responsible for amendments to the movement's Rules and Constitution. It also elected the Chief Scout and national officers.
It was replaced with a company general meeting structure in October 2018.