What is Scouting?
The Scout Section is for young people, aged between 10½ and 14 years.
As members of a Scout Troop, they usually meet once a week with other outdoor activities arranged at weekends and other times during the year. Scouts are encouraged to take part in an awards scheme through a number of challenges leading up to the Chief Scout's Gold Award, the highest award available in the age group.
If you would like to know more about the fun, challenge and adventure of becoming a Scout - just contact the Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) for the Scout Section, who will be pleased to give you details of Troops near you.
The ACC (Scouts) can be contacted by using the Contact Form on the website.
Each Scout Troop has its own leadership team who usually meet together with other Troops from their District to coordinate local activities. As a County, the ACC (Scouts) holds regular meetings with the Assistant District Commissioners (ADCs) from each District within Derbyshire. They get together to coordinate events and share best practice.
Working together in this way helps us to deliver a quality programme, which is challenging, relevant and rewarding and creates a platform for sharing new ideas. Sample programmes can be found in the Scouts downloads Programme Plans folder
We publish our County Calendar of events following the meeting and this is then updated accordingly.
Activities & events
Gold Chief Scouts Award Presentations
113 Scouts and Explorers that have achieved their Gold Chief Scouts Awards were recognised at a County Presentation at The Post Mill Centre, South Normanton on Sunday 13th March 2022. The level of commitment by our Scouts over the last couple of years has been remarkable. Presentations were made by Gold Medallist and County President Steve Judge, who gave a very inspiring talk about overcoming the odds to achieving one’s goals - put your mind to it and you can do anything!
We were also treated to another interesting talk by Morgause Lomas whose passion for archaeology led the Derbyshire Archaeology Team to win the Archaeological Innovation category in the National Archaeological Achievement Awards.
Don’t forget to let ACC Scouts Colin Newton know when you have achieved the award yourself so you can be invited to the County’s next presentations
Rampage
Rampage is a competition open to all Scout Troops based at Drum Hill County Scout Campsite. The competition is for the teams (patrol of 6) to take part in a range of fun and challenging activity bases. The team with the greatest number of points attained will be the winners.
Details for this year’s competition is to be held on Sunday 1st October.
Although the competition is open to all Troops from Derbyshire, entry is restricted to one team per Troop because we have a limited number we can accommodate.
The maximum number of teams is 24 so it is on a first come first served basis. Details of how to enter a team will be published nearer the date.
County Cooking Competition
Districts are invited to enter a representative team to compete in the 2023 competition to be held at 15th Matlock Scout HQ, Matlock Green on Saturday 11th March.
You can find a booking form on the downloads section at the bottom of this page
Each team will have to prepare and cook a meal for two people to consist of a starter, main course and a dessert – the dessert can either be made at home beforehand and brought to the competition or made on site. The meal must also include two sauces e.g. gravy, cheese sauce, custard etc.
The theme for this year’s competition is Asia on a Budget. Teams will research and produce a good and filling 3 course meal on a budget limited to £12.
Challenges
Chilly Challenge
Chilly Challenge 2023 is well and truly underway with some camps at very low temperatures indeed. It is an award open to Scouts, Explorers and Adults in Derbyshire, which takes place during the month of January or February.
All you need to gain the award is to camp outside any night during the month. Contact your ADC Scouts or, in their absence, your DC to obtain your badges.
Dragon Awards

Dragon Awards are open to Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Network Members and adult members of Scouting and are designed to encourage participants to camp in as many different settings as possible. Please note, it is not open to Cubs or Beavers. Record Cards for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Dragon Awards, may be downloaded from the downloads section below, where you will also find a complete copy of the rules.
Please note that:
- Scouting moved to the Green readiness level in September 2021. This means all activities can resume for Derbyshire Scouts. From the 1 October 2021, the Dragon Award challenges are returning to the outdoor camping programme that was in place pre-Covid 19. Over the last 18 months, many scouts took part and gained the stay-at-home Dragon Award challenge. The County team loved the commitment and creativity participants showed and congratulations to everyone involved.
When attempting the Dragon Awards, please keep yourself abreast of the up to date rules.
Please send your completed cards with the fee to ACC (Scouts) to arrange for the badge once it is completed.
Badge prices are £1.65 for the Bronze and Silver and £2.50 for Gold (the Gold includes a Certificate).
Downloads
Upcoming Events