2nd.orp.org.uk

What is 2nd Orpington Scout Group?

2nd Orpington Scout Group is a Scout group based in Orpington, in the London Borough of Bromley, with its own headquarters and a large stock of camping and activity equipment. It describes itself as one of the largest groups in Bromley Scout District and says it has existed almost since the beginning of Scouting. Its motto is "Second to None", and its group scarf is blue with a red border.

Who it is for

The group runs four sections covering ages 6 to 18, all open to boys and girls:

Each younger section has two units, so there is some choice of meeting night. A Quartermaster team looks after the facilities and equipment.

What it actually does

The group describes an active year-round programme of weekly meetings, camps and other activities, supported by its own equipment — which matters practically, because it means trips and camps do not depend on borrowing gear or hiring a venue.

Next step

If you are considering it for a child, the useful first move is to ask which of the two units in the relevant section has space, since meeting nights differ and one may suit your family's week better. The group's contact address for enquiries is [email protected]. For a wider view of how these sections fit together, see Scouts.

What age ranges and meeting times are available for each section at 2nd Orpington Scout Group?

2nd Orpington Scout Group runs four sections covering ages 6 to 18, each meeting on set weekday evenings at the group's headquarters. Beavers (ages 6–8) meet Tuesday and Wednesday; Cubs (8–10½) meet Monday and Tuesday; Scouts (10½–14) meet Wednesday and Friday; Explorers (14–18) meet Thursday.

Sections at a glance

How to use this

If your child is near a boundary age, the section they join depends on their age at the point of joining rather than the school year, so ask which colony, pack or troop has space before choosing a meeting night. Because Beavers and Cubs each run two units on different evenings, families with children in both sections may be able to avoid clashes — for example, a Beaver on Wednesday and a Cub on Monday. The group also has a Quartermaster team looking after facilities and equipment, which supports the camps and activities that run alongside the weekly meetings.

To take the next step, email the Group Scout Leader at [email protected] with your child's age and preferred evening, and ask about the current waiting list and start dates. For comparison with other local provision, see Scouts.

How can I register my child to join 2nd Orpington Scout Group?

The page does not describe an online registration form or booking system. Instead, it gives a single contact route: email the Group Scout Leader at [email protected]. That is the practical first step for joining any of the group's four sections.

What to put in your email

Write to [email protected] and include:

• Your child's first name, date of birth or current age, and whether they are a boy or girl (the group states all sections accept both).
• The section you think fits: Beavers (6–8), Cubs (8–10½), Scouts (10½–14) or Explorers (14–18).
• Your preferred meeting night, if you have one, since each section runs more than one meeting per week.
• Your phone number and home postcode, so the leader can confirm waiting-list or place availability and which night suits.
• Any additional needs or accessibility questions you want answered before joining.

Which night to ask about

If your child is close to a boundary age, say so in the email and ask which section the leaders recommend — moving up is usually handled by the group, but it affects which night you are offered.

A realistic scenario

A parent of a seven-year-old in Orpington emails [email protected] on a Sunday with the child's age, a preference for Wednesday Beavers, and a phone number. The leader replies with whether a place is free, the meeting time and venue, and what to bring to a first visit. Expect a short wait if the colony is full, since the group runs a fixed number of colonies and packs.

If you hear nothing back

Email is the only contact method shown on the page, so if there is no reply within a week or two, send a brief follow-up rather than assuming your child has been added to a list. You can also check the national Scout movement's own site, Scouts, for general joining information and to confirm that a local group is registered, though enrolment itself goes through the group's leaders.

What camping and activity equipment does 2nd Orpington Scout Group provide?

The 2nd Orpington Scout Group states that it owns "a very large selection of camping and activity equipment," alongside its own modern headquarters. Those two assets are what allow the group to run a year-round programme of weekly meetings, camps and other activities without hiring in gear or premises for every trip.

What the group says it has

• Camping equipment — described collectively as a very large selection, which in a Scout context normally covers tents, cooking gear, tables and similar camp infrastructure.
• Activity equipment — listed separately from camping kit, so it supports the wider activity programme rather than just overnight camps.
• A modern headquarters — the base for weekly section meetings and a store for the equipment.
• Quartermasters — a dedicated team whose role is to look after the facilities and equipment.

How to read that

The page gives no itemised inventory, so treat "very large selection" as a statement of scale rather than a checklist. If you need specifics — whether there are enough tents for a particular camp, or whether a specific activity can be run — the Quartermasters are the people who would know, and the group invites enquiries at [email protected].

Who this matters to

• Parents deciding whether a group can sustain a full programme rather than occasional outings; owned equipment and a permanent HQ are practical signs that it can.
• Leaders or helpers joining from another group, who may want to know what they can borrow versus what they must source.
• Other groups or districts wondering about kit support; the equipment is the group's own, so it is not a public hire service.

For comparison, UK Scouting's national guidance on equipment and activity standards sits with The Scout Association, and district-level information for this area is handled by Bromley Scouts.

Next step: if you have a specific camp or activity in mind, email the Group Scout Leader and ask which items the group already holds and which would need to be borrowed or bought — that turns a general claim into a concrete answer.

How can I volunteer or support 2nd Orpington Scout Group?

Contact the Group Scout Leader directly at [email protected] — that is the route the group itself points to for anyone wanting to get involved. Because the group runs four sections plus a Quartermaster team, the most useful first email says which section or kind of help interests you and what time you can realistically give.

Where help is typically needed

• Section volunteering — Beavers (ages 6–8, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings), Cubs (8–10½, Monday and Tuesday), Scouts (10½–14, Wednesday and Friday) and Explorers (14–18, Thursday). Two meeting nights per section means a large rota to fill, so occasional help alongside a regular team is often as welcome as a weekly commitment.
• Quartermaster and equipment support — the group describes a Quartermaster function that looks after its facilities and a very large stock of camping and activity equipment. That suits people who prefer practical tasks: checking, sorting, repairing and loading kit, or helping with the headquarters building.
• Camps and activities — the programme runs through the year, not just term time, so camp helpers, drivers, cooks and activity assistants are the roles that make trips possible.
• Behind-the-scenes support — fundraising, admin, newsletter or website help, and refreshments at events all reduce the load on uniformed leaders.

A practical next step

Email [email protected] with a short message: your name, whether you have any Scouting background (none is required), which section or task appeals, which evenings you are free, and whether you would need a disclosure check arranged. Ask what the next step looks like — usually an informal chat and a visit to a meeting before anything is confirmed.

If you are choosing between sections, match your availability to the meeting nights above rather than picking purely by age group; a leader who can attend every Tuesday is more useful to a Beaver colony than one who is enthusiastic but rarely free.

If you would rather support than volunteer

Donations, sponsorship of equipment, or help from a local business with materials and skills are all ways to contribute without a weekly commitment. Ask the group what it currently needs before buying or donating kit, since storage space and safety requirements shape what is actually usable.

For context on how the wider movement organises volunteering and what checks and training involve, see The Scout Association.

What is the history and meaning behind the 2nd Orpington Scout Group scarf?

The 2nd Orpington Scout Group scarf is blue with a red border, and it replaced the group’s original plain blue design. That is the specific scarf history the group itself records: the current version is a later change, not the founding pattern.

What the colours signal in practice

The blue base keeps continuity with the earlier plain blue scarf, so the group’s identity is still recognisable in the main colour. The red border marks the newer form and distinguishes current members from the original design. For a young person joining Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or Explorers, the scarf is the visible sign that they belong to this group rather than simply to Scouting in Bromley.

Meaning beyond the colours

The group’s motto, “Second to None”, sits alongside the scarf as part of its identity. The scarf is a practical and symbolic item: it is worn at weekly meetings, camps and activities, and it identifies the group when members meet other Scout groups. The group describes itself as one of the largest in Bromley Scout District and has been in existence from almost the beginning of Scouting, so the scarf also carries a sense of long local continuity.

A useful way to think about it

If you are choosing or explaining a group scarf, ask two questions: does it connect to the group’s earlier identity, and does it distinguish the group clearly? The 2nd Orpington scarf does both — blue for continuity, red border for the present group. For a new family, the practical next step is to ask the section leader when and where the scarf is worn and whether it is supplied on joining; the group’s contact route is by email at [email protected]. You can also see the group’s own pages at 2nd Orpington Scout Group.