How Does the Vaccination Mandate Affect…?

Youth members aged 12 years and two months or younger do not need to be vaccinated to attend Scouting.

Unvaccinated youth members aged over 12 years and two months can:

• Participate in most outdoor Scouting activities, except large events or where physical distancing cannot be maintained for extended periods
• Attend camps as long as they do not share tents or other accommodation
• Enter halls or other buildings to access toilets and/or showers
• Shelter from severe weather indoors

Youth members aged 12 years and 2 months or under are not required to be vaccinated to participate in indoor or outdoor Scouting at this stage, but the mandated vaccination age may be reduced next year when a paediatric COVID vaccine is available.

Scouts and Venturers aged over 12 years and two months must be fully vaccinated or an excepted person to:

• participate in Indoor Scouting.
• share a tent, cabin or bunkhouse etc
• attend a major event, with over 500 participants or where physical distancing cannot be maintained for extended periods

Scouts and Venturers participating in outdoor Scouting are not required to be vaccinated.

Scouts and Venturers are not classified as workers even if they are acting as youth helpers of service leaders.

Rovers must be fully vaccinated or an excepted person to:

• participate in Indoor Scouting.
• share a tent, cabin or bunkhouse etc
• attend a major event, with over 500 participants or where physical distancing cannot be maintained for extended periods

Rovers acting in a leader or service role outdoors are workers and must be fully vaccinated or have a medical exception.

Rovers participating in outdoor Scouting are not currently required to be vaccinated.

Parents and Carers must be fully vaccinated or an excepted person to enter a Scout Hall, including to drop off or pick up youth members.

Parents do not need to be vaccinated to drop off or pick up youth members from outside a hall, or to attend outdoor Scouting as spectators.

Parents who are helping with outdoor activities must be fully vaccinated, this includes registered parent helpers or unregistered parents who are helping out on an ad-hoc basis.

Parents must be fully vaccinated to attend a large outdoor close-seated event.

Parents and Carers do not need to be vaccinated to attend outdoor Scouting if their only role is to assist a youth member who requires their support to participate.

Parents do not need to be vaccinated for their children to attend Scouting.

Leaders or Adult Helpers must be fully vaccinated or an excepted person to:

• Participate in Indoor Scouting.
• Share a tent, cabin or bunkhouse etc.
• Participate in outdoor Scouting.
• Attend a major event with over 500 participants
• Attend an event where physical distancing cannot be maintained for extended periods
• Attend indoor or outdoor leader training
• Attend indoor meetings
• Undertake maintenance indoors or outdoors

Campsite workers must be fully vaccinated or an excepted person to participate in Scouting outside of their home.

Committee members must be fully vaccinated or an excepted person to participate in Scouting outside of their home, unless they are attending as a parent or spectator.

Your vaccination status has no impact on your ongoing membership status with Scouts Victoria, it only affects your ability to undertake face-to-face Scouting while the Directions remain in force. Unvaccinated members are still able to contribute to Scouting in other ways, such as online.

Please contact ourduty@scoutsvictoria.com.au if you have any questions regarding vaccination requirements.

For specific enquiries or advice about Scouts Victoria’s COVID response, continue to contact coronavirus@scoutsvictoria.com.au