The Look Wider programme is common to all Senior Section members and anyone between 14 and 25 can take part even if they can't make meetings regularly. You do not need to be part of Rangers or another Senior Section unit to complete it - It is for everyone! It is an opportunity to try new things, further your abilities in areas you've already experienced and share your skills with others. The Look Wider programme is about challenging yourself, so don't rush it or take the easy option.
The programme is split into 8 main areas called Octants -
Look Wider Octants
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Creativity
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Fit for life
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Independent Living
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International
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Leadership
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Out of doors
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Personal values
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Community Action
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Having eight octants means there is something for everyone, with tots of activity choices, and the range of octants means that much of what you achieve as a Senior Section member can count towards Look Wider. For example, if you are an In4mer, the sessions that you run can count towards Community Action. If you are a Young Leader then by gaining your Young Leader Qualification you have achieved Phase 3 of the Leadership Octant.
Octants can be completed in any order and you can do activities towards more than one octant at the same time.
Phases
The eight octants are each divided into three phases and these, like the octants themselves, can be completed in any order; eg you do not have to do phase 1 before phase 2 and you can work on more than one phase at a time. Each phase requires different levels of time and commitment - but each should be a personal challenge to you. You may include activities undertaken at your place of education or employment provided they are extra curricular.
Phase 1: Try it
Phase 1 is made up of three different activities.
Each activity should be new to you and long enough to give you a taster of the activity.
Phase 2: Take it further
Phase 2 involves doing one activity for a minimum of 12 hours
The activity could be something you have tried in phase 1 which you then develop further, or something completely different but not necessarily new to you. There is no time limit for completing a phase 2 activity; you could complete it in a weekend, a few months or a year - provided you spend a minimum of 12 hours on the activity in total.
Phase 3: Achieve a long term challenge
Phase 3 also involves doing one activity, either something new or something you've tried before. It could be something you have already tried in phase 1 or 2 or both. You can complete phase 3 in 3 ways:
Undertake the activity for a minimum of 30 hours
Undertake the activity for a minimum of 20 hours and then gain a recognised qualification, this could either be a guiding qualification or a external award
Undertake the activity for a minimum of 20 hours and then teach it to people with less experience of the activity. This must be for a minimum of 3 hours but can be over a number of sessions, which you should plan beforehand and evaluate afterwards. Think carefully about who you are going to teach; remember that you must find it a personal challenge, so you could consider teaching a group of people that you don't usually interact with. For example this could be, guiding units, Senior Section units, Leaders, Scouts, Sunday school groups or Summer Activity camps.
Like phase 2 there are no time limits for completing a phase 3 activity.
When you have completed all 3 phases you receive a great certificate! There is also the Chief Guide's Challenge for when you've completed phases 1 and 2 of all eight octants.