Setting Up Explorer Sections

Explorers in Scoutworks work in two ways depending on how your local Scouting is organised. Some Explorer sections are run directly by a Scout group — the Explorers meet at the same hall and the Group Scout Leader oversees them. Others are run at district level as standalone units, separate from any one group. Both models are fully supported.

Explorer sections within a group#

If your group runs its own Explorer section — common when a unit is physically based at a Scout group and the group wants to manage it directly — set it up just like any other section.

Go to Settings → Section Management, then click Add Section. Fill in the name, meeting schedule, and location as usual. Set the Age Group to Explorers.

Once saved, the section appears in your section list alongside your Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts. Leaders assigned to it will see Explorer members, Explorer badge tracking, and Explorer events in the normal way.

Explorer units managed by the district#

If Explorers in your area are run at district level — a single unit serving multiple Scout groups rather than one — district admins create and manage the unit from the District Dashboard.

Switch to your district using the context switcher in the top-left. On the District Dashboard, look for the Your Units card. Click Create Unit (or the Create Explorer Unit button if no units exist yet).

A three-step wizard opens:

When you click Create Explorer Unit, Scoutworks creates the unit as a group in its own right. You are immediately added as group admin. You can then invite other leaders, add Explorer members, and run events — everything works exactly the same as a regular Scout group.

Sharing Explorer members with Scout groups#

Explorers often need to appear in more than one group's system. The most common reason is Young Leaders: an Explorer might help run a Beaver or Cub meeting at a local Scout group, and the group's leaders need to see that Explorer's details — medical information, emergency contacts — on the night.

Scoutworks handles this through member sharing. A shared Explorer lives in their home group (the Explorer unit or group section) and is also visible to the Scout group they help at. They appear in both places; their records are maintained in one.

Setting up the receiving group#

Before you can share an Explorer into a Scout group, that group must have an Explorer section set up in their settings. This is where the shared member will be housed.

Ask the receiving Group Admin to go to Settings → Section Management → Add Section, and create a section with Age Group set to Explorers. It can be called anything — "Shared Explorers" or "Young Leaders" works well as a label to keep them distinct from full members.

Sending the share request#

Once the receiving group has an Explorer section ready:

1. Go to the Members page and find the Explorer member in the list.
2. Open the action menu on their row (the ⋮ icon) and click Share/Transfer.
3. Select the receiving Scout group from the Group Selector dropdown.
4. Add an optional message — for example, noting which section the young leader will be helping with.
5. Click Send Share Request.

The parent will need to approve the share request in their parent dashboard before it goes to the receiving group. Once approved and accepted, the Explorer appears in the receiving group's member list within their Explorer section.

Who can share#

Sharing works in both directions across all three Explorer arrangements:

• A district Explorer unit can share members with Scout groups in the district.
• A group Explorer section can share its Explorer members with other groups.
• The receiving group must always have an Explorer section to accept the share.

What's next#

• Managing Sections — creating and editing sections in a Scout group, including the Explorers age group.
• Managing Groups in Your District — connecting Scout groups to your district and managing data sharing.
• Archiving, Restoring, and Transferring Members — the full sharing and transfer workflow, including how to accept incoming share requests.