Disclaimer: This information was gleamed from multiple sources. If anything is incorrect please comment below.
The explorer belt is an international scouting award. Existing in a number of different forms in different countries. There is no central criteria, for example the UK scout association allows the belt to be completed by a number of different means, such as house riding, sailing and kayaking.
The explorer belt was present in both CBSI and SAI. Rover scouts where non existent in both organisations, with the explorer belt being aimed to venture scouts from 16 to 18 years of age.
Going as far back as 1970 SAI scouts where able to join the english explorer belts, the first belt ran by SAI was in 1988 to Wales. The belt was ran every second year in the association until 2002.
The first CBSI belt was in 1980, and ran every year until 2003 with the exception of a few canceled belts. The nature of the challenge changed dramatical over the the 30 years. For the first challenge only one set of belts was awarded to the first team back to base camp. This continued until 1984. From then onward a larger number of belt where taken to base camp, however it was still practice that only a maximum of 80% of team would be awarded, regardless of there standard. Meaning that all team could complete the challenge but still might not be awarded the belt.
The first belt organised by Scouting Ireland was in 2004 to Germany. At the same time the event became a Rover Activity for 18-21. The belt was ran every year since then, with all participants receiving the award in 2009 for the first time. In 2014 the age range was increased from 21 until 26 to fall in line with full age range of rover scouts.
A list of locations and year below.
Over the last 26 years locations have been widely varied. The Locations for belts run by CBSI/CSI/SI-CSI are:
- 1980 – Normandy, France
- 1981 – No event
- 1982 – Vermont & New Hampshire, USA
- 1983 – Wales
- 1984 – Sweden (1st female team & 1st team to get a second Belt)
- 1985 – No event
- 1986 – Scotland
- 1987 – Bavaria (Cancelled)
- 1988 – Italy & Wales (The Welsh event was a joint CBSI/SAI event)
- 1989 – Le Conquet, France
- 1990 – Denmark
- 1991 – Scotland
- 1992 – England
- 1993 – Wales
- 1994 – Scotland
- 1995 – Hungary
- 1996 – Wales
- 1997 – Slovenia
- 1998 – Belgium
- 1999 – Northern France
- 2000 – Brno, Czech Republic
- 2001 – Italy
- 2002 – Lithuania
- 2003 – Spain (intended to be Canada, changed due to SARS outbreak, nicknamed the “Spanada” Belt)
The Belts run (every second year) by SAI/SI-SAI are:
- 1988 – Wales (The Welsh event was a joint CBSI/SAI event)
- 1990 – Northumberland
- 1992 – Scotland
- 1994 – no event run
- 1996 – Wales
- 1998 – Spain
- 2000 – France
- 2002 – Spain
Events run by Scouting Ireland are:
- 2004 – Germany
- 2005 – United States
- 2006 – Portugal
- 2007 – Poland
- 2008 – Croatia & Slovenia
- 2009 – Sweden & Denmark (First time all participants were awarded The Belt)
- 2010 – Benelux Region (Second time all participants were awarded The Belt)
- 2011 – Austria & Czech Republic
- 2012 – Brittany, France (Third time all participants were awarded The Belt)
Taken from
Irish Explorer Belt Alumni Facebook Group.
