Scouts Victoria Style Guide
Scouts Victoria · Brand and Writing Style Guide

How we look, sound and write online.

Everything that makes Scouts Victoria recognisable, in one place: our colours, our logos, the Gumtree Graphics, Nunito Sans and the way we write. Use it and Scouting looks and reads like us everywhere, from a Group flyer to the state website.

Version 1.3 · Draft Updated 23 August 2026 Owner: Marketing and Communication Tap any colour to copy ↓ Download this guide
Foundation

About this guide

This is the working reference for how Scouts Victoria looks, sounds and writes: our colours, logos, graphics, type and the language of the program, in one place for anyone building web pages, flyers, social posts or signage for Scouting in Victoria.

What it covers

The Scouts Victoria colour palette, our logo and the five Section logos, the Gumtree Graphics and World Scout branding, Nunito Sans, and the rules for writing the language of the program.

Who it is for

Leaders, volunteers, Groups and Districts. Each of us is a brand ambassador, so it is up to us to keep Scouting clear, consistent and easy to recognise.

Where the files live

All Scouts Victoria artwork (logos, Section logos, Gumtree Graphics and templates) lives in the Scouts Victoria brand assets folder. Download the artwork rather than redrawing it. Your Group’s own logo is at bit.ly/SVGrouplogos.

Victoria brand assets library

Every Victoria logo, Gumtree Graphic and template lives in one folder. Start there before you build anything. Short link: bit.ly/SVBrandAssets

Open the Scouts Victoria brand assets folder ↗
One source of truth. This guide is the current standard for the Scouts Victoria brand and voice. Where anything you see elsewhere differs, follow the current versions here and in the Scouts Victoria brand assets folder. The changelog at the end tracks every update.
Foundation

What Scouting represents

Five values sit behind everything we make. When a choice is unclear, these break the tie. Our personality is how those values feel in practice.

Our values

Integrity

Respect

Care

Self-Confidence

Cooperation

Our personality

Challenging

Fun

Bold

Adventurous

Friendly

Foundation

Voice and tone

We speak as a family, in plain, active, everyday language. Short sharp sentences. Positive words. We invite people into our story rather than talk at them.

How we write and speak

Empowering

  • Inspiring and proactive
  • Highlight real people
  • Invite people in

Optimistic

  • Uplifting and inspiring
  • Clear and direct
  • Charismatic and positive

Active

  • Engaging and conversational
  • Active everyday language

Confident

  • Speak with conviction
  • Short sharp sentences
  • Positive language

Inclusive

  • Diverse and welcoming
  • Speak as a family: us, our, we

In practice

Do write

Scouting is adventure, and there is a Scout Group near you.

Our program helps young people learn leadership, resilience and confidence, at their own pace.

Come and see what a Friday night at Scouts looks like.

Don't write

The organisation facilitates the delivery of youth developmental outcomes.

Programme participants may elect to undertake activities.

Contact us to enquire about potential engagement opportunities.

Know your audience. Tone of voice depends on who you are writing for. Our weekly enews, Be Informed, is read by adult Leaders, adult members and Rover Scouts, so write it for adults, not youth members. A Group flyer aimed at families reads differently again.
Tense. Use present tense for something happening or coming up, and past tense for something that has happened. Do not mix the two in the one piece.

Sound like us: quick fixes

Most off-brand writing is fixed the same three ways: swap the corporate word for the everyday one, turn the sentence around so a person is doing something, and cut what a busy parent does not need. Here is each fix in action.

BeforeAfterThe fix
Registrations must be completed prior to the commencement of the event.Register before the event starts.Everyday words, half the length
Activities will be facilitated by our trained volunteers.Our trained volunteers run the activities.Active voice, people doing things
Should you require assistance, do not hesitate to make contact with the Group.Need a hand? Call the Group.Talk like a person, invite them in

Swap these words

Instead ofWriteInstead ofWrite
utiliseusecommencestart
prior tobeforeassistancehelp
in the event thatifobtainget
facilitaterunparticipate injoin in
endeavourtryadditionalmore
Three quick tests before you hit send. The campfire test: would you say this sentence out loud to a parent at a campfire? One idea per sentence: if a sentence has an "and" doing heavy lifting, split it. Lead with the reader: what do they get, and what do they do next?

The tests in action. Before: Our Group will be holding its annual registration evening and parents and carers are encouraged to attend and are requested to bring completed forms and payment. After: Registration night is on Thursday. Come along and sign your child up on the spot. Bring your form and payment, and we’ll do the rest.

Foundation

Colour

Our colours are the colours of Australia: sea, sky, trees and animals. Victoria leads with its blues. The Section colours give us the rainbow. Click any swatch to copy its hex.

What is a hex? A hex code is a six-character name for an exact colour, like #16345c for our dark navy. Paste it into the colour picker in Canva, Word or any design tool and you get precisely the right shade, no guessing by eye from a screen.

Victoria palette

Scouts VIC Dark Navy is the primary colour for Victorian communications. The lighter blues support it. Take the numbering to your designer or printer so they can match it exactly. These five blues, together with Australian Navy Blue, are also the palette of the Victorian Gumtree Graphics.

Scouts VIC Dark Navy#16345cPMS 7463c · Primary
Scouts VIC Navy#1e407aPMS 301c
Scouts VIC Blue#025495PMS 7693c
Scouts VIC Mid Blue#095faaPMS 7691c
Scouts VIC Light Blue#147bc1PMS 7461c

Base colours

The core national base. Australian Navy Blue is also the background on our uniforms and badges. Dark Grey carries body text.

Australian Navy Blue#28265cPMS 280c
Scouts Medium Blue#3d5c93PMS 7684c
Dark Grey#575756Typography

National Gumtree Graphics colours

Used with the base colours to build the national Gumtree Graphics. The Victorian Gumtree Graphics, the version we use, are built from the Victoria blues above instead.

Scouts Dark Blue#1c4270PMS 2746c
Scouts Dark Green#00674bPMS 342c
Scouts Teal#008f88PMS 7714c

Section colours

Each Section has its own primary colour, used on Section flags, logos, publications and badges. See Sections and logos for the full logo palettes.

Joey · #ba6228
Cub · #ffc62e
Scout · #0cae4b
Venturer · #a22237
Rover · #de2a26
International · #83358c

Every colour, every format

Hand this table to a designer or printer and every format is covered: hex and RGB for screen, CMYK and PMS for print.

ColourHexRGBCMYKPMS
Scouts VIC Dark Navy#16345c0, 49, 96100, 56, 0, 60PMS 7463c
Scouts VIC Navy#1e407a0, 66, 130100, 70, 0, 30PMS 301c
Scouts VIC Blue#0254950, 88, 153100, 56, 0, 20PMS 7693c
Scouts VIC Mid Blue#095faa0, 103, 17997, 60, 0, 0PMS 7691c
Scouts VIC Light Blue#147bc10, 131, 202100, 35, 0, 0PMS 7461c
Australian Navy Blue#28265c38, 38, 97100, 98, 28, 24PMS 280c
Scouts Medium Blue#3d5c9361, 92, 14685, 65, 20, 0PMS 7684c
Dark Grey#57575687, 87, 860, 0, 0, 80–
Scouts Dark Blue#1c427026, 65, 11198, 76, 29, 16PMS 2746c
Scouts Dark Green#00674b0, 102, 7497, 33, 78, 24PMS 342c
Scouts Teal#008f880, 143, 13695, 16, 53, 0PMS 7714c
Joey Scouts#ba6228182, 85, 2421, 76, 100, 10PMS 471c
Cub Scouts#ffc62e255, 200, 460, 22, 91, 0PMS 123c
Scouts#0cae4b0, 174, 6695, 0, 100, 0PMS 354c
Venturer Scouts#a22237158, 27, 5025, 100, 79, 20PMS 201c
Rover Scouts#de2a26220, 41, 308, 97, 100, 1PMS 485c
Scouts International#83358c98, 37, 15379, 94, 0, 0PMS 527c
Print versus screen. Use RGB or hex for anything on a screen (web, PowerPoint, Word, Excel). Use CMYK or PMS for print. Give the numbering to your printer so the blue on a banner matches the blue on the website.
Do not alter the palettes. The colours have been chosen deliberately. Do not recolour them, and never use the Gumtree Graphics in greyscale.
Foundation

Typography

Nunito Sans is our single typeface, an easy to access, clean and modern font. Hierarchy comes from weight and size, not a second family.

Heading · Nunito Sans Black (900)
Prepare for adventure
Subheading · Nunito Sans Bold (700–800)
There is a Scout Group near you
Body · Nunito Sans Regular (400)
Scouts learn amazing things. Better still, they choose what they do and take things safely at their own pace. Standard body copy sits at a comfortable size with generous line height, so it stays easy to read on any screen.
Photo caption · Nunito Sans Light (300)
Captions, helper text and fine detail sit in the Light weight.

Weights

AaLight 300
AaRegular 400
AaSemiBold 600
AaBold 700
AaBlack 900

Headings

Nunito Sans Black. Left aligned, upper and lower case. Centred or right aligned only if a layout truly needs it.

Body copy

Nunito Sans Regular or Bold. Keep lines to roughly 60 to 75 characters so long lines do not tire the reader.

Email and fallback

Use Arial for emails and any time Nunito Sans is not installed. Send documents as PDF so the font holds. Enterprise logos use Elektra Text Pro Regular.

Get the font

Nunito Sans is free for everyone. Download it, unzip, then install the font files: on Windows select them all, right-click and choose Install; on a Mac double-click and choose Install Font. Restart Word or PowerPoint and Nunito Sans appears in your font list.

Download Nunito Sans ↓
Foundation

Spacing and layout

A 4px base scale keeps rhythm consistent. Space is the brand's main tool for calm. When in doubt, add more.

8px
12px
16px
24px
32px
48px
64px

Clear space rules the day

Give the logo room. Leave 2.5 times the height of the S in Scouts on either side, and 1 S above. Do not crowd it. See Logo usage.

Alignment

Most text is left aligned, in upper and lower case. Vertical layouts are preferred for the logo, with horizontal used sparingly.

Clear space diagram: the Scouts Victoria logo inside a dashed boundary, with 2.5 x marked on either side and 1 x marked above and below
Clear space, drawn to the Brand Book rule: keep 2.5 x clear on either side and 1 x above and below, where x is the height of the S in Scouts. The Brand Book also sets minimum sizes with wording of 17mm and 30mm.
Writing like a Scout

Spelling and capitalisation

We are consistent and uniform in written form, in both external promotion and official internal communications like Be Informed.

Spelling

Do

Australian spelling always

organisation, colour, recognise, honour

Don't

American spelling

organization, color, recognize, honor

Minimal capitalisation

Capitalise at the start of a sentence, and for proper nouns. Beyond that, keep it minimal. These Scout-specific terms take a capital:

Capitalise

  • Scouting, Scout, Scouts, Scouts Victoria, Scouts Australia, The Scout Association of Australia Victorian Branch
  • Section names in full (see Scout terminology)
  • Scout Group, or just Group in the context of a Scout Group
  • Section, District and Region when Scout specific
  • Formation, always (a Group, District, Region or other Scouting entity)
  • State and National, plus State and Federal Government
  • Leadership and Commissioner roles (Group Leader, District Commissioner, Chief Commissioner and so on)
  • Australian Scout Fellowship, Victorian Scout Foundation, Scout Heritage
  • Lord Robert Baden-Powell (hyphenated)

Lower case

  • youth member
  • office bearers
  • Scout movement (movement lower case)
  • leader when used generally, for example "he is a natural leader" or "leaders of tomorrow"
  • Scout hall, not Hall, unless it is the proper name, for example 1st Balwyn's Thomas Hall
Writing like a Scout

Scout terminology

Write the language of the program consistently so people share one clear understanding of it. Write the Section name in full at first mention, then the short form is fine.

First mention (in full)After thatTheir Unit
Joey ScoutJoey or JoeysJoey Scout Unit
Cub ScoutCub or CubsCub Scout Unit
ScoutScoutScout Unit
Venturer ScoutVenturer ScoutVenturer Scout Unit
Rover ScoutRover ScoutRover Scout Unit

Every Section now meets as a Unit

We no longer say Mob, Pack, Troop or Crew. Each Section's group is a Unit: Joey Scout Unit, Cub Scout Unit, Scout Unit, Venturer Scout Unit and Rover Scout Unit. The decision-making body is the Unit Council, led by the Unit Leader, a youth member. Patrols and Patrol Leaders still sit within a Unit. See the Speak like a Scout glossary.

Youth leading, adults supporting. Write "youth leading, adult supporting" or "youth leading, adults supporting". We no longer use "youth-led, adult-supported".
Writing like a Scout

Numbers, dates, time and currency

Numbers

  • Spell out one to nine
  • Use numerals from 10 onwards
  • Except when a number starts a sentence: "Thirty members attended the event."
  • No commas until 10,000

Do

Respect is one of our values. There are 12 values.

Don't

Respect is 1 of our values. There are twelve values.

Dates

  • January 1
  • January 1 2017
  • January 1-4 (single hyphen, no spaces before or after)

Don't

The 1st of January

January 1st

January 1 – 4 (with spaces or an em dash)

Time

  • 12 hour clock
  • Single dot between hour and minutes
  • am and pm in lower case, with a space before them
  • Abbreviate where possible

Do

9.30 am and 6 pm

Don't

9:30, 1500, 6PM

Currency

Abbreviate where possible.

Do

$15

Don't

$15.00

Writing like a Scout

Punctuation and quotation marks

Punctuation

  • Always use full stops to end a sentence
  • Avoid semicolons unless absolutely necessary
  • Use exclamation points sparingly
  • Use question marks at the end of a question only

Quotation marks

Double marks quote a person:

"It was an excellent event and a great example of Scouting", Brendan said.

Single marks are for any other instance, such as an example:

When you fill out the application, write 'Scouts Victoria' in the top box.

Writing like a Scout

Abbreviations and acronyms

Abbreviations

Contractions such as 'it's' or 'don't' are fine. Do not use symbols in place of words:

Don't

& instead of the word 'and'

# instead of the word 'number'

+ instead of the word 'plus'

Acronyms

Avoid acronyms wherever possible. When you must use one, write the term capitalised in full at first mention, then the acronym after that, for example State Leadership Team, then SLT.

These internal-use examples also show the correct capitalisation:

SLTBECB-PARAPYPRFOS VicACCGLLICDCRCVRCASFWSFVSFQ-StoreQMARAsSYCASMYiS
Youth program acronyms are fine as is. AJ2028, VG/AG, and JOTA, JOTI, JOTT do not need writing out in full.
Writing like a Scout

Words we get right

Word-specific spelling and hyphenation that trips people up. Get these right every time.

Write it this wayNot this way
programprogramme
Promise and LawLaw and Promise
enquiries, enquiryinquiries, inquiry (unless a formal Inquiry, for example into Institutional Abuse)
campsite (one word)camp site
state-wide (hyphen)statewide
youth leading, adult supportingyouth-led, adult-supported
Scout hallScout Hall (unless a proper name)
Bullet points, we like them. Start each bullet with a capital, and do not end it with a full stop.
Component

Buttons and links

One clear action per view. Navy leads. Filled buttons invert to outline on hover, so the affordance is unmistakable.

Find a Group Explore the program Register now Learn more → Disabled

Inline links sit in Scouts VIC Mid Blue and darken to navy on hover. Every family finds a Group near them, and there is a Section for every age from 5 to 25.

For web builders. If you don’t build web pages, skip this box.

<!-- Primary -->
<a class="btn" href="/find-a-group">Find a Group</a>
<!-- Secondary (outline) -->
<a class="btn sec" href="/program">Explore the program</a>
Component

Cards

Cards group a single idea, the everyday building block for a page.

Find a Group

There is a Scout Group near you. Search by suburb to find your nearest Joey Scout Unit, Cub Scout Unit, Scout Unit, Venturer Scout Unit or Rover Scout Unit.

Find a Group →

Hall hire

Scout halls across Victoria are available to hire for events, meetings and gatherings. Check availability with your local Group.

Hire a hall →

Scout camps

From bushwalking to abseiling, our campsites give young people room to try new things safely, at their own pace.

Explore camps →
Component

Alerts and callouts

Used sparingly for genuine feedback. Tone stays calm and positive, even when the message is a problem.

Good to know

Membership is open all year. You are welcome to come along and try a night before you join.

Registration received

Thanks. Your Group Leader will be in touch within a few days.

Saved as draft

Your form is not submitted yet. Finish the last step when you are ready.

Something went wrong

We could not send your enquiry. Please try again, or call us on 03 8543 9800.

Component

Tables

Clean rules, a navy header, and figures that line up. Readable, not corporate.

SectionAge rangeMeets as
Joey Scouts5 to 7Unit
Cub Scouts8 to 10Unit
Scouts11 to 14Unit
Venturer Scouts15 to 17Unit
Rover Scouts18 to 25Unit
File format check: use this style for the web. For print, take the colour numbering to your printer so the header navy matches on the page. See Colour.
Component

Quotes and testimonials

A member's own words, in Nunito Sans italic with a Cub-yellow rule. The human voice given room. Highlighting the experiences of real people is core to how we speak.

"Scouts gave our daughter the confidence to lead. She came home from her first camp taller, somehow." A Scouting parent, 1st Ballam Park
Component

Lists and bullets

Real, semantic lists drawn with CSS, so they render the same on every phone and browser. Square bullets are the default.

Square bullets, the default

  • Weekly meetings run by trained, screened adult volunteers
  • Outdoor adventure from bushwalking to abseiling
  • A Section for every age from 5 to 25

Remember: start each bullet with a capital and no full stop.

Ticks, for what is included

  • All the gear and training your Group needs
  • Recognised qualifications from age 14
  • A community that welcomes everyone

For web builders. If you don’t build web pages, skip this box.

<!-- Keep role="list" whenever the marker is removed -->
<ul class="list" role="list">
  <li>Weekly meetings run by trained volunteers</li>
</ul>
Brand asset

Your Group’s logo

Every Scout Group in Victoria has its own logo, the brandmark locked up with your Group name, ready to use. Never redraw it or set your Group name in a different font. Download the real file and drop it in.

Scout Group logos folder

Find your Group, download your logo, done. Every Group-specific logo lives in one folder. Short link: bit.ly/SVGrouplogos

Open the Scout Group logos folder ↗
Can’t find your Group, or has the name changed? Email marketing@scoutsvictoria.com.au and we will add or update your logo in the folder.
Brand asset

Gumtree Graphics

We camp and hike surrounded by gumtrees and their wonderful bark patterns. We use them to show the world the adventures we have in Scouting. They come in vertical and horizontal formats, and in palettes for every Branch and Section.

Scouts Victoria Gumtree Graphic, vertical, in Victoria blue
Vertical, Victoria blue
Scouts Victoria Gumtree Graphic, horizontal, in Victoria blue
Horizontal, Victoria blue

Real Scouts Victoria artwork, from the assets folder. It also comes in white (for placing over a photo) and in every Section colour. Always use these files, never a redrawn version.

Correct use

Use the white or full colour logo, with the fleur de lis in clear space

Move the silhouettes to suit your artwork, keeping their original style and size

Place text over the graphic, as long as it stays legible

Put an image behind the graphic when combining the two

Incorrect use

Distort, recreate or redesign the pattern in any way

Modify the silhouettes, which were developed for Scouting activities

Place the logo over a busy area, across more than one colour, or over a figure

Mix different Section patterns together, or use any of it in greyscale

Brand asset

Section colours and logos

Each Section has its own colour, used on Section flags, logos, publications and badges. Members are free to use any palette, but please do not alter these.

Joey Scouts#ba6228 · PMS 471c
Cub Scouts#ffc62e · PMS 123c
Scouts#0cae4b · PMS 354c
Venturer Scouts#a22237 · PMS 201c
Rover Scouts#de2a26 · PMS 485c
Each Section colour also has a deeper range for its logo. Take the PMS numbering to your printer for an exact match. The Section logos and full palettes are in the Scouts Victoria brand assets folder.

Section logos

Each Section has its own logo, built from the same brandmark, with the fleur de lis in the Section colour and the Victoria wordmark. Use the vertical lockup as much as possible. Select a Section to see its full variant set, then click any variant to download the PNG.

Joey Scouts Victoria variant set

Vertical lockup

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, full colour, vertical

Full colour

On white or light backgrounds.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, reverse, vertical

Reverse

Full colour with white text, on dark.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, black, vertical

Black

Single ink, on light backgrounds.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, white, vertical

White

Reverse mono, on dark backgrounds.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, single colour, vertical

Single colour

The Section PMS colour, one ink.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, two colour, vertical

Two colour

Two inks, where full colour won't print.

Download PNG ↓

Horizontal lockup

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, full colour, horizontal

Full colour

On white or light backgrounds.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, reverse, horizontal

Reverse

Full colour with white text, on dark.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, black, horizontal

Black

Single ink, on light backgrounds.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, white, horizontal

White

Reverse mono, on dark backgrounds.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, single colour, horizontal

Single colour

The Section PMS colour, one ink.

Download PNG ↓

Joey Scouts Victoria logo, two colour, horizontal

Two colour

Two inks, where full colour won't print.

Download PNG ↓

Click any variant to download the full-resolution PNG, straight from the Scouts Victoria brand assets folder. The vector and print masters (EPS, PDF and SVG) and every other format live in the folder too.

Tool

Which logo do I use?

Answer three quick questions and we will point you to the right Section logo, then take you straight to it.

1. Which Section?

2. What is it going on?

3. What is the space like?

After your own Scout Group’s logo? Every Group logo is in the Scout Group logos folder.

Brand asset

Imagery

Two kinds of photography show Scouting off at its best. Real moments, outdoors, never posed or stocky.

Scouting in action

Usually youth, usually outdoors. A young person mid-climb, a Patrol setting up camp, a paddle in the water. Show the adventure as it happens.

From the Scout's perspective

Taken from the point of view of the participant, so only part of the body may be visible, for example hands, feet or back. It shows what it feels like to be there, in the tent or the canoe.

Do

Natural light, real activity, room for text

Youth members doing, not posing

Don't

Cold, staged or corporate stock shots

Heavy filters or oversaturated colour

Brand asset

World Scout branding

We are permitted to use World Scouting's imagery in certain situations, and only according to the World Scout Brand Identity Guide. The World Scout purple is #83358c (PMS 527c).

Scouts International#83358cPMS 527c
World Scout Emblem, full colour purple

Full colour

On light backgrounds. PMS 527c purple.

World Scout Emblem, black

Black

Single colour, on light backgrounds.

World Scout Emblem, white reverse

White reverse

On dark backgrounds.

World Scout Emblem badge

Badge

Filled version for merchandise.

Real World Scout Emblem files from the Scouts Victoria assets folder (the SCT_Emblem set).

Read the full World Scout Brand Identity Guide at scout.org before using any World Scouting assets.

Tool

On-brand checker

Not sure if a flyer, notice or post is on brand? Paste it in, or add a file, and get quick feedback against this guide, what is on brand and what to tweak, with the fix spelled out.

Two ways to check. Quick check runs in your browser and catches the clear-cut rules (wrong terms, spelling, symbols, dates), instantly and anywhere. Full AI review reads the whole thing, including tone and judgement calls, and can read a PDF or image; it uses an online AI service, so it needs a connection and will tell you if a saved copy cannot reach it.

Paste your text

or add a file
PDF, PNG or JPG. For a Word file, save as PDF or paste the text.

This is a helper, not a sign-off. It can miss things and does not replace the guide or brand approval. When in doubt, check the guide or ask the Marketing and Communication team.

Operating it

Child Safe statement

Include this statement, or a version of it, wherever it fits, for example at the foot of a flyer, brochure or web page.

Scouts Victoria is a child safe organisation with zero-tolerance for any harm, abuse or neglect. We value the diversity of our members, including gender, sexuality, race, religion and ability. Visit our Child Safe Scouting webpage for more information.

If you or anyone has a child safe concern, call 1800 870 772 or visit the Child Safe page on the Scouts Victoria website.
Operating it

Brand approval

The Scouts Australia brand is trademarked and copyright belongs to Scouts Australia. Members are welcome to use it to support Scouting, as long as they use it correctly and follow this guide.

What needs approval

  • Any Formation or event logo
  • Merchandise, before it is made
  • New graphics built from the brand
  • Any use that benefits an individual or another organisation, or associates us with them
  • Adapting brand materials into designs outside this guide
  • Any commercial use of the branding

Who to ask

Operating it

Keeping it current

A style guide is only useful if it matches what we publish. Wire it so drift is hard.

One source of truth

The colour tokens at the top of this file are the single source for colour in this guide. Change a colour in one place, not five.

One named keeper

The Marketing and Communication Manager approves changes and merges new components. Everyone proposes, one person commits.

Review on a rhythm

A short look each month, plus a check whenever a new template ships. Note what changed in the changelog.

Share it. This whole guide is one self-contained HTML file. Use the download button in the hero to save the current version, then share it with your Group, hand it to a designer, or attach it when you pick the work back up. The file name carries today's date so versions do not get muddled.
↓ Download this guide (HTML)
Operating it

Changelog

A short record of what changed and when. Add a row with every edit.

VersionDateChange
1.324 Aug 2026Fixed a layout bug: in do and don’t boxes outside the two-column blocks, the tick and cross markers sat outside the box, most visibly on a phone. They now sit correctly beside each line everywhere.
1.224 Aug 2026Reworded the third quick-fix example to refer to the Group rather than the office, so it fits how Groups write to their own families.
1.124 Aug 2026Practising what we preach: every ampersand in our own headings and navigation is now the word "and". The only ampersands left are the one in the "don’t" example and the ones inside the code.
1.024 Aug 2026First release. The complete Scouts Victoria brand and writing guide: values and voice with practical quick fixes, the full colour system with print specifications, typography with the font download, spacing, the complete Writing like a Scout rules, components, the Scouts Victoria master logo, all five Section logo sets, the Group logos library (bit.ly/SVGrouplogos), the brand assets library (bit.ly/SVBrandAssets), the logo picker, the on-brand checker, and Gumtree and World Scout branding.
NextTBCTo do: link the live Child Safe page, and connect the Full AI review to the hosted service.