The Beaver programme started in the 1960s and 1970s in various countries around the world, with Canada and Northern Ireland leading the way.
The reasons for Beaver Scouting to be started were similar to the Cub Scout, or Wolf Cub, section in 1916: that adult leaders were bringing their younger children to meetings, and the youth members were in turn bringing their younger siblings.
Beaver Scouts were not formally recognised by many Scouting Associations until well into the 1980s, but were still run with the ideals of Scouting, as laid down by Baden-Powell in 1907, influencing them.
Beaver groups are often called colonies and meetings sometimes include a ceremony with a "beaver dam" in which the Beavers work together to fix a breach in the dam.