Some general terms used in Scouting – not an exhaustive list by any means.
| Term | Notes |
| AAM | Application for Adult Membership |
| Adult Members | All Adults (persons eighteen years or older) in SSA who have become members by completing an AAM form |
| AGM | Annual General Meeting |
| Air Activity Licence | The licence given to an Adult Member who has been certified as competent to be the Activity Leader for specified air activities. |
| ALT | Adult Leader Training |
| APL | Assistant Patrol Leader who assists the Patrol Leader in running the Patrol |
| Assistant Leader Trainer | Warranted Assistant Leader Trainer. Member of the National (Assistant LT) or a Regional Adult Leader Training Team |
| ATS | Assistant Troop Scouter |
| AYM | Application for Youth Membership |
| B-P | Baden-Powell (Lord Robert) |
| Branch | Signifies one of the constituent parts of SCOUTS South Africa, i.e., Meerkats, Cubs, Scouts and Rovers |
| CC | Chief Commissioner |
| Consent Form | Required for all activities outside of the regular meeting place, ie: scout hall |
| Court of Honour (CoH) | The body responsible for the Honour of each Troop |
| CS | Chief Scout |
| District Commissioner (DC) | The Scouter responsible for coordinating the support for a number of Groups assigned to them |
| Group | A Group is an entity composed of one or more Units (Pack, Troop, etc) |
| Introduction to Adult Leadership (IAL) | Stage 1 Training required to apply for your limited warrant |
| Leader Trainer (LT) | Warranted Leader Trainer. Member of the National and Regional Training Team |
| Licence | Certification of competence to be the Activity Leader for various Adventurous Scouting Activities |
| Membership ManagementSystem (MMS) | The MMS used by SSA to manage the records of all our Members – Scouts.Digital |
| Patrol Leader (PL) | The Scout appointed by the TS who is responsible for leading the Patrol |
| RC | Regional Commissioner |
| Regions | The geographic subdivisions of South Africa which are used to operate SSA |
| RTC | Regional Team Coordinator. The member responsible for coordinating the activities of a Branch or portfolio and their Support Team Members in a Region |
| Scout | Youth Member (child), aged from eleven to seventeen years of age who has been invested as a Scout |
| SCOUTER | (Capital letters). Any Member who holds a Warrant |
| Scout Group Leader (SGL) | The Warranted Scouter responsible for the Group |
| Scout Programme | The structured and incremental programme of activities for the Scout members of SSA, as defined in the Scout Trail on the SSA Website |
| Social Partnership Agreement (SPA) | Agreement between SSA and a Scout Group, Religious Organisation, School or Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) |
| SSA | SCOUTS South Africa |
| Scout (Junior) | A Scout who is under 14.5 years old |
| Scout (Senior) | A Scout who is over 14.5 years old |
| Stave | Thin wooden pole (2-3 metres in length) used for construction |
| Troop Scouter (TS) | The Warranted Scouter responsible for running a Scout Troop. They are normally assisted by ATSs |
| Warrant | The Certificate issued to a SCOUTER, which designates the Warranted Role to which they have been appointed. It is recorded on the National Register |
| Water Activity Licence | The Licence given to an Adult Member who has been certified as competent to be the Activity Leader for specified Water Activities |
| Woggle | Leather strap used to keep ones scarf on |
| Youth Member | A child aged between five and seventeen years of age who is a Member of SSA |