A discipline policy is a great tool to have in your outpost. I constructed the example below a couple of years ago (after stealing most of the content from a fellow leader!) for my own outpost.

The advantages of a discipline policy are numerous and include:

• helping your leaders understand what to do
• being consistent
• a great fall back against a "hostile" or rather upset parent ("Well the discipline policy states...")
• a load of your mind (because you know you ought to have something like this...)

Here is the policy for my Outpost:
Blaxland Royal Rangers Discipline Code

Control and supervision
1. Each outpost leader is responsible for the control and supervision of their own group. Each ranger should be disciplined in a constructive and positive manner and within the guidelines laid down in Royal Ranger leader's materials and the Child Protection Manual.
2. If a ranger continues to disobey their commander, is rebellious and continues to disrupt and disturb the group, the commander will bring the child to the Senior Commander for a Formal Discipline Parade.

Formal Discipline Parade
3. In the Formal Discipline Parade, the commander and the child stand and face the Senior Commander and the commander states the offence.
4. The child is asked whether they agree with the commanders account of the incident and whether they would like to add anything further.
5. The child is then asked if they are sorry for their actions.
6. The Senior Commander will encourage the child to repent for the rebellious act.
7. The Senior Commander and commander then express their forgiveness to the child.

Punishment
8. The Senior Commander will then determine the punishment for the offence. Any punishment should take into account the age of the child and the severity offence. The Senior Commander may confer with the commander and advise of any punishment subsequent to the Formal Discipline Parade.

Escalation to suspension
9. If a Ranger continues to be rebellious and a disruption to the group, and the behaviour is not consistent with their repentance, then the option to suspend the child for 1 or 2 nights or deny attendance to a forthcoming outing is considered. Prior to this action, a letter is sent home to the parents, and followed up with a personal visit to attain parental involvement and agreement.
10. Longer term suspension is considered after repeated short term suspensions. Prior to this action, a letter is sent home to the parents, and followed up with a personal visit to gauge the home life, parent involvement with the child and a method for further referral is agreed on.

General comments
Never take a child out of site of the group.
Physical punishment is strictly forbidden.
Once forgiven, always forgotten.