Down Ben Spratling's left arm, sewn on with care and pride, are little cloth badges that tell the story of Britain's most decorated Cub Scout. The 10-year-old, it was revealed this week, has become the first Cub Scout to gain all 33 of the organisation's prized badges.

And it certainly wasn't easy. "It took me nearly two years," says Ben, who lives in Norwich. "It was very difficult to accomplish but I feel quite proud.

"I really enjoyed my Adventure Badge - it taught me how to camp out with my friends. The most important badge I have achieved, however, is emergency aid. I feel confident that I could help my friends if they had an accident."

Ben's mother, Debs, says her son had a fantastic time collecting the badges. "There is simply no other organisation in our area that provides eight- to 10-year-olds with the opportunity to try activities ranging from canoeing and climbing to hiking and DIY," she says.

And Ben tried them all, completing a range of activities that included some of the traditional Scouting activities such as map reading but also more modern additions such as parascending. He also earned his Serco personal safety badge, which teaches Scouts how to keep safe while using the internet. Altogether, the 33 badges cover a far-reaching range of activities, including caring for animals, astronomy, DIY and martial arts.

Some of the badges that Ben has down his arm show the extent to which such a traditional - and some might say conservative - organisation has changed in recent years. In fact, Ben is part of a new generation of Cub Scouts who can earn badges that meet more modern needs of children.

Earlier this year, 40 new badges were introduced across the whole Scouting movement that allowed boys and girls of all ages to earn recognition for such activities as skateboarding and racing quad bikes. Among the new badges was an award for healthy eating for Beaver Scouts, who are aged between six and eight. They have to be able to make a fruit salad, two sandwiches and healthy snacks, as well as listing some unhealthy foods.

Traditionalists shouldn't panic, though - map reading and first aid are still in there, although they have also been modernised. The emergency aid badge teaches Scouts how to recognise dangerous situations and treat cuts and scrapes. The older Explorer Scouts (who are between 14 and 18 years old) need to demonstrate that they know how to deal with a head injury, and to have knowledge of other medical conditions, including diabetes and epilepsy.

The revamp this year brought the total number of activities on offer to Scouts to nearly 200. Chief Scout Peter Duncan says he believes the changes reflect the interests of young people today, and might attract new members to the organisation. "Young people today have a larger choice than ever before of activities," he says.

In fact, the changes to the badges was the largest shake-up to the Scouts since its inception as a small boys-only club. It has now developed into a worldwide organisation with more than 318 million members in 316 countries.

The organisation was set up by Robert Baden-Powell after he completed his military service in South Africa during the Boer War. It is said that he saw first-hand how the Boer Army had the support of a cadet corps that carried messages for soldiers, and thought he could apply the principles back home. Each cadet received a badge illustrated with a compass point and spearhead similar to the fleur-de-lis that the Scouts later adopted as their symbol.

The first meeting of Baden-Powell's Scouts was modest: just 21 boys gathered in Poole, Dorset, in 1907. The Girl Guides was set up in 1910 by Baden-Powell and his sister, Agnes.

Today, the biggest growth across the country is in the Explorer Scouts for the 14- to 18-year-old age range. Since the early 1990s, girls have been allowed to join the Scouts and now make up around 15% of its membership. But whatever changes occur, it seems clear that badges - for whatever skills area they may cover - will be sewn on to arms for generations to come.