The first pre-Cub scheme was set up in Northern Ireland by the 1st Dromore Group in 1963 and was called "The Little Brothers" spreading to Belfast with seven groups two years later. The creation of an under eight provision was sparked by the launch of other younger sections in other youth organisations at the time including the Anchors section of the Boys' Brigade which some feared was partly causing a drop in numbers of Cubs experienced at the time. As the scheme expanded throughout the rest of the province, it was given the official name of "Beavers" in 1966, having been a name considered by Robert Baden-Powell when creating Wolf Cubs.