By 1975 however, Beavers in Northern Ireland had advanced significantly to a size of approximately 100 Beaver groups, 2,500 boy members and 200 leaders; this compared to around 4,500 Cub Scouts in 520 packs at the same time. In September 1968, the Beavers Association was set up to oversee development of the section and they published a "Beavers Handbook" and organised an annual conference for leaders. It was noticed that a number of adults had stepped forward to help run the section who had no previous connection to youth work which allayed fears over the growth of the new section by some. A common uniform of a grey shirt and emerald green necker was introduced and a programme that did not use any of the Cub Scout content at all, instead linked to four pawprint badges and the name Beavers as a backronym: Building, Energy release, Adventure, Variety, Entertaining, Religion and Storytelling. In 1973, a resolution was published requesting Beavers be formally adopted into the structure of Scouting in Northern Ireland and in early 1975 this was approved.