The History of Scouting

The Birth of the Founder

Scouting was first stared by a man named, Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell. Known to most as Baden-Powell, he was born on 22 February 1857 at 6 Stanhope street, (now 11 stanhope terrace) Paddington, London. He was the sixth son and the eighth of ten children.

 

Scouting for Boys

Baden-powell returned to England after defending the town of mafeking for seven months from the Besieging Boer troops. When he returned to England he discovered that many boys and young men were reading his book Aids to Scouting. This book was intended as a military training manual, teaching soldiers techniques like tracking and observation. Baden-Powell was persuaded to write a version of Aids to Scouting aimed at teenage boys. Named Scouting for Boys it was published in 1908, printed in six fortnightly parts, and it sold very quickly! The book has now been translated into many different languages and dialects, and is now in fourth place in all time best sellers list, behind the Bible, the Koran and Mao Tse-Tungs Little Red Book.

 

Brownsea Island

In august 1907 Baden-Powell chose 22 boys to join him in an experimental camp on Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour, Dorset to try out his ideas. He brought together the 22 boys, some of which who were from public-schools and others from working-class homes. The boys set up their tents on the south coast of the island. The day began at dawn with the blast of an African kudu horn. After a glass of milk and a biscuit, followed by 30 minutes of physical training and prayers, the boys broke up into separate patrols - the Wolves, Bulls, Curlews and Ravens - for stalking and tracking, building shelters, putting up tents and mock whale-hunts in boats. In the evening there were brief talks on Scouting techniques, and then Baden-Powell told yarns of life on the African veld round the camp-fire. The success of this first camp encouraged Baden-Powell to publish his Scouting for Boys book the following year, and from this modest beginning the international Scouting movement grew rapidly. Brownsea Island is still in existence and gets used to this day.

Chief Scout

Baden-Powell was the first and the only Chief Scout of the World after that no person held that responsibility. There have been seven previous chief scouts in the UK and this year we had our eigth.

Lord Somers

Lord Rowallan

Lord Maclean

Sir William Gladstone

Major General Michael Walsh

Garth Morrison

George Purdy

Peter Duncan

 

The Death of Baden-Powell

In 1938, suffering from ill-health, Baden-Powell returned to Africa, which had meant so much in his life, to live in semi-retirement at Nyeri, Kenya. On January 8th, 1941, at 83 years of age, Baden-Powell died. He was buried in a simple grave at Nyeri within sight of Mount Kenya. On his head-stone are the words "Robert Baden-Powell, Chief Scout of the World" surmounted by the Boy Scout and Girl Guide Badges. Lady Olave Baden-Powell carried on his work, promoting Scouting and Girl Guiding around the world until her death in 1977. She is buried alongside Lord Baden-Powell at Nyeri. In his belongings was his last message to Scouts throughout the world:

Dear Scouts

If you have ever seen the play 'Peter Pan' you will remember how the pirate chief was always making his dying speech because he was afraid that possible, when the time came for him to die, he might not have time to get it off his chest. It is much the same with me, and so, although I am not at this moment dying, I shall be doing so one of these days and I want to send you a parting word of goodbye.

Remember, it is the last time you will ever hear from me, so think it over.

I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have a happy life too.

I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness does not come from being rich, nor merely being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so you can enjoy life when you are a man.

Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one.

But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. 'Be Prepared' this way, to live happy and to die happy - stick to your Scout Promise always - even after you have ceased to be a boy - and God help you to do it.

Your friend,

Robert Baden-Powell

Lord Baden-Powell