Scouting

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Scout organization
Organizational data
Name	Scouting
Country	Worldwide
Founded	1907
Founder	Baden-Powell
Scouting portal

Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement,^[1][2] is a worldwide youth movement of organizations whose aim is to develop youth physically, mentally and spiritually so that they may take a constructive place in society. The movement employs a program of non-formal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, using the Scout method with programs targeted for up to five age groups, as defined by the founders of Scouting in the early 20th century. Most countries have Scouting programs for children and young adults.

Scouting began in 1907 when R.S.S. Baden-Powell, Lieutenant General in the British Army, held the first Scouting encampment at Brownsea Island Scout camp, England. He was at that time a good friend of William Alexander Smith, founder of the Boys' Brigade. The first organized Scout units were boys-only and were founded in 1908. By 1909, girls wanted to join the Scout Movement and they are called either Girl Guides or Girl Scouts. In 2006, Scouting and Guiding have over 38 million members in 217 countries and territories represented through different Scouting associations at the international level. The works of Ernest Thompson Seton and Daniel Carter Beard were influential in the early development of Scouting. Internationally, Scouting has become a significant part of popular culture.

The movement is not without controversy. International Scouting associations have formed outside of the mainstream. Policies on membership regarding sexual orientation, religion and co-education differ between Scouting associations.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Origins 1.2 Growth of the movement 1.3 Conceptual influences 2 Movement characteristics 2.1 Scout method 2.2 Activities 2.3 Uniforms and distinctive insignia 3 Age groups and sections 4 Adults and leadership 5 Around the world 5.1 Co-educational 5.2 Membership 5.3 Breakaway and non-aligned organizations 6 In film and the arts 7 See also 8 Notes 9 Citations 10 References 11 External links

[edit] History

Baden-Powell founded the Scouting movement in 1907 at Brownsea Island Scout Camp, England. He also introduced the parallel movement for girls, the Girl Guides, in 1910 with the aid of his sister Agnes Baden-Powell. Guides are known as Girl Scouts in the United States, Japan, and other countries.

[edit] Origins

The foundation for modern-day Scouting was laid down by Baden-Powell during a battle of the Second Boer War, the Siege of Mafeking, South Africa, where he served as commanding officer.^[3] Baden-Powell successfully defended the town against the Boers (later known as Afrikaners), who outnumbered his troops eight to one. Volunteer boys in the town were formed into the Mafeking Cadet Corps, to help support the troops by carrying messages, which freed up men for military duties and kept the boys occupied during the long siege. The boys acquitted themselves well, helping in the successful defense of the town (1899–1900). Each Cadet Corps member received a badge, a combination of a compass point and a spearhead. This logo was similar to the fleur-de-lis that Scouting later adopted as its international symbol.

As a result of his determined and successful defense of the town of Mafeking, Baden-Powell became a national hero; his military training manual, Aids to Scouting (written in 1899) became a best-seller and was used by teachers and youth organizations.^[4]

In July 1906, Seton sent Baden-Powell a copy of his book entitled The Birchbark Roll of the Woodcraft Indians. Seton, a British-born Canadian living in the United States, met Baden-Powell in October 1906, and they shared ideas about youth training programs.^[5][6][7]

Because of the popularity of Aids to Scouting, Baden-Powell re-wrote it to suit a youth readership. By 1907 he had finished a draft called Boy Patrols. The same year, to test his ideas, he gathered together 21 boys of mixed social backgrounds and held a week-long camp in August 1907, on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, England.^[8] His organizational method, now known as the Patrol System, a key part of Scouting training, allowed the boys to organize themselves into small groups with an elected patrol leader.^[9]

In the autumn of 1907, having his draft publication and a successful camp behind him, Baden-Powell went on an extensive speaking tour arranged by his publisher, Arthur Pearson, to promote his forthcoming book, the youth version of Aids To Scouting, which he called Scouting for Boys. In January 1908 Scouting for Boys initially appeared in England as six fortnightly installments. Scouting for Boys was published later in 1908 in book form in England and it is now commonly considered the first version of the Boy Scout Handbook.^[10] The book is now the fourth best-selling title of all time.^[11]

At the time, Baden-Powell intended that the book would provide ideas for established organizations, in particular the Boys' Brigade in which he assisted their founder William A. Smith.^[12] However, boys spontaneously formed Scout patrols and flooded Baden-Powell with requests for assistance. He encouraged them, and Scouting developed by the weight of its own momentum. As the movement grew, Sea Scout, Air Scout, and other specialised units were added to the program options.

Baden-Powell could not singlehandedly advise all groups who requested his assistance. To provide for adult leadership, proper training was required. The Wood Badge course was developed to recognize adult leadership training. In 1919 Gilwell Park near London was purchased by The Scout Association as an adult training site and scouting campsite.^[13] Baden-Powell also wrote a book for the assistance of Leaders entitled Aids to Scoutmastership. He also wrote other handbooks for the use of new sections of Scouting that were formed, such as Cub Scouts, Girl Guides. One of these books was Rovering to Success for Rover Scouts in 1922.

[edit] Growth of the movement

Scouting began to spread throughout Great Britain and Ireland soon after the publication of Scouting for Boys. The Boy Scout movement swiftly established itself throughout the British Empire. The first recognized overseas unit was chartered in Gibraltar in 1908, followed quickly by Malta. Canada became the first overseas dominion with a sanctioned Boy Scout program, followed by Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Chile was the first country outside of the British dominions to have a recognized scouting program. The first Scout rally was held at the Crystal Palace, London, in 1910. It attracted 10,000 boys, as well as a number of girls, who turned out for this exhibition of Scouting. By 1910 Argentina, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Malaya, Sweden, and the United States had Boy Scouts.^[14][15][16]

Since the program initially focused on boys aged 11–18 and the movement grew rapidly, the need for four additional programs quickly became apparent: younger boys, older boys, girls, and leader training.

The first programs for Cub Scouts, Explorers, and Rover Scouts were in place by the late 1910s. These operated on their own until official recognition was obtained from a country's Scouting organization, such was the case in the United States, where attempts at Cub programs began as early as 1911, but official recognition was not obtained until 1930.^{[16][17][18][19]}

Girls wanted to become part of the movement almost as soon as it began. Agnes Baden-Powell became the first president of the Girl Guides when it was formed in 1910 at the request of the girls who attended the Crystal Palace Rally. She started Rosebuds, later renamed Brownies (Girl Guides) for younger girls in 1914. She stepped down as president of the Girl Guides in 1920 in favor of Princess Mary and remained as vice-president of the Girl Guides until her death at age 86. Olave Baden-Powell, wife of Robert Baden-Powell, was acclaimed the Chief Guide (for England) in 1918 and World Chief Guide in 1930. At that time, girls were expected to remain separate from boys because of societal standards. By the 1990s, Scout associations mostly had become co-educational.^[20]

Early Scoutmaster training camps were held in London in 1910 and Yorkshire in 1911. But Baden-Powell wanted his training to be as practical as possible, which led to the development of the Wood Badge training. The development of leader training was delayed by World War I, so the first Wood Badge course was not held until 1919.^[21] A wide range of leader training in 2006 exists, from basic to program-specific, including the Wood Badge training.

[edit] Conceptual influences

Important elements of traditional Scouting have their origins in Baden-Powell's own personal education and military training. However, it must be remembered that the ideas that he promoted were revolutionary at the time. He was unique, a 55-year-old retired army general who was nevertheless able to inspire and enthuse thousands of young people, hailing from all parts of society, to get involved in activities most of them had never contemplated. Comparable organizations (in the English-speaking world) are the Boys' Brigade or the left-wing non-militaristic Woodcraft Folk, however they were never able to match the development and growth of Scouting.^[22]

Aspects of Scouting have been criticized as being too militaristic.^[23] Such things as military-style uniforms, badges of rank, flag ceremonies, and brass bands were commonly accepted in the early years because they were a part of normal society, but have been watered down or abandoned in later times. Other popular youth movements have also adopted similar attributes successfully.

Local influences have also been a strong part of Scouting. By adopting and modifying local ideologies, Scouting has been able to find acceptance in a wide variety of cultures. In America, for example, Scouting uses images drawn from the U.S. frontier experience. This includes not only its selection of animal badges for Cub Scouts, but the underlying assumption that American Indians are more closely connected with nature and therefore have special wilderness survival skills which can be used as part of the training program. British Scouting, by contrast, makes use of imagery drawn from the Indian subcontinent, because that region was a significant focus in the early years of Scouting. Baden-Powell's personal experiences in India led him to adopt Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book as a major influence for the Cub Scouts; for example, the name used for the Cub Scout leader, Akela (whose name was also appropriated for the Webelos), is that of the leader of the wolf pack in the book.^[24]

The name "Scouting" seems to have been inspired by the important and romantic role played by military scouts performing reconnaissance in the wars of the time. In fact, Baden-Powell's original military training book, Aids To Scouting, was written because he saw the need for improved training of British military enlisted scouts, particularly in the areas of initiative, self-reliance and observation skills. The book's popularity with young boys surprised him. When he adapted the book for youth in Scouting for Boys, it seems natural that the movement adopted the names Scouting and Boy Scouts.^[25]

"Duty to God" is a principle of worldwide Scouting; Scouting organizations in different nations apply it differently to their membership policies.^[26][27] The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) takes a strong position, excluding atheists.^[28] The United Kingdom Scout Association does have a requirement that adult leaders acknowledge a higher power, but does not necessarily exclude atheists from roles in Scouting as long as the local Commissioner is satisfied that the applicant leader will support the values of Scouting and the investigation of faith by the young people in the movement. Scouts Canada defines Duty to God broadly in terms of "adherence to spiritual principles" and does not have any explicit policy excluding non-theists.^[29]

[edit] Movement characteristics

Scouting is taught via a non-formal education system with emphasis on practical activities in the outdoors, using the Scout method. programs exist for Scouts ranging in age from 6 to 25, though exact age limits vary slightly from country to country. program specifics are targeted to Scouts appropriate to their age.^[30][31] It is the use of the Scout method that binds Scouts together, worldwide.

[edit] Scout method

The Scout method is the principal method by which the Scouting organizations, boy and girl, operate their units. The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) describes Scouting as "...a voluntary nonpolitical educational movement for young people open to all without distinction of origin, race or creed, in accordance with the purpose, principles and method conceived by the Founder and stated below..."^[30] It is the goal of Scouting "to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities."^[30]

The principles of Scouting describe a code of behavior that likewise applies to all members and characterises the movement. The Scout method is a progressive system designed to achieve these goals comprising four elements:

• Scout Law and Scout Promise (Scout Oath)
• Learning by doing
• Development of small groups
• Progressive and attractive programs of different activities

The Scout Law and Oath embody the joint values of the Scouting movement all over the world and binds all Scouting associations together. The emphasis on "Learning by doing" provides experiences and hands on orientation as a practical method of learning and confidence building. Small groups build unity and a close-knit fraternal atmosphere to develop responsibility, character, self-reliance and self-confidence, reliability, and readiness; which eventually leads to collaboration and leadership. A program of progressive and attractive varying activities expands a Scouts' horizons and bonds the Scout even more to the group. Activities and games develop dexterity and provides a fun way to develop skills. In an outdoor setting, these also provide contact with nature and the environment.^[31]

Since the birth of Scouting in 1907, all Scouts around the world have taken a Scout Promise or Oath to live up to ideals of the movement, and subscribe to the Scout Law. The form of the promise and laws have varied slightly from country to country and over time, but must fulfil the requirements of the WOSM to qualify a National Scout Association for membership.

The Scout motto, Be Prepared, has been used in various languages by millions of Scouts since 1907. Less well known is the Scout Slogan, 'Do a good turn daily'.

[edit] Activities

Common ways to implement the Scout method include spending time together in small groups with shared experiences, rituals, and activities, as well as emphasizing good citizenship and decision-making by the youth that are age-level appropriate. Weekly meetings often take place in local centres known as Scout dens. Cultivating a love and appreciation of the outdoors and outdoor activities are key elements. Primary activities include camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking, and sports.^[32][33]

Camping most often occurs on a unit level, such as a Boy Scout troop, but there are periodic camporees and jamborees. Camporees occur a couple times a year and usually have a theme, such as pioneering, for units from a local area camping together for a weekend. World Scout Moots are camporees, mainly focused on Scouters. Jamborees are large events on a national or international level held every four years where thousands of Scouts camp together for 1-2 weeks. Activities at these events include games, scoutcraft competitions, badge, pin or patch trading, aquatics, woodcarving, archery, rifle and shotgun shooting, and activities related to the theme of the event.^[34]

For Scouts and Scouters, the highlight of the year is spending at least a week in the summer as part of an outdoor activity. This can be a long camping, hiking, sailing, etc. trip with the unit or a summer camp operated on a council, state, or province level. Scouts attending a summer camp, generally one week during the summer, work on merit badges, advancement, and perfecting scoutcraft skills. Summer camps can operate specialty programs for older Scouts, such as sailing, backpacking, canoeing and whitewater, caving, and fishing.

[edit] Uniforms and distinctive insignia

Individual national or other emblems may be found on the individual country's Scouting article, and/or at Gallery of Scout and Guide national emblems.

The Scout uniform is a specific characteristic of Scouting, in the words of Lord Baden-Powell at the 1937 World Jamboree, it "hides all differences of social standing in a country and makes for equality; but, more important still, it covers differences of country and race and creed, and makes all feel that they are members with one another of the one great brotherhood".^[35] The original uniform, which has created a familiar image in the public eye, consisted of a khaki button-up shirt, shorts and a broad-brimmed campaign hat. Baden-Powell himself wore shorts as being dressed like the youth contributed to reducing distances between the adult and the young person. Uniforms are now frequently blue, orange, red or green, and shorts are replaced by long trousers in areas where the culture calls for modesty, and in winter weather.

Distinctive insignia for all Scout uniforms, recognized and worn the world over, include the Wood Badge and the World Membership Badge. Scouting has two internationally known symbols: The fleur-de-lis is used by membership organizations of the WOSM, the trefoil by the members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).^[1][36] While these are the largest boy and girl Scouting associations, not all Scouts nor Scouting associations belong to them.

The swastika was also used as an early symbol by the British Boy Scouts, as well as elsewhere. According to "Johnny" Walker, the earliest Scouting use was on the first Thanks Badge introduced in 1911.^[37] Lord Baden-Powell's 1922 Medal of Merit design added a swastika to the Scout fleur-de-lis as good luck to the person receiving the medal. Like Rudyard Kipling, he would have come across this symbol in India. In 1934, Scouters requested a change of design because of the subsequent use of the swastika by the National Socialist German Workers Party. A new British Medal of Merit was issued in 1935.

[edit] Age groups and sections

Main article: Age Groups in Scouting and Guiding

Scouting and Guiding movements are generally divided into sections by age or school grade, allowing activities to be tailored to the maturity level of the group. These age divisions have varied over time in Scouting and Guiding as they adapt to their culture and environment.

Scouting was originally developed for young adolescents, generally aged 11-17. In most member organizations, the Scout or Guide section is designated to this age group. In the following years, programs were developed to meet the needs of young children (generally aged 6-10), and young adults (originally aged 18 and older, later up to 25). In many member organizations the Scout/Guide section is later split in a "junior" and a "senior" Scout/Guide section. Some member organizations dropped the section for young adults. Exact age ranges and programs vary between countries and associations.^[38][39][40]

Original age groups and section names
as created by Baden-Powell

Ages	Scouting	Guiding
7 to 10	Cub Scout	Brownie Guide
11 to 17	Boy Scout	Girl Guide or Girl Scout
18 and up	Rover Scout	Ranger Guide

Some of the national programs for younger children include: Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, Brownies, Daisies, Beaver Scouts, Joey Scouts, Keas, and Teddies. Programs for post-adolescents and young adults include: Senior Section,^[41] Rover Scouts, Venture Scouts, Explorer Scouts, and Scout Network.

The Scout Method has also been adapted to specific programs such as Air Scouts, Sea Scouts, Rider Guides and Scoutingbands.

Many organisations also have a program tailored for members with special needs. This section is usually known as Extension Scouting, but is sometimes given other names, such as Scoutlink.

In many countries, Scouting is organized into neighborhood Scout Group, or District, which contain one or more sections. Under the umbrella of the Scout Group are sections divided according to age, each with their own terminology and leadership structures.

[edit] Adults and leadership

Adults interested in Scouting or Guiding, including former Scouts and Guides, often join organizations such as the International Scout and Guide Fellowship. In the United States or the Philippines, university students might join the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. In the United Kingdom university students might join the Student Scout and Guide Organisation and after graduation the Scout and Guide Graduate Association.

Scout units are generally operated by adult volunteers. These may be parents, former Scouts, students, or community leaders such as teachers or religious leaders. Scout Leadership positions are often divided between 'uniform' and 'lay' positions. Uniformed leaders have received formal training such as the Wood Badge and received a warrant for a rank within the organization, while lay members range from part time roles such as meeting helpers, committee members and advisors, to a small number of full-time professionals in the Scout organization.^[42][43]

Within a unit are uniformed positions such as Scoutmaster and assistants. The names of these positions vary from country to country. In some countries units are supported by lay members ranging from meeting helpers to members of a unit committee.^[44] In some Scout associations, the committee members may also wear uniforms and be registered Scout leaders.

Above the unit are further uniformed positions, called Commissioners, at levels such as district, county, council or province, depending on the structure of the national organization. They also work along with lay teams and professionals. Training teams and other related functions are often formed at these levels. In the UK and other countries, the national Scout organizations appoints a Chief Scout as the most senior uniformed member.

[edit] Around the world

Following its foundation in the United Kingdom (UK), Scouting spread around the globe. The first association outside the UK was opened in Malta. In most countries of the world now there is at least one Scouting (or Guiding) organization. Each organization is independent but international cooperation was and is seen as part of the Scout Movement. In 1922 the WOSM, the governing body on policy for the then male only national Scouting organizations, started. In addition to being the governing policy body it organizes the World Scout Jamboree every four years.^[45]

In 1928 the WAGGGS which was the equivalent to WOSM for the then female only national Scouting/Guiding organizations, started. It is also responsible for the various international centres such as Our Chalet.

Today at the international level, the two largest umbrella organizations are:

• WOSM- for boys-only and co-educational organizations.
• WAGGGS- primarily for girls-only organizations but also accepting co-educational organizations.

[edit] Co-educational

Worldwide there have been different approaches to co-educational Scouting. Countries such as the USA have maintained separate Scouting organizations for boys and girls.^[46] In other countries, notably in Europe, Scouting and Guiding have merged, and there is a single organization for boys and girls, which is a member of both the WOSM and the WAGGGS.^[47][48] In others, for example, Australia and the United Kingdom, the national Scout association has opted to admit both boys and girls, but is only a member of the WOSM, while the national Guide association has remained as a separate movement and member of the WAGGGS. In Slovenia, Spain and Greece, it is the other way around, as the national Guide association has opted to admit both boys and girls, and the national Scout association has remained a separate movement.

The Scout Association of the United Kingdom has been co-educational at all levels since 1991, but this has been optional for groups and currently 52% of groups have at least one female youth member. Since 2000 sections newly opening are required to accept girls. The Scout Association has decided that all Scout groups and sections will become co-educational by January 2007, the year of Scouting's centenary.^[49]

In the United States, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are boys-only, however, for youths age 14 and older, the Venturing program is co-educational. The Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is an independent organization for girls and young women. Adult leadership positions in the BSA and the GSUSA are open to both men and women.

[edit] Membership

As of 2005, there are over 28 million registered Scouts and 10 millions registered Guides around the world, participating from 216 different countries and territories.

Top 20 countries with Scouting and Guiding, sorted by membership. Full tables on List of World Organization of the Scout Movement members and List of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts members.^[50][51][52]

Country	Membership[53][54]	Scouting introduced	Guiding introduced
United States	10,100,000	1910	1912
Indonesia	8,900,000	1912	1912
India	3,300,000	1909	1911
Philippines	2,600,000	1910	1918
Thailand	1,300,000	1911	1957
United Kingdom	1,050,000	1907	1909
Bangladesh	950,000	1920	1928
Pakistan	600,000	1909	1911
Canada	360,000	1909	1910
Korea	330,000	1922	1946
Japan	280,000	1913	1919
Kenya	270,000	1910	1920
Germany[I]	260,000	1910	1912
Italy[II]	220,000	1912	1912
Poland[III]	190,000	1910	1910
France[IV]	180,000	1910	1911
Egypt	170,000	1914	1918
Malaysia	160,000	1911	1916
Belgium[V]	160,000	1911	1915
Nigeria	150,000	1915	1919

[edit] Breakaway and non-aligned organizations

Main article: Scouting in breakaway and non-aligned organisations

Between the first publication of Scouting for Boys and the creation of the first supranational Scout organization, WOSM, fifteen years had passed and millions of copies of the appealing handbook had been sold in dozens of languages. By that point, Scouting was the purview of the world's youth, hard to contain by one school of thought.

Alternative groups have formed since the original formation of the Scouting "Boy Patrols." They can be a result of groups or individuals who refuse to follow the original ideals of Scouting but still desire to participate in Scout-like activities. Others maintain that the WOSM is currently far more political and less youth based than ever envisioned by Lord Baden-Powell. They believe that Scouting in general has moved away from its original intent, because of political machinations that happen to longstanding organizations, and seek to return to the earliest, simplest methods.^[55][56]

There are at least 520 separate national or regional Scouting associations in the world. Most have felt the need to create international Scouting organizations to set standards for Scouting and to coordinate activities among member associations. Six international Scouting organizations serve 437 of the world's national associations, and the largest two organizations, WOSM and WAGGGS, count 362 national associations as members, encompassing the vast majority of the world's Scouts.^[57]

Breakaway and nonaligned organizations can be divided into four categories: Scouts-in-Exile, independent Scouts and Scout organizations, Scout-like youth organizations, political and military youth organizations.

[edit] In film and the arts

Main article: Scouting in popular culture

As Scouting has been a facet of culture throughout most of the 20th century, numerous films and artwork use the subject.^[58] It is especially prevalent in the United States, where Scouting is tied closely to the ideal of Americana. The works of painters Norman Rockwell and Joseph Csatari and the 1966 film Follow Me, Boys! are prime examples of this idealised American ethos. Scouting is often dealt with in a humorous manner, as in the 1989 film Troop Beverly Hills and the 2005 film Down and Derby, and is often fictionalised so that the audience knows the topic is Scouting without there being mention of Scouting by name. In 1980 Scottish singer and songwriter Gerry Rafferty recorded I was a Boy Scout as part of his Snakes and Ladders album.^[59]

[edit] See also

• List of highest awards in Scouting
• List of notable Scouts
• Oldest Scout Groups
• Religion in Scouting
• Scout prayer

[edit] Notes

[edit] Citations

[edit] References

• László Nagy, 250 Million Scouts, The World Scout Foundation and Dartnell Publishers, 1985
• World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Bureau, Trefoil Round the World. Eleventh Edition 1997. ISBN 0-900827-75-0
• World Organization of the Scout Movement, Scouting 'round the World. Facts and Figures on the World Scout Movement. 1990 edition. ISBN 2-88052-001-0

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Scouting

• Milestones in World Scouting
• Scouting Frequently Asked Questions
• Scouting Milestones - UK Scouting History site
• The World Scout Emblem
• World of Scouting, describes history of Scouting organizations
• Aids to Scoutmastership

International Scouting
Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme | International Scout and Guide Fellowship | Order of World Scouts | Scouts-in-Exile | Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe | World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts | World Federation of Independent Scouts | World Organization of the Scout Movement