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The Boy Scouting movement began in 1907 at an
encampment on Brownsea Island, Poole Harbor England with a group
of twenty-two boys brought together by a man who had captured
the imagination of the youth of Great Britain through his
military exploits and book Aids to Scouting. This man was
Lieutenant General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell. His
book, Aids to Scouting, was written early in his Army career to
provide a guide to troops who lacked essential skills for
military scouting operations. During the Boer War Baden-Powell
soon had the opportunity to literally use every trick in the
book when during the siege of Mafeking, his troops badly
outnumbered and completely surrounded held out for a remarkable
seven months.i
Another army group fought through and finally broke the siege.
The British press had followed the siege with ardor and upon his
return home Baden-Powell found himself famous and his book a hit
with young boys. Baden-Powell was intrigued that boys were
reading the book he had written for soldiers, and felt that
there should be a book written that would be appropriate for
them.ii
He titled this book Scouting for Boys and it sold by the
thousands. In the development of his book he had met with and
read the works of men who had a similar interest in the
development of youth. Among those were some who would become
instrumental in the development of the Boys Scouts of America.
Among them were Ernest Thompson Seton and Daniel Carter Beard
both who had successfully started programs for boys based on
nature lore, pioneering skills, hiking and camping. Scouting for
Boys was such a success that Scout troops were soon found
throughout England and the book gained a worldwide readership.
Boy Scouting found its way to the United Sates in 1909 through a
chance encounter. An American businessman, William D. Boyce, was
passing through London, England on his way to Africa. One day he
walked from his hotel into the infamous London fog. The fog was
so thick Boyce was hesitant to cross the street. A boy with a
light approached and asked if he could be of assistance. Boyce
gladly accepted and upon reaching his destination attempted to
pay the boy, who politely refused saying that Boy Scouts didn't
accept pay for being helpful. Boyce, being curious, inquired
about Scouting and the boy told him of Baden-Powell. Boyce
requested that the boy take him to Baden-Powell's office. Upon
arriving there the boy disappeared, remaining an unknown Scout
whose good turn brought Boyce to a meeting with Baden-Powell.
This meeting resulted in Boyce returning home with a trunk of
Boy Scout uniforms and several copies of Scouting for Boys and a
strong desire to begin a Boy Scout program in the United States
of America.
iii Boyce legally incorporated the Boy Scouts of
America in Washington, DC on February 8, 1910. Both Ernest
Thompson Seton and Daniel Carter Beard combined their boy
organizations with the Boy Scouts of America, with Seton
becoming the first Chief Scout and Beard becoming the National
Scout Commissioner. Seton wrote the first Scout Handbook titled
Handbook for Boys, for the Boy Scouts of America using his Birch
bark Scrolls from the Woodcraft Indian program and
Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys while Beard implemented a
strong outdoor program that is still the core of the Boy Scouts
of America.iv
James E. West, a man dedicated to helping all youth, became the
first Chief Scout Executive and served in that capacity for
thirty-two years. His dedication and commitment to the Boy
Scouts of America laid a strong foundation for the Boy Scouts of
America. In June of 1910, men who shared an interested in
programs for boys came together from all over the United States.
From this meeting came the plan for the organization of the Boy
Scouts of America.
v
Since that meeting the President of the United States has been
the Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America with the
former President of the United States serving as the Honorary
Vice President of the Boy Scouts of America. The Scout Oath and
Law were developed in 1911 and the first issuance of handbooks
and manufacturing of uniforms and insignia also occurred in that
year. The next several years saw an incredible growth in the Boy
Scouts of America, with Boy Scouts serving their communities in
times of emergencies, natural disasters, civic events, and
parades. vi
This service did not go unnoticed and on June 15, 1916 the
Congress of the United States granted the Boy Scouts of America
a Federal Charter. This charter granted exclusive rights to the
name, uniforms, and insignia to the Boy Scouts of America. In
1920 Baden-Powell organized the first World Jamboree where
Scouts from 32 countries came together and shared their Scouting
experiences and affirmed the brotherhood of Scouting. World
Jamborees have occurred every four years since then with the
only exception occurring during World War II. In 1937, at
the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Boy Scouts
from across the United States came together in Washington, D.C.
at the first National Jamboree, which is also held every four
years. Through every generation from those early years until now
Boy Scouts have served our community and nation. During the
World Wars Scouts were instrumental in the selling of Liberty
Bonds and Stamps, they collected metal and paper to be recycled,
distributed literature, planted Victory gardens, collected wood,
served as Civil Defense messengers, organized emergency corps to
serve the community and aided the Red Cross.vii
In 1930 Cub Scouting received recognition as an official program
of the Boy Scouts of America. Baden-Powell had started a Wolf
Cub program in Great Britain in 1916 for younger Scouts. Much of
this program was based upon the Jungle Book authored by his
friend Rudyard Kipling. In the United States this program would
serve boys from eight to ten and a half and with the addition of
Tiger Cubs in 1982 the span would be from seven to ten and a
half. The Sea Scouts became a part of the Boys Scouts of America
in 1912; they were joined by Explorer Scouting and in 1939 Air
Scouting. In 1949 these officially became the Exploring program
designed for older boys.viii
In 1998 senior scouting programs were designated as Venturing.ix
The foundations of the Boy Scouts of America are the Scout Oath
and Law. Every Scout learns them and strives to abide by them.
They are the common thread of Scouting and its greatest
tradition. Other traditions include the Scout sign and
handclasp. The Scout sign is made by raising the right hand palm
outward with the arm forming a right angle and placing the thumb
over the nail of the little finger of the right hand, three
fingers raised. The three upright fingers represent the three
points of the Scout Oath. The Scout handclasp is a tradition
passed from Baden-Powell's experiences in Africa to the Scouting
movement. The handclasp is made with the left hand in a standard
handshake. "When Colonel Baden-Powell entered the capital
city of the Ashanti people in 1890 he was met by one of the
Chiefs who came to him holding out his left hand. B.-P. held out
his right in return but the Chief said: "No, in my country the
bravest of the brave shake with the left hand." So began the
"left handshake" of the world-wide brotherhood of Scouts."x
The Ashanti developed this custom because it required them
to set aside their shield which they carried in their left hand
and were thus defenseless. These are the traditions which
mark all Scouts, no matter where you are in the world.
There are many traditions such as these throughout Scouting,
perhaps you are making some today in your troop or pack.
i Scout Handbook BSA Eighth Edition, First
Printing Boy Scouts of America 1972 p.369
ii Ibid p.370
iii Ibid p.
iv Ibid p. 373
v Handbook for Boys Fifth Edition Eleventh
Printing October 1957 BSA p. 449
vi Ibid p. 450
vii Ibid pp 450,451
viii Ibid p. 451
ix The Boy Scout Handbook BSA Eleventh Edition
Fourth Printing 1998 p. 436
x The Left Handshake, The Boy Scout Movement
during the War, 1939-1945 by Hilary St. George Saunders from the
forward by Chief Scout Lord Rowallan (http://www.pinetreeweb.com/left-handshake.htm)
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