About Scouting in England

Scouting began in turn-of-the-century England and grew to become a movement that covers the globe. Millions of youth have earned badges, participated in Jamborees, and hiked the wilderness. But Scouts today engage in much more than wilderness adventures. Boys and girls might go rock climbing or parasailing. They may discover the wonders of science or explore technology. Scouting has truly come a long way from that first camp outing at Dorset, England.

History

When Robert Baden-Powell returned to England after his stint in the Boer War, he found that many young men were reading his book, "Aids to Scouting." This book, a military manual, was filled with training techniques useful for soldiers. In 1908, Baden-Powell published a new book for teenagers called, "Scouting for Boys." Initially, Baden-Powell had no movement in mind, only a manual that would supplement programs already in place in England, like the Boys Brigade and the Boy's Clubs. But before long, boys not in these organizations set up Patrols of Scouts and found leaders to train them. Since Baden-Powell was still in active military duty, the publisher, Arthur Pearson & Company, organized scouting membership. Eventually, the Scout leaders broke with Pearson and by 1910, Baden-Powell, retired from the Army, devoted his time to developing the scouting program in the United Kingdom. From this simple beginning, scouting would spread across the world, influencing millions of young people.

Significance

Scouting is a movement with aims far beyond teaching young men and women how to tie a knot, find their way out of the woods, or make a campsite. Scouting hopes to help young people reach their full physical, spiritual, social and intellectual potential, while also teaching youth responsible citizenship within their communities.

Types

The Scouting Programme is divided into five sections, distinguished by age groups. Within each age group, members are encouraged, through training and awards, to progress through each level. Members still wear uniforms, usually consisting of a colored sweatshirt and Group scarf. The groups are as follows: Beaver Scouts: (6 to 8 years), Cub Scouts (8 to 10 1/2 years), Scouts (10 1/2 to 14 years), Explorer Scouts (14 to 18 years) and Scout Network (18 to 25 years).

Misconceptions

Initially, Robert Baden-Powell supported the idea of female Girl Scouts (in separate troops), but due to the constraints of Edwardian society, he gave up on the idea and set up the sister movement of Girl Guides in 1910. Since 1991, though controversial at the time, girls have been allowed in every level of Scouting, with the only proviso that once a Group is mixed, it must offer mixed Scouting at all the higher levels.

Potential

Scouting shows no signs of slowing down. The Programme seems to be as relevant today as it was a hundred years ago, as evidenced by its continued global growth. To date, there are only a handful of countries where Scouting is not allowed.