Scouting - making a difference to youth of today
Big thanks to Sean for stepping in a week ahead of time of schedule to talk about one of his passions - Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education (recognised by the UNHCR) with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities.
The purpose of Scouting is to encourage the physical, intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual development of young people so that they take a constructive place in society as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.
Scouting is based on three broad Principles that represent the movement's fundamental beliefs. They are known as: Duty to God, Duty to Others and Duty to Self.
History:
Scouting was founded by Lord Robert Baden-Powell.
BP won a scholarship which gave him entry into the British Army, where he was sent to India and served for many years. 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.
As a soldier, Baden-Powell rose to public prominence during the war against the Boers in Africa at the end of the 1800s. In 1896 he was assigned to Matabeleland and Matobo region (about 50kms from where I grew up). His friendship and work with Chief of Scouts for the British Army and also Frederick Selous, both internationally known heroes, renowned for their outdoor craftsmanship. He had the time of his life commanding reconnaissance missions into enemy territory and many of his later Boy Scout ideas originated here.
Most noteworthy was BP’s leadership of the defending force in the siege of the South African town of Mafeking and he returned to England as a national hero in 1899.
While he formulated his ideas over many years, Sc4outing acknowledges the 1st of August 1907 as the date when the Movement was founded.
Scouting soon spread throughout the world, with Scout Groups starting in Australia in 1908. In 2007, Scouting and Guiding together had over 38 million members in 216 countries.
Baden-Powell wrote ‘Scouting for Boys” – which ranks fourth in the best-selling books of the 20th Century: after the Bible, the Koran and Mao’s Little Red Book.
The Girl Guides were formed in 1910 by Baden-Powell’s sister, Agnes.
BP came to Australia three times, in 1912, 1931 and to the first Australian Jamboree in 1934-35.
He is now buried not far from where he and his wife retired near Mount Kenya.
Australian Scout promise:
On my honour, I promise
To do my best,
To be true to my spiritual beliefs,
To contribute to my community and our world,
To help other people,
And to live by the Scout Law.
The Australian Scout Law
Be Respectful Be friendly and considerate, Care for others and the environment,
Do What is Right Be trustworthy, honest and fair, Use resources wisely
Believe in Myself Learn from my experiences, Face challenges with courage
Famous Scouts:
Neil Armstrong (Of the 12 men that have walked on the moon… 11 were Scouts) Sir Richard Branson, Bill Gates, David Beckham, Venus Williams, Mariah Cary, Neil Armstrong, Sir Paul McCartney, Peter Garrett, Billy Connolly, Harrison Ford, Celine Dion, Barack Obama, Michael Jordan, Steven Spielberg, Patrick Stewart, Bear Grylls, Michael J Fox, David Attenborough, Tony Blair, Michael Parkinson and David Bowie.
Prominent Aussies influenced by Scouting: Dick Smith AO, Peter Beattie, Rove McManus, Peter Garrett, Sir Jack Brabham, Jamie Durie, Shane Jacobson, Bert Newton and Adam Spencer.
Some quotes by Baden-Powell:
“Nobody is too small to do a good turn, even if it is only to smile.”
“We must change boys from a ‘what can I get’ attitude to a ‘what can I give’ attitude”
“Girls should be brought up to be comrades and helpers, not to be dolls. They should take a real and not a visionary share in the welfare of the nation.”
“The most worth-while thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.”
“A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room.”
“We never fail when we try to do our duty. We ALWAYS fail when we neglect to do it.”
“An invaluable step in character training is to put responsibility on the individual.”
“Try to 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.”
“The purpose of the Boy Scout and Girl Guide Movement is to build men and women as citizens endowed with the three Hs - namely Health, Happiness and Helpfulness. The man or woman who succeeds in developing these three attributes has secured the main steps to success in this life”