Lord Robert Baden-Powell, (February 22, 1857 – January 8, 1941) was a
soldier, writer and founder of the world Scouting movement. He was the
sixth of eight sons amongst ten children. His father served as the
Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford and died when
Robert was just three years of age.
His first introduction to scouting skills was stalking and cooking
animals, and avoiding teachers, in nearby woods, which were strictly
out-of-bounds for the school that he attended. He also played the piano
and violin, was an ambidextrous artist of some talent, and enjoyed
acting. Holidays were usually spent on yachting or canoeing expeditions
with his brothers.
Baden-Powell served in the British Army from 1876 until 1910 in India
and Africa. In 1899, during the Second Boar War in South Africa,
Baden-Powell successfully defended the town in the Siege of Mafeking. A
Boer army of in excess of 8,000 men surrounded him and his troops.
Although wholly outnumbered, the garrison withstood the siege for 217
days, and much of this is attributable to some of the cunning military
deceptions instituted at Baden-Powell’s behest as commander of the
garrison. As a result, Baden-Powell became a national hero back home.
On his return home, Baden-Powell found that his military training
manual “Aids to Scouting” had become something of a best seller, and was
being used by teachers and youth organizations. Following a meeting
with the founder of the Boys’ Brigade, Sir William Smith, Baden-Powell
decided to re-write Aids to Scouting to suit a youth readership, and in
1907 held a camp on Brownsea Island for 22 boys of mixed social
background to test out some of his ideas, which is now seen as the
beginning of the Scouting movement.
“Scouting for Boys” was subsequently published in 1908 in six
installments. Boys spontaneously formed Scout troops and the Scouting
movement had inadvertently started, first a national, and soon an
international obsession.
Although he could have continued his military career, Baden-Powell
decided to retire from the Army in 1910 on the advice of King Edward
VII, who suggested that he could better serve his country by promoting
Scouting.
Under his leadership, Baden-Powell brought Scouting to the youth of
the world and the world Scouting movement grew. By the end of 1910,
there were over 100,000 Scouts in England. In 1922, there were more than
a million scouts in 32 countries and by 1939; the number of Scouts had
grown in excess of 3.3 million. Baden-Bowell became appropriately known
as the “Chief Scout of the World”
Baden-Powell was born Feb. 22, 1857, which is more than 162 years
ago. Scouts worldwide roughly 30 million in 161 countries celebrate
his birthday each year as Founder’s Day. You can join the celebration in a number of ways. Here are seven ideas:
1. Learn a little about Baden-Powell
Just who was Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell? Read and find out:
Mark Ray’s “Faces of the Founders” article from Scouting magazine introduces you to B-P and the BSA’s other founding fathers.
This World Organization of the Scout Movement profile of B-P is comprehensive and interesting.
2. Read his words of wisdom
Three of my favorite quotes from the Scouting legend speak for themselves:
“It is risky to order a boy not to do something; it immediately opens to him the adventure of doing it.”
“The open-air is the real objective of Scouting and the key to its success.”
“There’s nothing like ‘Being Prepared,’ is there? For what might seem possible, even if it may not seem probable.”
3. See his final message to Scouts
Baden-Powell prepared a farewell message to Scouts that was meant to be shared after his death. He died at age 83 in 1941.
4. Become a Messenger of Peace
In the October 1932 issue of Jamboree, Baden-Powell wrote:
“Our aim is to bring up the next generation as useful citizens with a
wider outlook than before and thereby to develop goodwill and peace in
the world through comradeship and co-operation.”
5. Consider how you pronounce B-P’s name
This one comes with a little controversy. I’ve heard Baden-Powell’s name pronounced two ways — the Powell part, at least.
Some say it like “POW-ull,” while others pronounce it more like “pole.”
B-P himself once address the pronunciation in a short poem:
Man, Nation, Maiden
Please call it Baden.
Further, for Powell
Rhyme it with Noel
Remember that B-P was British, so “noel” is pronounced like this. In other words, I’ve been pronouncing it wrong pretty much all my life, and it is more like “pole.”
No comments:
Post a Comment