Thank You Baden-Powell

SUNRISE will be celebrated in a most solemn way by millions of young people throughout the world on August 1 this year. It will be welcomed by the young Scouts and Guides, boys and girls from the ages of 8 to 21, who will be remembering the centenary of their foundation.

One this day 100 years ago, in fact, the first scout camp in history took place. It was organised by a truly outstanding man, the British General Sir Robert Stephenson Smyth Lord Baden-Powell, first Baron of Gilwell.

Lord Baden-Powell was born in Paddington, London, on February 22, 1857, son of the Reverend Baden Powell and Henrietta Grace Smyth. Lord Baden-Powell was a military leader who became a national hero after a successful career in the British Army. However, his chief claim to fame rests as the founder of the worldwide Scouting movement.

 At the age of 50, after rising through the ranks to the highest levels in the armed forces, Lieutenant General Baden-Powell decided to give his life a decidedly new turn by dedicating his life to educating the young.

After slowly elaborating a series of educational techniques for his soldiers while serving as a General in the military, Baden-Powell, upon his return to England, re-adapted them to the young. From July 31 to August 9, 1907, he took a group of 21 boys to Brownsea island off the coast of England, and there organised the first patrols at the world’s first Boy Scout camp.

The memory of that first camp will be celebrated by the 40 million or so Scouts and Guides of all nations and cultures throughout the world. At 8.00 o’clock sharp of August 1 these young boys and girls will salute the ‘dawn of the centenary’ by reciting the traditional ‘Promise’ (or Oath) of the movement, as given by Baden-Powell:

On my honour I promise that:

1.        I will do my duty to God and Country.

2.        I will do my best to help others, whatever it costs me.

3.        I know the Scout Law, and will obey it.

They will proclaim this oath according to the instruction given by their founder: “While taking this oath the scout will stand, holding his right hand raised level with his shoulder, palm to the front, thumb resting on the nail of the little finger and the other three fingers upright, pointing upwards – this is the scout salute and secret sign”.

Anyone at all familiar with the Scouts knows just how valuable this organisation can be for young people, especially in today’s decadent society. They are an active, wise, merry, peaceful, generous and optimistic congregation of youngster always ready to help others. Yet little attention is paid to them and the mainstream media generally ignores them.

To ‘atone’ for this sin of omission, I decided to interview Father Francesco Marconato, the general ecclesiastical assistant of the Scouting movement in Italy.

Fr. Marconato, how did your involvement with the Scouts begin?

I’ve been with the Scouts since the age of 7. I rose through the ranks until I was 21, and then remained with the movement as an educator. My vocation to the priesthood matured during this period, and it is connected to my experiences as a Scout.

I maintained my connection to the movement during my time spent at the Seminary, and subsequently, in my work as a priest, I continued to assist Scouting groups connected to the parishes I worked for. Then, in 2003, I was nominated general ecclesiastical assistant to the Scouting movement.

The Scouts are organised according to a hierarchy. How does it work?

Since its foundation, the organisation has seen various changes and adaptations to the different countries and their cultures and religions while the movement gradually spread throughout the world. However, all Scouting organisations, whether in Buddhist, Hindu, Christian or Muslim countries, respect the spirit of the principles laid down by Baden-Powell.

The life of the Scouts rotates around the ‘group’ which is subdivided in various sections according to the age group, even though the exact ages vary a little according to country and association. Originally, Baden-Powell had arranged for a first entrance from ages 7 to 10, and called it Cub Scout (or Wolf Cubs) for boys and Brownie Guide for girls, then came the Boy Scout section for the 11 to 17 age group, and for girls of the same age the Girl Guide or Girl Scout section. Lastly there is the Rover Scout section for young men from 18 and up, and the Ranger Guide for young women of the same age group.

In many countries, Scouting is organized into neighbourhood Scout Groups, or Districts, which contain one or more sections. Under the umbrella of the Scout Group, sections are divided according to age, each having their own terminology and leadership structure.

However, all of these national Scouting associations meet annually to renew their allegiance to the original spirit and principles imparted by Baden Powell, which can be summarised in the Scout Law and Oath. These embody the joint values of the Scouting movement worldwide, and bind all Scouting associations together. The emphasis on ‘learning by doing’ provides experiences and hands-on orientation as a practical method of learning and building self-confidence. Small groups build unity, camaraderie, and a close-knit fraternal atmosphere. These experiences, along with an emphasis on trustworthiness and personal honour, help to develop responsibility, character, self-reliance, self-confidence, reliability, and readiness; which eventually lead to collaboration and leadership. A program with a variety of progressive and attractive activities expands a Scout’s horizon and bonds the Scout even more to the group. Activities and games provide an enjoyable way to develop skills such as dexterity. In an outdoor setting, they also provide contact with the natural environment.

What happens at the end of the training? That is, when the young man or woman reaches the age of 21?

By then the educational cycle is complete and the Scout or Guide is ready to take his or her place within society, and work to make the world a better place.

Those who so desire may remain with the movement and assume leadership positions. These are often divided into ‘uniform’ and ‘lay’ positions. Uniformed leaders have received formal training, such as the Wood Badge (a leadership program and the related award for adult leaders), and have a warrant for a rank within the organization. Lay members commonly hold part-time roles such as meeting helpers, committee members and advisors, though there are a small number of full-time lay professionals.

A unit has uniformed positions such as the Scoutmaster and assistants – whose titles vary among countries. In some countries, units are supported by lay members, who range from acting as meeting helpers to being members of the unit’s committee. 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. Commissioners work with lay teams and professionals. Training teams and related functions are often formed at these levels. In the UK and in other countries, the national Scout organization appoints the Chief Scout, the most senior uniformed member.

Are these divisions and hierarchy exactly as Baden-Powell wanted them to be?

Yes, more or less. In the 100 years of the Scouting movement slight changes have been made to adapt the Scouting spirit to the times and the various national and religious traditions. But the original intention and spirit are the same.

What were Baden-Powell’s original intentions then?

His goal in creating the Scouts was to develop in the young four very precious qualities. The strengthening of character, manual abilities, health and physical strength, and the willingness to serve one’s fellow human beings. He believed these qualities were indispensable to develop free, responsible citizens, men and women able to work for peace and reconciliation among nations.

Why did he use the word ‘scout’ for his organisation?

Originally, a scout was one who went on reconnaissance trips. During his time in India, Baden-Powell noticed that the soldiers under his command were becoming de-motivated. They were bored and the humid climate was undermining their health. To counter this he began devising ways of keeping them occupied, and came up with the idea of ‘scouting’ which means reconnaissance. He organised his soldiers into patrols, and led them out into the forests where they learned to decipher the traces left on the ground by men and animals. In this way, besides motivating them, they gained valuable information allowing them to predict and ward off future attacks.

This experience was further strengthened by his years in Africa and later were collected in a small book called Aids to Scouting.

Why did he then turn his attention to the young?

Baden-Powell went on to lead a very successful military career in Africa. In particular he managed to defend the small town Mafeking against a much larger Boer army in South Africa during the Second Boer War. When the siege was broken Baden-Powell become a national hero at home. On his triumphant return to England he noticed the large interest of boys in his book, which was also being used by teachers and youth organizations.

He was also disappointed by the behaviour of the young in London. Most young people were bored and without any ideals, given to drinking and gambling. He thought back to the days of the siege of Mafeking; during the siege, a cadet corps consisting of white boys below fighting age was used to stand guard, carry messages, assist in hospitals and so on, freeing the older men for military service. Thinking back to those boys he conceived the idea of doing the same for the loitering youth of London.

To test his ideas, he gathered 21 boys of mixed social backgrounds, and held a week-long camp in August 1907on Brownsea Island. This first experiment was so successful that he decided to repeat it, thus giving birth to the Scouting movement.

How was this first initiative received?

The enterprise was enthusiastically received in Britain, and soon spread to the rest of the English-speaking world. It brought a fresh wind to the lagging educational standards then prevalent.

Did Baden-Powell also found the movement for girls, the Guides, soon after?

Being an army man, it was only natural for him to think of males only. That first initiative was restricted to boys. However, many girls soon felt attracted to the movement. So Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes Baden-Powell initiated the Girl Guides in 1910, a parallel movement for girls, sometimes called ‘Girl Scouts’. Agnes Baden-Powell became the first president of the Girl Guides, and in 1914 founded the ‘Rosebuds’ – later renamed ‘Brownies’ – for younger girls. She subsequently stepped down as president of the Girl Guides in 1920 in favour of Baden-Powell’s young wife, Olave Baden-Powell, who was named 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. However, by the 1990s, two thirds of the Scout organizations had already become co-educational.

What denomination did Baden-Powell belong to?

He was an Anglican, as his father, the Reverend Baden Powell, was an Anglican pastor. Baden-Powell was a very religious man and read the Bible daily. His fervent Christian faith can be seen in the spiritual principles he infused into Scouting.

After 100 years, what can we say about Baden-Powell as an educator?

He is surely one of the most intuitive pedagogues in history. After 100 years hundreds of books have been written on his educational methods.

Over 40 million young people in some 250 countries are currently deriving great benefit from his pedagogical methods, and the surprising fact is that his method, rather than becoming obsolete, seems to be gaining more and more relevance to the needs of the young.

This is because, with the breakdown of the family and the increase in one-child families, more and more young people are experiencing alienation and loneliness. Moreover, more and more parents are losing the capacity to function as good role models for their children. Now, the Scouting movement, with its sense of camaraderie and strong ethical values is a godsend for these children. This explains the movement’s increasing popularity, so much so that it is often difficult for the young to gain entrance – most associations have waiting lists sometimes lasting up to 3 years.

This is due to the fact that we aim for quality rather than quantity, that is, we can only start a group once we have a sufficient number of qualified and trained teachers.

What qualities will a young person have acquired once he or she leaves the movement?

Young people formed by us have a positive optimistic outlook on life; they are capable of adapting to any situation and bring about positive change. One point in the Scout Law says, “A Scout looks for the bright side of life. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.”

We try to infuse courage and a spirit of sacrifice and trust in one’s fellow human beings, altruism, and reliability.

What wonderful ideals! Why is it that the world seems to ignore the Scouts?

We have a tradition of not showing off. We are working, not triumphing. We chose to ‘be’ rather than ‘seem to be’. In short our attitude is quite the opposite to that of the media.

As Mother Teresa summons us, we try to make our start from those little acts of daily sacrifice and heroism but, obviously, these hardly ever make the headlines!