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:''For professional sport scouts, see ].''

'''Scouting''' is a world-wide ]. Its aim is to develop young people physically, spiritually and mentally so that youth may take a constructive place in society. This is achieved through non-formal education with emphasis on practical activities in the outdoors. The movement was founded in ] by ], a retired Lt-Gen in the British Army. He was also at that time a senior member of the ]. Currently Scouting and Guiding has over 38 million members in 217 countries and territories.

==Origins==

Lt-Gen. Sir ] founded the Scouting movement in ] in the ]. He also introduced the parallel movement for girls, the ] in 1910 with the aid of his sister ]. The Guides are known as the ] in the ].

]

The seeds of the idea of Scouting began during the ], ], during the ] of ]–], where Baden-Powell served as the commanding officer. Baden-Powell defended the town against the ]s (later known as ]s), who outnumbered his troops eight to one. He formed the Mafeking Cadet Corps to help support the troops. The Corps consisted entirely of boy volunteers. Baden-Powell trained the boys and they acquitted themselves well, helping in the successful defence of the town (]–]) over several months. Each Cadet Corps member received a badge, a combination of a compass point and a spearhead. This logo was similar to the ], which Scouting later adopted as its international symbol.

As a result of his status as a national hero, acquired as a result of his determined and successful defence of the town of Mafeking, Baden-Powell's military training manual, ''Aids to Scouting'' (written in ]) became something of a best-seller and was used by teachers and youth organisations.

In ], ] sent Baden-Powell a copy of his book entitled ''The Birchbark Roll of the Woodcraft Indians''. Seton, a British-born Canadian living in the United States, subsequently met Baden-Powell and they shared ideas about youth training programs.

Baden-Powell was encouraged to re-write ''Aids to Scouting'' to suit a youth readership. By ] he had finished a draft called ''Boy Patrols''. The same year, to test out some of his ideas, he gathererd together 21 boys of mixed social background and held a week-long camp, beginning ], on ] in ], ], England. His organizational method, now known as the Patrol Method, a key part of Scouting training, allowed the boys to organize themselves into small groups with an elected patrol leader.

In the autumn of 1907, having his draft publication and a successful camp behind him, Baden-Powell went on an extensive speaking tour arranged by his publisher, Pearsons, to promote his forthcoming book. Beginning in January ] it initially appeared as six instalments in a boy's fortnightly magazine. The parts were subsequently published in book form as '']'', now commonly considered the first version of the ''Boy Scout Handbook''.

At the time Baden-Powell intended that the book would provide ideas for established organisations, in particular the ] in which he held the postion of Vice-President for some time. However, boys spontaneously formed Scout patrols and flooded Baden-Powell with requests for assistance. He encouraged them, and the Scouting movement developed by the weight of its own momentum. As the movement grew ], ] and other specialised units were added to the program options.

Baden-Powell could not single-handedly advise all the youth who requested his assistance. To provide for adult leadership, proper training was required. The ] course was developed to recognize adult leadership training. In ] ] near London was purchased as an adult training site and scouting ]. Baden-Powell also wrote a book for the assistance of leaders entitled ''Aids to Scoutmastership'', and others for the use of new sections that were formed later, such as ''The Rover Scout Handbook'' for Rover Scouts in 1919.

==Early history==

The members of a small number of Scout groups have the right to wear a green scarf/neckerchief in recognition of their membership of those groups founded in 1908.

Scouting began to spread throughout ] and ] soon after the publication of ''Scouting For Boys''. The Boy Scout movement swiftly established itself throughout the British Empire. The first recognized overseas unit was chartered in ] in 1908, followed quickly by ]. ] became the first overseas Dominion with a sanctioned Boy Scout program, followed by ], ] and ]. ] was the first country outside of the British Dominions to have a recognized scouting program. The first Scout rally was held at ], London, in ]. It attracted 10,000 boys, as well as a number of girls, who turned out for this exhibition of scouting. By 1910 ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and the ] had Boy Scouts.

==Conceptual Influences==

Many elements of traditional Scouting have their origins in Baden-Powell's own personal education and military training. But it has to be remembered that the ideas that he promoted were revolutionary in education in his time. He was unique, a retired army general at 55 years of age, able to inspire and enthuse thousands of young people, from all parts of society, to get involved in activities most of them had never contemplated. The only comparable organisation (in the English-speaking world), the ], has never been able to match the development of the Scouting movement.

Some aspects of the Movement have been criticised as being too militaristic. Such things as military-style uniforms, badges of rank, flag ceremonies, and brass bands were commonly accepted in the early years because they were also a part of normal society, but many of those attributes have been watered-down or abandoned in later times. Many other popular youth movements have also adopted similar attributes successfully.

Local influences have also been a strong part of the Movement. By adopting and modifying local ideologies the Scouting Movement has been able to find acceptance in a wide variety of societies. In America, for example, Scouting uses images drawn from the U.S. frontier experience. This includes not only its selection of animal badges for Cub Scouts, but the underlying assumption that ] are more closely connected with nature and therefore have special wilderness survival skills which can be used as part of the training program. British Scouting, by contrast, makes use of imagery drawn from the ]n subcontinent, because that region was a significant focus in the early years of the Scouting Movement. Baden-Powell's personal experiences in India led him to adopt Rudyard ]'s '']'' as a major influence for the Cub Scouts — for example, the name used for the Cub Scout leader is ] (whose name was also appropriated for the ]) is that of the leader of the wolf pack from this book.

The name "Scouting" seems to have been inspired by the important and romantic role played by military scouts in many of the wars of the time.

***************************

==World Membership Badge==
]

The world membership badge is part of the official uniform of scouts in all parts of the world. It is a purple, circular shaped badge with a ] in the centre, surrounded by a piece of rope tied with a ]. The fleur-de-lis is an ancient symbol, adopted and modified for the Scout Movement. The arrowhead represents the North point on a compass, and is intended to point Scouts on the path to service and unity. The three points on the fleur-de-lis represent the three duties, to God, self and others. The two five-point stars stand for truth and knowledge, with the ten points representing the ten points of the Scout Law (]). The bond at the base of the fleur-de-lis shows the family of Scouting. The encircling rope symbolises the unity and family of the World Scout Movement.

==Scouting around the world==
''Main article: ]''

Following its foundation in the UK, the Scouting movement started to spread around the globe. Today the ] is the governing body for the mainstream of the Scouting Movement. In addition to being the governing policy body it organizes the ] every four years.

Today, there are over 28 million registered Scouters around the world, participating from 216 different countries and territories.

''Top 15 countries with Scouting, sorted by membership. Full table on ].''
{|cellspacing="5" cellpadding="0"
|-
!Country
!Membership
!Joined WOSM
!Scouting Founded
!Admits Boys/Girls
|-
|Indonesia
|align="center"|8,909,435
|align="center"|1953
|align="center"|1912
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|United States
|align="center"|6,239,435
|align="center"|1922
|align="center"|1909
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|India
|align="center"|2,138,015
|align="center"|1938
|align="center"|1909
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|Philippines
|align="center"|1,956,131
|align="center"|1946
|align="center"|1923
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|United Kingdom
|align="center"|498,888
|align="center"|1922
|align="center"|1907
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|Korea, Republic of
|align="center"|252,157
|align="center"|1953
|align="center"|1922
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|Japan
|align="center"|220,223
|align="center"|1922
|align="center"|1913
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|Canada
|align="center"|212,259
|align="center"|1946
|align="center"|1909
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|Kenya
|align="center"|151,722
|align="center"|1964
|align="center"|1910
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|Germany
|align="center"|123,937
|align="center"|1950
|align="center"|1910
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|Tanzania, United Republic of
|align="center"|102,739
|align="center"|1963
|align="center"|1929
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|France
|align="center"|102,405
|align="center"|1922
|align="center"|1910
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|-
|Italy
|align="center"|100,675
|align="center"|1922
|align="center"|1912
|align="center"|<font color="#93C83E">Both</font>
|}

==Scout Promise (or Oath), Law, Motto, and Slogan==

===Scout Promise (United Kingdom)===
On my honour, I promise that I will do my best,
To do my duty to God and to the Queen,
To help other people,
And to keep the Scout Law.

===Scout Promise/Oath (United States)===
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

===The Outlander Promise===
On my honour, I promise that I will do my best,
To render service to my country;
To help other people,
And to keep the Scout Law.

''Baden-Powell wrote this alternative oath called the &#8220;Outlander Promise&#8221; for Scouts who could not, for reasons of conscience, recognize a duty to a King, for individuals or members of religions that do not worship a deity, and for members of orthodox religions that do not use the name of God in secular settings.''

===Scout Law (United Kingdom)===
''The original Scout Law, together with BP's commentary extracted from ''

#'''A SCOUT'S HONOUR IS TO BE TRUSTED'''. If a Scout says "On my honour it is so," that means it is so, just as if he had taken a most solemn oath. Similarly if a Scout officer says to a Scout, "I trust you on your honour to do this," the Scout is bound to carry out the order to the very best of his ability, and to let nothing interfere with his doing so. If a Scout were to break his honour by telling a lie, or by not carrying out an order exactly when trusted on his honour to do so, he may be directed to hand over his Scout badge and never wear it again. He may also be directed to cease to be a Scout.
#'''A SCOUT IS LOYAL''' to the King, and to his officers, and to his parents, his Country, his employers, and to those under his orders. He must stick to them through thick and thin against anyone who is their enemy or who even talks badly of them.
#'''A SCOUT'S DUTY IS TO BE USEFUL AND TO HELP OTHERS'''. And he is to do his duty before anything else, even though he gives up his own pleasure or comfort or safety to do it. When in difficulty to know which of two things to do, he must ask himself, "Which is my duty?" that is, "Which is best for other people?"--and do that one. He must Be Prepared at any time to save life or to help injured persons. And must try his best to do a good turn to somebody every day.
#'''A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO ALL''' and a Brother to every other Scout, no matter to what social class the other belongs. If a Scout meets another Scout, even though a stranger to him, he must speak to him and help him in any way that he can, either to carry out the duty he is then doing, or by giving him food, or, so far as possible, anything that he may be in want of. A Scout must never be a snob. A snob is one who looks down upon another because he's poorer, or who is poor and resents another because he is rich. A Scout accepts the other man as he finds him and makes the best of him -- "Kim," the boy scout, was called by the Indians "Little friend of all the world," and that is the name which every Scout should earn for himself.
#'''A SCOUT IS COURTEOUS'''. A Scout should be polite to all--but especially to women and children, old people and invalids, cripples, etc. And he must not take any reward for being helpful or courteous.
#'''A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO ANIMALS'''. He should save them, so far as possible, from pain, and should not kill any animal unnecessarily, even if it is only a fly, for it is one of God's creatures. Killing an animal for food, or an animal which is harmful, is allowable.
#'''A SCOUT OBEYS ORDERS''' of his parents, Patrol-leader, or Scoutmaster without question. Even if he gets an order which he does not like, a Scout must do AS soldiers AND SAILORS DO, or AS he would do if he got it FROM his CAPTAIN in a football match--he must carry it out all the same, because it is his duty; after he has done it he can come and state any reasons against it: but he must carry out the order at once. That is discipline.
#'''A SCOUT SMILES AND WHISTLES UNDER ALL DIFFICULTIES'''. When he gets an order, he should obey it cheerily and readily, not in a slow, hang-dog sort of way.
#'''A SCOUT IS THRIFTY'''. It is expected that a Scout will save every penny he can, and put it in the bank, so that he may have money to keep himself when out of work, and thus not make himself a burden to others; or that he may have money to give away to others when they need it.
#'''A SCOUT IS CLEAN IN THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED'''. Decent Scouts look down upon silly youths who talk dirt, and they do not let themselves give way to temptation, either to talk it or to do anything dirty. A Scout is pure, and clean-minded, and manly.

'''The Current UK Scout Law:'''

A Scout is to be trusted.
A Scout is loyal.
A Scout is friendly and considerate.
A Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts.
A Scout has courage in all difficulties.
A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property.
A Scout has self-respect and respect for others.

'''The Current UK Cub Scout Law is:'''

Cub Scouts always do their best
Think of others before themselves
And do a good turn every day.

===Scout Law (United States)===

#'''A Scout is Trustworthy'''.
#*A Scout tells the truth. He is honest, and he keeps his promises. People can depend on him.
#A Scout is '''Loyal'''.
#*A Scout is true to his family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and nation.
#A Scout is '''Helpful'''.
#*A Scout cares about other people. He willingly volunteers to help others without expecting payment or reward.
#A Scout is '''Friendly'''.
#*A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He offers his friendship to people of all races and nations, and respects them even if their beliefs and customs are different from his own.
#A Scout is '''Courteous'''.
#*A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along.
#A Scout is '''Kind'''.
#*A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. Without good reason, he does not harm or kill any living thing.
#A Scout is '''Obedient'''.
#*A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobeying them.
#A Scout is '''Cheerful'''.
#*A Scout looks for the bright side of life. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.
#A Scout is '''Thrifty'''.
#*A Scout works to pay his own way and to help others. He saves for the future. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.
#A Scout is '''Brave'''.
#*A Scout can face danger although he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at him or threaten him.
#A Scout is '''Clean'''.
#*A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He chooses the company of those who live by high standards. He helps keep his home and community clean.
#A Scout is '''Reverent'''.
#*A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.

===Scout Motto===
Be Prepared.

===Scout Slogan===
Do a good turn daily.

==Breakaway organisations==

Many groups have formed since the original formation of the Scouting "Boy Patrols." Most are a result of groups or individuals who refuse to follow the original ideals of Scouting but still desire to participate in Scout-like activities.

The first schism within Scouting occurred during November ], when the ''British Boy Scouts'' (later the ''Brotherhood of British Scouts'', and known internationally as the ''Order of World Scouts'') was formed, initially comprising an estimated 25 per cent of all Scouts in the ], but rapidly declining from 1911 onward. The organisation was formed due to perceptions of bureaucracy and ] tendencies in the mainstream movement. With several smaller organisations, such as the ''Boy's Life Brigade Scouts'' they formed the ''National Peace Scouts'' federation. The ''British Girl Scouts'' were the female counterpart of the ''British Boy Scouts''.

In 1916 a group of scoutmasters in Cambridge, led by Ernest Westlake and his son Aubrey, who believed that the movement had moved away from its early ideals and had lost its woodcraft character, founded the Order of Woodcraft Chivalry. The order survives to this day in England.

In the years following the ], the Commissioner for Camping and Woodcraft ], broke with what he considered to be the Scouts' ] approach and founded a breakaway organisation, the ], taking a number of similar minded scoutmasters and troops with him. This organisation was the direct antecedent of the ].

] were formed in ], initially in the ] but now also elsewhere, when it was felt that the "modernisation" of Scouting was abandoning the traditions and intentions established by Baden-Powell.

There are also some similar organisations linked to movements such as organised churches, such as ]'s ] and the ] ].

Of historical importance, but now defunct, are the ] and ] &mdash; both created by totalitarian regimes which saw the global Scouting movement as unacceptably pro-democracy.

==Controversy==

See the article on ].

==Coeducation==

At the international level, there are separate umbrella organisations for organisations for boys, or for coeducational organisations (]) and for organisations for girls solely (]). The success of the Boy Scouts was also attracting girls. The mores of the times did not suit a co-educational paradigm. Scouting for girls was started by Baden-Powell with the aid of his sister Agnes who was the first Guide Commissioner. Later, his wife Olave took the leading role and became the Chief Guide of the World. Some countries have separate scouting organisations for boys and girls, while in other countries, there is a common organisation for boys and girls, which is a member of both WOSM and WAGGGS. In those countries, there are often mixed groups of boys and girls.

==See also==
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*], propagator of scouting in Czechoslovakia
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==External links==
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*Two world-wide organizations coordinate the scouts and the guides of the world:
**The for boys and mixed groups.
**The for the girls-only groups.
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* World Scout Jamboree of 1947 in Moisson, France.
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* India's oldest continuously running scout troop.
* Official website for West Yorkshire Scouting
* One of the world's oldest Scout groups, founded in 1909 in Wimbledon (where Baden-Powen wrote "Scouting for Boys).


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Revision as of 19:30, 9 September 2005

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