The Beginning
Scouting's
history goes back to the turn of the 20th century to a British Army
officer, Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell. While stationed in
India, he discovered that his men did not know basic first aid or the
elementary means of survival in the outdoors. Baden-Powell realized he
needed to teach his men many frontier skills, so he wrote a small
handbook called Aids to Scouting, which emphasized resourcefulness, adaptability, and the qualities of leadership that frontier conditions demanded.
After returning from the Boer War, where he became famous by protecting
the small town of Mafeking for 217 days, Baden-Powell was amazed to
find that his little handbook had caught the interest of English boys.
They were using it to play the game of scouting.
Baden-Powell had the vision to see some new possibilities, and he
decided to test his ideas on boys. In August 1907, he gathered about 20
boys and took them to Brownsea Island in a sheltered bay off England's
southern coast. They set up a makeshift camp that would be their home
for the next 12 days.
The boys had a great time! They divided into patrols and played games,
went on hikes, and learned stalking and pioneering. They learned to
cook outdoors without utensils. Scouting began on that island and would
sweep the globe in a few years.
The next year, Baden-Powell published his book Scouting for Boys,
and Scouting continued to grow. That same year, more than 10,000 Boy
Scouts attended a rally held at the Crystal Palace; a mere two years
later, membership in Boy Scouts had tripled.
American Origins
About
this same time, the seeds of Scouting were growing in the United
States. On a farm in Connecticut, a naturalist and author named Ernest
Thompson Seton was organizing a group of boys called the Woodcraft
Indians; and Daniel Carter Beard, an artist and writer, organized the
Sons of Daniel Boone. In many ways, the two organizations were similar,
but they were not connected. The boys who belonged had never heard of
Baden-Powell or of Boy Scouts, and yet both groups were destined to
become Boy Scouts one day soon.
But first, an American businessman
had to get lost in the fog in England. Chicago businessman and
publisher William D. Boyce was groping his way through the fog when a
boy appeared and offered to take him to his destination. When they
arrived, Boyce tried to tip the boy, but the boy refused and
courteously explained that he was a Scout and could not accept payment
for a Good Turn.
Intrigued, the publisher questioned the boy and learned more about
Scouting. He visited with Baden-Powell as well and became captured by
the idea of Scouting. When Boyce boarded the transatlantic steamer for
home, he had a suitcase filled with information and ideas. And so, on
February 8, 1910, Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America.
The "unknown Scout" who helped him in the fog was never heard from
again, but he will never be forgotten. His Good Turn is what brought
Scouting to our country.
After the incorporation of the BSA, a group of public-spirited citizens
worked to set up the organization. Seton became the first Chief Scout
of the BSA, and Beard was made the national commissioner.
The first executive officer was James E. West, a young man from
Washington who had risen above a tragic boyhood and physical disability
to become a successful lawyer. He dedicated himself to helping all
children to have a better life and led the BSA for 32 years as the
Chief Scout Executive.
Scouting has grown in the United States from 2,000 Boy Scouts and
leaders in 1910 to millions strong today. From a program for Boy Scouts
only, it has spread into a program including Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts,
Webelos Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers.
The Beginning of Cub Scouting
Back
in England, younger boys were eager to become Boy Scouts. In 1914,
Baden-Powell began implementing a program for younger boys that was
based on Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. The Wolf Cub program
began in 1916, and since that time, Wolf Cubbing has spread to other
European countries with very little change.
In America, hundreds of
Cub Scout-age boys and their families were clamoring for a program of
their own. As early as 1920, Scout executives at the first national
training conference discussed the needs of younger boys. The BSA,
however, felt it wise to postpone any action until there was more
objective evidence.
In 1925, Dr. Huber W. Hurt, a research psychologist and veteran
Scouter, was authorized to study existing organizations for younger
boys, such as Boy Rangers, Boy Pioneers, American Eagles, and Boys'
Clubs. He found that only one boy in 50 participated regularly in any
type of organized leisure-time program. He also found that younger boys
responded better to leadership and program efforts than older boys. He
worked closely with Ernest Thompson Seton. Both men recommended that
the BSA adopt a program for younger boys, with older Boy Scouts as
leaders, to tie into home, church, school, and Boy Scouting.
The National Executive Board authorized the Chief Scout Executive to
thoroughly investigate the matter. An advisory committee worked with
the BSA to develop a plan and produce the necessary literature. Advice
was obtained from leading psychologists, sociologists, teachers, school
superintendents, professors of education, college executives, and
recreation and welfare directors.
By 1929, the new Cubbing program (it wasn't called "Cub Scouting" until
several years later) was taking shape and was introduced as a
demonstration project in a limited number of communities. Its structure
was similar to today's Cub Scouting, except that dens were led by Boy
Scout den chiefs. The plan included a neighborhood mothers' committee
to encourage Cubs and den chiefs.
In 1930, Cub Scouting was formally launched, with 5,102 boys registered
at the end of that first year. By 1933 the time had come to promote Cub
Scouting throughout the country as a part of Scouting. All experimental
restrictions were removed, and the first national director of Cub
Scouting was appointed.
Den mother registration was optional for the first few years. By June
1938, 1,100 den mothers had registered and soon became an important
part of Cub Scouting.
The first dens met weekly at a member's home, where boys played games
and enjoyed crafts and ceremonies. The pack met weekly or semimonthly
for games, den competitions, awards, stunts, and other activities. Cubs
advanced from Bobcat (for all new members) to Wolf (age 9), Bear (age
10), and Lion (age 11) and joined a Boy Scout troop at age 12.
In 1949, the age requirement was lowered to between 8 and 10 for Cub
Scouts. In 1982, Tiger Cubs was started based on shared leadership of
boy-adult partner teams and the school year calendar. In 1986, Cub
Scouts could register as second-grade boys.
Cub Scouting in America is different from the younger-boy programs of
other countries because it is centered in the home and neighborhood.
With the encouragement of family and leaders, boys enjoy a program that
covers a wide variety of interesting things. It suggests activities
that boys enjoy doing on their own when adults are not supervising
them. These activities are particularly suited to boys of Cub Scout age
and are different from those they will encounter in Boy Scouting.
A strong influence from Kipling's Jungle Book remains today. The terms "Law of the Pack," "Akela," "Wolf Cub," "grand howl," "den," and "pack" all come from the Jungle Book.
At the same time, the Gold and Silver Arrow Points, Webelos emblem, and
Arrow of Light emblem are taken from our American Indian heritage.
Baden-Powell's Legacy
Although
Scouting has changed over the years, the ideals and aims have remained
the same: character growth, citizenship training, and personal fitness.
Scouting is updated periodically to keep pace with a changing world. It
isn't the same as it was on Brownsea Island in 1907, but the ideals are
still based on principles that Baden-Powell had been taught as a boy.
Scouting's founder was never able to completely overcome his surprise
at Scouting's worldwide appeal. As it swept the globe, Scouting brought
him new adventures and responsibilities as Chief Scout of the World. He
traveled extensively and kept in touch with Scouting around the world.
Eventually, Baden-Powell's health began to fail. He set up a winter
home at Nyeri, Kenya, in 1938, where he spent his remaining years until
his death in 1941. Scouts of different races carried him to his final
resting place in the small cemetery at Nyeri. His grave is marked with
a simple headstone that bears his name and the Scout sign for "I have
gone home." Today, in Westminster Abbey, a tablet records his name,
along with the names of some of the greatest Britons of all time.
After Baden-Powell's death, a letter was found in his desk that he had
written to all Scouts. It included this passage: "Try and leave this
world a little better than you found it." These words are a fitting
epitaph, for as he won the respect of the great by his strength, he won
the hearts of youth by his example.