"Enthusiasts said that Scouting was a revolution
in pedagogy. It is not that.
It's just a suggestion for a nice way of relaxing
in the open air, which became also an efficient auxiliary to education.
We could also take Scouting as complementary to
the training that school gives and mostly to the inevitable lacks in the
common school programme. In a word, it is a school for civicism through
nature." (Robert Baden-Powell)
That is just a short and simple definition of Scouting,
given by Lord Baden-Powell 22 years after he had founded it. He wanted
to create a program with another goal than that of the ordinary school
training. A program to teach young people how to live, not only how to
earn their living.
In a world dominated by personal interest, Baden-Powell
created a type of education that replaced self-centered preoccupations
with others, closer to service.
In a world in which material values were the only
ones appreciated, Baden-Powell showed the world the real human values -
physical and moral - of the individual and taught the scouts how to gain
and preserve them.
In a world in which every single person had to keep his knowledge to
himself or use it in his own interest in order to survive, Baden-Powell
encouraged the scouts to put their forces and knowledge in the service
of the community, to see beyond immediate gain.
Nowadays, scouting has become a great - voluntary,
non-political and non-governmental - youth movement, addressed to all the
young people in the world, regardless of their race, creed or sex.
It means recreation, but with a purpose. It means
protection and being protected. It means development, evolution.
For the younger, it is education for life.
For the older, it is a challenge.
From a method, by perseverance and belief, it has
become a life-style.
THE FOUNDER OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT
In 1899, he commands, as colonel, in South Africa,
during the siege of Mafeking. He finds himself and his army surrounded
by 10.000 Boers, constantly attacking for 217 days.
It is here, during the defence of Mafeking, that
BP starts to give small "communication tasks" to the young men who are
not yet apt for gun-fighting. He notices that they achieve their missions
with great enthusiasm and effectiveness. They even have a post stamp edited
in their honour.
As he returns to England, the victory makes Baden-Powell famous throughout the country. As a result of his military behaviour in South Africa, he is appointed Major-General and put in charge of the South-African mounted police.
During the siege of Mafeking, BP notices that the
young soldiers, instructed in barracks, trained to march in line and always
obey without thinking, didn't know how to face unpredicted situations.
Thinking it preferable to develop in his men the spirit of initiative,
a certain cleverness, the team spirit , manual skills, he groups them into
patrols and teaches them how to follow routes, to hide themselves, to draw
sketches, how to take responsibilities. He will call this the art of Scouting,
from the English word "SCOUT", i.e. the one who walks first, to explore
and guide the others. BP organized the training as a game, and in the evening
everybody camped round a fire and sung or told stories, etc.
He exposed all his ideas in a book entitled "Aids
to Scouting", extending them to all the youngmen in England. As he sensed
the deficiencies of the British educational program for youth in that time
and as he also noticed that the youth tended to uselessly or even harmfully
spend their spare time, he decided to improve it with an original program,
based on playing, on camping in nature, and mostly on friendship between
people. His program was therefore to complete the education that school,
family and church provided for the young people.
THE MOTTO AND THE EMBLEM OF THE SCOUTS
As Scouting began to be known throughout England,
as more and more young people were reading BP's book and following his
ideas, they wrote to him for advice, or simply to praise his initiative.
One day, he received from a young admirer a banner
with his initials embroidered on it: BP. He made of these two letters two
words of order for his scouts: BE PREPARED .
That was to become the motto of Scouting, accompanying
the emblem of the soon-to-become movement: the lily flower, a sign indicating
the direction of the North on ancient maps (like the wind/compass rose
does today).
The significance of this motto, "Be prepared", is
that the scout must always have his spirit and body ready to help
him accomplish his task.
Prepared for what concerns your spirit: because
the scout has imposed upon himself the discipline which allows him to obey
any order, and because the scout has already forecast all the difficulties,
or dangerous situations that might occur at a certain moment; thus, the
scout always knows what to do and how to react, and he can always act well.
Prepared for what concerns your body: because the
scout has already worked his body to a certain physical level and so he
is capable of taking necessary action in the proper moment.
BP decides to experiment his "project" for the first
time in a camp in the Brownsea island. Together with 20 young Englishmen,
he camps there from 15 July to 9 August 1907.
Divided in 4 patrols: the Wolfs, the Plovers, the
Ravens and the Bulls, they discover life in the middle of the natural environment,
they learn major games, they are taught how to cook, how to organize themselves
in the camp. They learn to discover traces of animals, to use different
plants,etc. In the evenings, BP tells them stories, they sing and even
dance.
That was the first attempt to a Scout camp, and
it was a successful one. As a result, BP wrote "Scouting for Boys", the
first handbook of Scouting.
In "Scouting for Boys", BP gives numerous real examples to sustain that qualities like courage, character, the sense of community, the capacity of fending for yourself, practical intelligence, the spirit of observation, could never be achieved by taking a course in a classroom, but by exploring, playing, by living in the nature, by camping...
In a time when children wear austere clothes,
with hard stiff collars and patent leather shoes, when school is sad and
severe and education strict , the ideas of BP appear revolutionary.
Fortunately, young people do not give up their enthusiasm;
they form teams of Boy-Scouts all over England. Their uniform resembles
to that of BP's military scouts: the big felt hat, the loose-collar shirt,
the muffler. By the end of 1908, there are already 60 000 scouts in England.
Of course, BP already quit the army to dedicate himself to scouting.
Gradually, the method begins to appear - in fragments. The patrols constitute themselves with the thousands, making the association "give birth to itself". Beginning with 1909, groups of girl-scouts appear, calling themselves (Girl-) Guides.
Being a passionate partisan of peace, BP realizes that the qualities that proved useful to the scouts in war-time might also serve them well in time of peace. Thus, he makes the next step: he suggests the boys to become scouts of peace, men of service, who make a good deed every day. A scout is a voluntary person, who takes part in games and camps, who is responsible of himself and of the others and finally becomes an active, useful and happy citizen.
SCOUTING IN THE WORLD - THE FIRST JAMBOREE
With an amazing speed, scouting spreads in many
countries around the world, soon becoming an international movement. In
1913, the first international camp is organized, the Rally of Birmingham,
and 10 foreign countries are represented.
In the following years, scouting continues to spread
in the world, its way being marked by other Jamborees, by the first scout
magazines that were edited in tens of languages, by the numerous activities
added to its old specific ones.
After the Jamboree of Vogelenzang - Holland, August 1937 - , where he tells goodbye to the movement and its members, Baden-Powell retires to Kenya. On the 8th of January 1941, his rich and beautiful life comes to an end. His grave bears the scout mark for "the return to "
Here is a part of his last message to the 28 000 scouts present at the Jamboree:
" I think that God placed us in the world to let
us be happy and taste life. Happiness comes neither from wealth,
nor from brilliant success in one's carrier, nor from one's extraordinary
self-esteem. You make a big step towards happiness by keeping a sain and
vigorous body while you are children, so that you can be useful to the
others, and live happily when you become men.
Studying the nature will show you how many wonderful,
splendid things God has also placed in this world, only to make us happy.
Be pleased with what you own and use it all in the best way you can. Always
watch the sunny side of things, not their darker one.
But the true road to happiness is to give it to
the others. Try to leave this world a little better than you have found
it, and so when your last minute comes, you will die happy and thinking
that, with every occasion, you have done your best and never wasted your
time.
Be prepared, on this road, to live and die happy.
"
THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES TO EXIST
After the death of Robert Baden-Powell, his wife continues to support the movement, and so do its leaders throughout the world. Scouting develops surprisingly, and it also manages to survive the 2nd World War. Nevertheless, some countries remain under communist regimes, and this holds them back from their continuing evolution. Some of them were able to "live" in secret, some not.
Nowadays, scouting is the greatest and the most attractive children and youth movement in the world, including over 25 million boys and girls from over 160 countries. Its contribution to solving the great educational problems of the latest centuries is highly appreciated, and so is its role in keeping peace in the world. The first UNESCO prize for education in the spirit of peace was awarded to the scout movement in 1981.
Naturally, the movement has constantly undergone
changes, as they were required by new environments, by the development
of society, of science and culture, as well as of the modern youth psychology.
We have to admit, though, that the foundations of the scout pedagogy, as
BP has laid them, keep their strength. They are, in fact, the most important
ingredient of scouting always.
3. STRUCTURE AND PEDAGOGY IN SCOUTING
Within a short time after the spreading of this new "current" in England, teams of younger scouts appear. Consequently, the scout pedagogy is adapted for every age group. The scouts are divided into:
1. Cubs
This group includes children from 9 to 11 years,
children who usually obey rules to avoid disapproval of authority figures
( Akela, Scouters and others, such as teachers, parents). They are organized
in packs.
The Cub does the best he can to be a good friend,
the friend of the elders, to be active, sportive and joyful. He develops
individually, both physically and spiritually, trying to create an independent
code of ethics and system of values. That is why leadership emphasis should
facilitate self-exploration of environmental values issues,etc, being at
the same time extremely important as it is perceived as guidance in this
process of evolution.
The education of the Cubs is based on the symbolism
of the jungle, as taken by Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Books". Everything
is a wonderful metaphor, fable and a game, as the scout principle of learning
by doing is here applied as learning by playing.
The pack of Seeonee living in the jungle is considered
as the free-people, because they have a law they follow faithfully, a law
as old as the jungle and as wise as nature itself. Their leader is
the wolf called Akela, who leads them in the hunt, but also protects them
(whenever they engage in an adventure, the Cubs go hunting).
Akela must always be listened to and respected,
as he represents the law.
The contrary of the pack is the hoard of monkeys
living in the ruins of an abandoned old city in the jungle. The other characters,
Raksha - the mother wolf who defeated little Mowgli, her future "man-cub",
against the tiger and the jackal - , Shere Khan, Baloo, Bagheera - the
black panther - and even Kaa - the wise long python - and Hathi - the ancient
and wise elephant have very important parts to play in the story.
The main character is, of course, Mowgli - identified with the cub scout
- , who is to have many important adventures in the jungle, every one of
them teaching him a lesson. At 17 though, he returns to the "man
pack", remembering that he will always be a man and that he had to live
with his own.
Nevertheless, the Cubs' training has to resemble a little to that of the Scouts. They have to be pleased with their activities (mostly games), but also regard rather enviously the activities and the environment waiting for them when their age and capacities allow them to enter the Scout troops (i.e. man packs).
2. Scouts
This category includes children from 11 to 17 years,
who obey rules decided upon by mutual agreement, for the sake of community
welfare (the Scout promise, law and principles, etc.). They are organized
in patrols.
The Scout develops his character and his sense of
service. As the young person develops greater moral responsibility, the
motivation may grow to include a sense of the greatest common good for
the Scout movement, the nation, the world and God.
3. Rovers
This group includes young people older than 17,
who practise their ideal of Scouting in their citizen life. They are organized
in teams.
The Rover obeys in order to avoid self-condemnation.
The Rovers live their projects and enterprises,
their activities cover lots of fields: building, travelling abroad, fighting
pollution, practising sports like white-water-rafting, parachuting, speleology.
But having passed through all the other stages,
they can take up greater responsibilities. Their aim is to complete the
education of the Scouts, bringing them through the three levels: Cub, Scout
and Rover. The training of the Cubs and Scouts is largely a preparation
for the services that the Rover actually renders. In most of the cases,
this service consists of helping the administration of the movement and
the formation of the groups. Like this, the cycle - from Cub to chief -
is complete.
First of all, it is important to include here the
titles of all of Baden-Powell's books, as they mostly constituted the basis
of the scout method and pedagogy:
Aids to Scouting
Scouting for Boys (1908)
The Wolf Cub's Handbook (1916) - for the Cubs
- for girl scouting
Aids to Scoutmastership - for the chiefs of the scout troops
His works were in accordance with "the new education",
that is the most "modern" pedagogy of the time, as some of its most authentic
representatives admitted (Maria Montessori, Adolphe Ferriere, Pierre Bovet,
etc.). Pierre Bovet even wrote a book about Baden-Powell, in 1920, called
"Le genie de Baden-Powell" (The Genius of BP), in which he affirmed about
scouting that it was " the most beautiful milestone of modern education".
BP based his program on several points: the rise
of individual values by the development of the character, of the health
and of manual skills, and the growth of civic senses by putting individual
capacities in the service of others.
The scouts (regardless of their age) develop themselves
in these directions by going on camps and spending their spare time in
the middle of the nature.
The basis of the Scout method is laid upon learning by doing. Scouting knowledge and skills are caught rather than taught. There is a strong emphasis also on voluntary commitment to duty, the duty to God, to the others and to your own self.
Scouts are less concerned with their rights than with their responsibilities; these principles are embedded in the Scout promise.
The Scout program for action is presented as fun, it is adapted to the different age categories, being an appropriate challenge to each community and responding to its needs.
The Scout activities are carried out in the context of small self-governing groups (usually called 'patrols'), linked to the larger national, regional and international Scout network.
Scouting aims to educate and develop young people
of all ages using recreational and service methods to achieve their full
physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals and
as members of a team.
Scouting seeks to prepare each young person to make
a positive contribution to his or her society as a responsible citizen
at the local, national and global level.
Scouting is for scouts within their community.
"Towards a Strategy for Scouting" (1988) says that
the goal of the movement is "to help young people to develop the knowledge,
skills and attitudes that will enable them to live fulfilling lives now
and in the 21st century."
Scouting's goal does not change because the world changes. Scouts will
always be members of a movement which seeks to help young people grow into
whole beings, of course, through the inspired leadership of adults who
are concerned about all people.
It is maybe for this unexpected dimension that humanness
reached that it was said about BP: " Baden-Powell was a great man because
he conceived a great idea and embodied it in an organization-a movement
from which millions of young people have benefited - young people from
many nations, creeds and races." (Malherbe, 1967)
Once again, we shall use his books as a source of
inspiration to explain a little HOW the mission is achieved in Scouting.
In all his works, BP insists upon the building of the character. This
means developing in young people traits like: an energical, firm, determined,
persevering and courageous attitude, the trust in one's own forces, the
capacity of being your own master. This is also the starting point to discipline,
but understood as conscious obedience, as self-discipline.
The problem of the attitude towards yourself leads
us to the sense of honour, which meant that you always had to keep
your word, to be responsible of your actions, to be sincere, loyal, truthful
and modest, to be "fair-play" , both in scouting games and in life.
As we mentioned above, scouting means to develop
other qualities, neglected by school education, like practical spirit,
manual skills, cleverness, the capacity of helping yourself out in difficult
situations. Usually, scouts are left to discover alone the necessary knowledge,
to practise it; only the scene is set by the leaders. This individual training
does not have an individualistic character, though.
Scouting aims to make the children apt for life
in groups, capable of co-operating, of working together, of being true
friends. It also prepares them for being active members of their societies,
for making themselves useful, sympathetic to the others' suffering and
willing to help them.
The good deed of the scout is not understood as
a simple charitable act, but as a manifestation of human solidarity and
spirituality. That is why scouting makes no difference between races, sexes,
social levels, nationalities, and so on. That is why scouts all around
the world are brothers.
Education has several directions in scouting, and all of them at the same level of importance: learning by doing, scouting-action for the environment (nature), self-education, the pedagogy of self-commitment, life in a group, indirect education.
The original text of the commitment that every future scout has to take is:
"I promise upon my word of honour that I shall do my best:
to accomplish my tasks towards God and the king.
to help the others all the time.
to respect the law of the Scout."
The text of the promise follows the three principles of Scouting:
1. The Spiritual Principle - the duty towards God
The first of these principles is defined as the adherence to certain
spiritual values, loyalty towards the religion they express and acceptance
of all the duties they request.
It also requests the scout to be respectful and tolerant towards the
religion of others.
2. The Social Principle - the duty towards the others
The second principle includes the responsibility of the individual
towards society in its various dimensions: loyalty to your country
in the perspective of peace promoting and local, national and global co-operation,
the participation in the development of society, with respect towards the
human dignity and the integrity of the natural environment.
3. The Personal Principle - the duty towards yourself
The third principle is defined as the responsibility of the scout's
own development, according to the fact that scouting is self-education.
The original text of the scout Law, as BP has conceived it, is:
1. One can always count upon the honour of a Scout.
2. A Scout is loyal to the king and his officers, to his parents,
his country, his employers and employees.
3. It is the task of every Scout to be useful to others and to help
them whenever necessary.
4. A Scout is everybody's friend, and the friend of all the
scouts, whatever their social status might be.
5. A Scout is kind and polite.
6. A Scout is a friend of the animals.
7. A Scout follows the orders of his parents, his patrol chief or
his instructor, without asking questions.
8. A Scout smiles and whistles when he comes upon a difficulty.
9. A Scout is thrifty.
10. A Scout has a clean thinking, speech and behaviour.
In time, the Promise and the Law have been modified, adapted to each country's typical characteristics. For example, the Promise is different for the Cubs and for the Rovers, and so is for the Scouts. But the essence of both the Scout Promise and Law have remained the same, as they constitute the values upon a scout's character is built.
When a scout meets someone for the first time in
a day, he greets him with half a salute. But he has to salute completely
a chief of patrol or an officer in his country's army. A scout also salutes
his country's flag and anthem and funeral processions.
BP says that if a stranger shows you the sign of
the scouts, you must shake his left hand - the hand of the heart and be
his friend.
The salute shows that the scouts belong to a great
community, and it helps them to recognize each-other, wherever in the world
they might meet.
The significance of the scout salute, done with the
right hand, is:
- the three lifted fingers stand for the three points of the Scout
Promise: being loyal, helping the others and following the Scout Law.
- the thumb covering the little finger suggests the fact that the stronger
one protects the weaker.
Why the salute?
BP used to say that the salute is nothing than a
sign between people of quality. He said that being able to salute another
man was a privilege.
In the past, free people carried guns and , when
they met, each one raised his right hand, so that the other might see that
it wasn't holding the gun, so they were meeting as friends. The same was
done when an armed man met a lady, or a defenceless person. The slaves
and the servants were not allowed to carry guns, so they didn't have to
make any sign.
This habit continued to exist, even if people stopped
carrying arms. The salute is still done, by simply raising your right hand
to your head, or by lifting your hat.
That is why BP considered that saluting is showing
your courtesy and your peaceful intentions. Even if some people might find
it humiliating, the salute has absolutely no obsequious or servile meaning.
Now that we have talked about the rather theoretical
co-ordinates of the scout world, we should also mention some of its more
concrete elements.
A very important meaning in scouting is given
to the badges, as they are considered a kind of small rewards given to
the scouts for their remarkable activity or behaviour.
Once a scout, you can obtain different badges, according
to your "speciality", or to your interests in the your activity as a scout.
The badges are neither decorations, nor medals, they must not be a motive
of pride or envy. They are signs standing for the adventures that you have
lived as a scout, together with your troop, patrol, or team, but which
testify your own involvement. The Badges are signs of your competence,
and therefore every new badge you receive is a sign of your progress. Each
badge marks a new step in your development, attesting that you have reached
a certain level, so you are prepared to put your knowledge into the service
of others.
The badges are a way of being a scout.
Be their significance, they integrate into the system of personal progress. Like this, they become stimuli in the process of individual scout evolution.
The idea of a scout uniform comes also from Baden-Powell.
During the camp of the Brownsea island, where the children came wearing
their usual clothes from home, he noticed that there were big differences
between the rich and the poor. That is why he had the idea of making them
all the same uniform, so that the differences might disappear. The uniform,
like the badges and, ultimately, the salute, allow the scouts to recognize
each other, even if they come from different countries.
The uniform consists of:
- a hat, for protection against the sun and the rain. The hat must
have a lace to keep it well on your head, and four clips. It is usually
made of felt.
- a tie (muffler), usually made of coloured cloth and of triangular
form. The tie must be folded, and its point put on your back, while,
in the front, you can tie it with a knot (the most used is "the friendship
knot") or with a metal, wooden, lace or even plastic ring, or other significant
object. The tie has numerous uses in cases of emergency.
- a shirt (or a T-shirt), with 4 authorised colours: khaki, grey, blue
or green, so the group may chose whatever colour they wish. They have to
be comfortable to wear.
- the trousers, which can be blue, khaki or grey (the Scottish scouts
may wear the kilt). They must give your legs easiness in movement and never
keep too warm.
- the socks can be of any plain colour, with green woollen margins.
- a stick, with divisions of centimetres and metres, or inches and
feet,etc. Its height must reach your nose. The stick is very useful; you
might need it to make a stretcher, to stop a fire, to defend yourself sometimes,
to keep contact with your team in the dark. You can also use it to build
a small bridge, or a ladder, if necessary.
The traditional uniform has also suffered certain
changes. In most of the countries, the scouts have a national uniform,
or a national tie at least. There are even camp ties, with various patterns
and colours. But this doesn't affect the scouts' activity, of course. And
yes, the basic elements, even the colours of the uniforms have remained
the same.
4. THE WORLD ORGANIZATION OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT
This organization is the most important scout forum
in the world. It is an international, non-governmental organization.
It was founded in 1922, and it groups in it all
the national recognized scout organizations. Scouting is internationally
recognized in 148 countries and it includes about 25 million members.
W.O.S.M. is governed by: - the World Conference,
which reunites every 3 years
- the World Committee, formed of voluntary elected members
Its Secretariat is the World Scout Bureau, which
is always at the disposal of the national organizations and of the 6 regional
offices: Costa Rica, Egypt, Belgium, Kenya, the Philippines, CSI.
The financing of the world Scout Bureau is partly
assured by the due payments of each country, calculated according to its
number of members and average income/habitant.
Other funds come from contributions, donations,
grants from various foundations, societies, agencies, organizations or
even private persons.
In the present, scouts all over the world are involved
in activities covering a multitude of domains, many of them specific to
certain countries. Some of these activities are done in co-operation between
several countries, others between different organizations. Scouts might
also work within their community, together with neighbours, parents, friends.
Some of the most frequent activities scouts perform
are:
- the protection of the environment - this includes
all sorts of projects, from small ecological ones, to environmental education,
and also community development and nature conservation projects.
Scouting has in fact become a natural vehicle for reflecting the growing
global concern for the environment, also being able to provide the hearts
and hands to take appropriate action at a local level.
- health preservation - scouts are also involved in activities
regarding the health of mostly children and elderly, who cannot get on
well by themselves and need help in every-day life, or who suffer by serious
diseases. They also perform or encourage healthkeeping education, or inform
people of the risks of alcohol, tobacco or drug abuse. There are even scouts
specialized in family life advice and consulting.
- community service - this means taking care of your community,
but also making the others aware of this necessity, and most of all making
them act accordingly, too. We can also refer here to habitat maintenance,
recycling, and other local protection activities.
- human rights - this mostly refers to an receiving and giving
an education for the prevention of such concepts as racism, nationalism,
xenophobia, anti-Semitism, discrimination. It includes protecting refugees,
street-children, preventing child-abuse, harassment, and other social problems.
- personal development - scouting also encourages self-development
and helps the individual discover and develop his/her personal talents
in various fields. Even if not talented, scouts are usually taught how
to make things with their hands, or how to use their imagination. There
are various activities which aim to make them discover the world around
by using their senses (touching, smell, taste, etc.), or explore different
sights.
- training - In order to organize activities, a scout must first
be initiated in the technique of conceiving, writing and putting into practice
projects deriving from personal ideas. This means theoretical training
and maybe some practical exercise, too, and it is a very important side
of NGO life. After all, scouts must be prepared !
These are only some hints as regards scout activities,
generally speaking. In fact, they are much more and quite different, as
they are adapted to each country and its needs, its people, its characteristics.
Nevertheless, scouting remains a universal theme,
suitable for almost every age, interest, for any religion, gender or race,
but not for every character. In order to be a scout, you have to know yourself
better than you normally do, because scouting is not only a challenge to
activity, to external action, but also to exploring and developing your
own self.
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