The founder of Scout movement was Robert Stephenson Smith Baden Powell,  better known as B.P. He was born on February 22, 1857 at Sten Hope Street, London (England). He lost his father when he was a child. From his child hood B.P. loved open air, outdoor activities like roaming about in forests, boating expeditions, hunting etc.

After completing schooling, he joined the British Army. In 1876 on completion of his military training, he was posted in India as a Lieutenant. Due to his expertness in many subjects and his typical method of training young soldiers, he was very popular among his troops.

In 1888 B.P. was in South Africa as an A.D.C. to General Sir.H.A. Smyth. Dini Zulu, a Zulu chief raised a rebellion against the British. B.P. was sent with a few scouts (in an army, scouts are those soldiers or advance guards who go into the enemy's territory and bring back the whereabouts of the enemy) to a mountain stronghold where Dini Zulu had taken refuge. B.P. attacked from three sided at early dawn. The enemy hurriedly, evacuated leaving many things behind. Dini Zulu's long necklace of wooden beads was found in the hut. (Scouters who qualify for the Wood Badge, receive replicas of the original beads even now.)

In 1895 B.P. was sent to right the King Prempeh of Ashanti tribe in West Africa. He trained two armies for Scouting and Pioneering. Here B.P. learned many things which he gave us in Scouting, e.g. use of scout staff, Left Hand Shake .  When in a war, Prempeh was captured, he came forward and held out his Left Hand. He said that , I nhis country, the bravest of the brave shook hand with the left. (Scouts all over the world have agreed in the Left Hand Shake. It is a warm grip, as a hand of Friendship, the Hand nearest to the Heart).

During peace times, he devised special methods of imparting training to the recruits by forming their small groups. He gave them various interesting activities like games, competitions, cultural programmes etc. Thus he became very popular. He compiled all his experiences of war and works of scouts and wrote a book "Aids to Scouting " in which he wrote about training the soldiers.