The Scouts, the families and the Pack must
work together to make a solid Scouting program for your sons. The
Scouting program is an exercise in cooperation between all three
of these parts. The Pack cannot give your son a good program if
the Pack doesn't get the support of the parents and volunteers and
your sons will suffer because of it. The following is what is expected
each part of the triad.
The Scouting movement was started by a British
Army Officer, Robert S. S. Baden-Powell. While stationed in India,
Baden-Powell found that his men didn't know basic first aid or outdoor
survival skills. They couldn't follow a trail, tell directions,
read danger signs, or find food and water. In 1896, Baden-Powell
drew upon his background as an army scout to write a small handbook
Aids to Scouting. He hoped to teach his men resourcefulness,
adaptability and the leadership qualities demanded by frontier conditions.
When he returned to England, Baden-Powell found
that his little handbook had captured the imagination of English
boys and was widely read. In August of 1907, he began a test of
an idea that he had been thinking about for years. He gathered 22
boys from all parts of England. Some were from exclusive schools,
others from the slums, shops or farms.
He took them to Brownsea Island in a sheltered bay off England's southern coast. Along the shore they set-up a camp which was their home for the next 12 days. The boys had a great time! They were organized into patrols. They played games, took hikes, cooked without utensils, learned stalking and pioneering skills. In the evenings, around the magic of a campfire, they were spellbound by Baden-Powell's stories of his adventures.
This was the beginning of scouting. Baden-Powell rewrote the scouting handbook with an orientation for young boys and created a weekly magazine called The Scout. He also published a booklet for Scoutmasters. That same year, 10,000 boys attended the first Scout gathering at the Crystal Palace!
One day in 1909 in London, a businessman from the United States, William D. Boyce, lost his way in a dense fog. He stopped under a street lamp and tried to figure out where he was. A boy approached him and asked if he could be of help. He told the boy that he wanted to find a certain business office in the center of the city. The boy took him there.
When they got to the destination, Mr. Boyce reached into his pocket for a tip. But the boy stopped him and would not accept it saying that he was a �Scout�. Boyce asked the boy to explain upon which the boy told the story about scouting. Boyce became very interested and after finishing his errand, he had the boy take him to the British Scouting office.
At the office, Boyce met Baden-Powell and spent
the evening with him. Boyce was so impressed with what he learned
that he decided to bring Scouting home with him. When he boarded
the steamer to return to the United States, he carried a suitcase
filled with information and uniforms. On February 8, 1910, Boyce
and a group of outstanding leaders founded the Boy Scouts of America.
Cub Scouting was added in 1930 for younger boys. Initially it was set up for boys aged 9-11. The age requirement was dropped to 8 in 1949 and to again to 7 in 1982. Cub Scouting in the United States has drawn on the adventure and lore of the American Indian and is also strongly influenced by Kipling�s Jungle Book.
Contact a Pack Leader for more information.