What to do with young people?
Released from his missions, Baden-Powell set up home in England. He looked at the pressing problems of a British society weakened by unemployment and decided to devote himself to the service of young people. Taking advantage of his fame, he spoke directly to them by means of the newspapers sold in stalls throughout England.
An experimental camp
In July 1907, B-P gathered about 20 youngsters from different social backgrounds on the island of Brownsea. The participants built refuges, learned the skills of life in the outdoors, shared their experiences and helped the local inhabitants. The enthusiasm generated was impressive. Scouting was born.
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A key book
When he published “Scouting for Boys” in 1908, he never imagined that he had just written the work which was to change the lives of millions of young people the world over. Drawing on his personal experiences, he invited youngsters to take charge of their own lives and be responsible for their destiny. More than a man of his time, he was a man of the future. |
An International Movement
A year from the publication of the book, there were 50,000 Scouts in England. The Movement’s fame crossed the oceans and in May 1909 Scouting was founded in Chile, a country which Baden-Powell had visited two months previously. From that moment on, Scouting was international. In 1910, B-P left the army to devote himself to the growth and development of Scouting.
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Key Dates :
1907 : Experimental camp on Brownsea Island. Rudyard Kipling, author of the Jungle Books, receives the Nobel Prize for Literature.
1913 : First international gathering of Scouts in Birmingham, England.
1919 : Guide for the Scout Leader is published and B-P invites young scouts to make a commitment to peace.
1920 : 1st World Scout Jamboree in London. 8,000 young Scouts from 34 countries proclaim B-P World Chief Scout, a title which he retains posthumously to this day.
