Scouting Resources: New Chums
A Brief History of Scouting
The Scout Movement was founded by Robert Baden-Powell (BP) in 1907. As a boy B.P enjoyed the outdoors and spent many hours pretending to be hunter and an Indian Scout. When B.P left school he joined the British Army and travelled all over the world. While he was in Africa during the Boer war, he led the defence of a small town called Mafeking against the Boers.
B.P defended Mafeking for seven months. As there were so few soldiers, he decided to ask local boy to be messengers.
On returning to Britain B.P saw that apart from sport young people had very little to do. B.P remembered what he had learnt in Africa and decided to teach the boys in Britain those skills.
To test his new methods B.P organised a camp for 20 boys from a variety of backgrounds to Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. Over the course of the week B.P taught the boys exploring, camping, boating, life-saving and lots more.
After the camp B.P wrote a book based on his experience in the Army and Bronsea Island called ‘Scouting for Boys’
In 1916 younger boys were introduced to Scouting by the formation of Wolf Cubs (now Cub Scouts) with a programme and organisation based on the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. Even today, the leaders of the Cub Scout Pack are known by their “Jungle Names” such as Akela, Baloo and Bagheera.
By following the story from The Jungle Book (by Rudyard Kipling), the pack has a life as the Seeonee Pack did. Akela, the oldest wolf was the chief of the pack who had led the pack to a successful life. Besides Akela, the pack still had some other Jungle Masters such as Bear Baloo, Bobcat Bagheera, Elephant Hathi, Bird Chil and Snake Kaa to support the Pack’s activities. Mowgli was a boy who was raised in the jungle for a period of time before being returned to the mankind village. Just as Mowgli, a cub scout in a cub pack would have a similar life. He would learn many things to enable him to survive under the difficulties and obstacles of the jungle.
