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The Beginning of Scouting
Scouting's history goes back to the turn
of the 20th century to a British Army officer, Robert Stephenson Smyth
Baden-Powell. While stationed in India, he discovered that his men did
not know basic first aid or the elementary means of survival in the
outdoors. Baden-Powell realized he needed to teach his men many frontier
skills, so he wrote a small handbook called Aids to Scouting,
which emphasized resourcefulness, adaptability, and the qualities of
leadership that frontier conditions demanded.
After returning from the Boer War, where
he became famous by protecting the small town of Mafeking for 217 days,
Baden-Powell was amazed to find that his little handbook had caught the
interest of English boys. They were using it to play the game of
scouting.
Baden-Powell had the vision to see some
new possibilities, and he decided to test his ideas on boys. In August
1907, he gathered about 20 boys and took them to Brownsea Island in a
sheltered bay off England's southern coast. They set up a makeshift camp
that would be their home for the next 12 days.
The boys had a great time! They divided
into patrols and played games, went on hikes, and learned stalking and
pioneering. They learned to cook outdoors without utensils. Scouting
began on that island and would sweep the globe in a few years.
The next year, Baden-Powell published his
book Scouting for Boys, and Scouting continued to grow. That
same year, more than 10,000 Boy Scouts attended a rally held at the
Crystal Palace; a mere two years later, membership in Boy Scouts had
tripled.
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Scouting comes to America
About this same time, the seeds of
Scouting were growing in the United States. On a farm in Connecticut, a
naturalist and author named Ernest Thompson Seton was organizing a group
of boys called the Woodcraft Indians; and Daniel Carter Beard, an
artist and writer, organized the Sons of Daniel Boone. In many ways, the
two organizations were similar, but they were not connected. The boys
who belonged had never heard of Baden-Powell or of Boy Scouts, and yet
both groups were destined to become Boy Scouts one day soon.
But first, an American businessman had to
get lost in the fog in England. Chicago businessman and publisher
William D. Boyce was groping his way through the fog when a boy appeared
and offered to take him to his destination. When they arrived, Boyce
tried to tip the boy, but the boy refused and courteously explained that
he was a Scout and could not accept payment for a Good Turn.
Intrigued, the publisher questioned the
boy and learned more about Scouting. He visited with Baden-Powell as
well and became captured by the idea of Scouting. When Boyce boarded the
transatlantic steamer for home, he had a suitcase filled with
information and ideas. And so, on February 8, 1910, Boyce incorporated
the Boy Scouts of America.
The "unknown Scout" who helped him in the
fog was never heard from again, but he will never be forgotten. His
Good Turn is what brought Scouting to our country.
After the incorporation of the BSA, a
group of public-spirited citizens worked to set up the organization.
Seton became the first Chief Scout of the BSA, and Beard was made the
national commissioner.
The first executive officer was James E.
West, a young man from Washington who had risen above a tragic boyhood
and physical disability to become a successful lawyer. He dedicated
himself to helping all children to have a better life and led the BSA
for 32 years as the Chief Scout Executive.
Scouting has grown in the United States
from 2,000 Boy Scouts and leaders in 1910 to millions strong today. From
a program for Boy Scouts only, it has spread into a program including
Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, Webelos Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers.
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More History......
- February 8, 1910- William D. Boyce incorporates Boy Scouts Of
America.
- 1910- Ernest Thompson Seton combines Baden-Powell's book
Scouting for Boys and The Birch-Bark Roll to Boy Scouts of America
Handbook of Woodcraft, Scouting, and Lifecraft.
- 1911- BSA publishes 300,000 copies of the first edition of the
Handbook for Boys.
- 1912- Arthur R Eldred of Troop 1 Becomes first Eagle Scout.
- 1912- Sea Scouting is established
- 1912- BSA purchases Boys Life Magazine
- 1913- Norman Rockwell is hired to illustrator for Boys Life.
- 1913- Registration for Scouts is 25 cents.
- 1913- the LDS is first religious body to adopt Scouting as part
of it ministry.
- 1916- E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson start up The Order of
The Arrow.
- 1916- U.S. Congress votes to give BSA a federal charter.
- 1916- Scouting publishes the first 57 merit badges pamphlets.
- 1918- Rotary International becomes first club sponsor.
- 1919- President Wilson established National Boy Scout Week.
- 1920- BSA sends 301 Scouts to inaugural World Jamboree in
England.
- 1924- Scouts with physical disabilities earn first achievement
badges.
- 1924- Norman Rockwell paints first Boy Scout calendar.
- 1925- Membership reaches 1 million.
- 1926- First Silver Buffalo award is awarded
- 1930- Cub Scouting (then known as Cubbing) started for younger
boys.
- 1934- Order of the Arrow becomes official program of BSA.
- 1935- 5 millionth copy of Handbook for Boys is printed.
- 1937- First National Scout Jamboree held in Washington 27,232
attend.
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1938- Waite Phillips donates 35,857 acres in Cimarron, N.M. for
Boy Scout camp, call Philturn Rocky Mountain Scoutcamp.
- 1941- Webelos rank is started. Name comes from 3 ranks (Wolf,
Bear, & Lion) It will change in 1967 to stand for "We'll Be Loyal
Scouts" when Lion den is dropped.
- 1948- First Wood Badge course is run. 30 men from 12 states
attended.
- 1949-- Age drops to 8 for Cubs, 11 for Boy Scouts and 14 for
Explorers.
- 1950- U.S. Post Office issues first American Boy Scout stamp.
The 3 cent stamp shows 3 scouts, the statue of Liberty and the Scout
badge.
- 1952- Membership reaches 3 million.
- 1953- Cubmaster Don Murphy creates the Pinewood Derby. First
event held in Manhattan Beach, CA
- 1954- Webelos Den is created to keep interest in 10 year-old Cub
Scouts and provides bridge to Boy Scouts.
- 1960- Scouting 50th Birthday Post Office issues 4 cent
commemorative stamp.
- 1965- BSA reaches 2 major milestones. The 40 million Scout and
500,000 Eagle Scout.
- 1966- Scouting hits the big screen with Walt Disney's Follow Me
Boys.
- 1969- Eagle Scout Neil Armstrong walks on moon. Armstong and
Buzz Aldrin (another former scout) had earlier radioed greetings to
Scouts attending National Jamboree.
- 1969- Young women are accepted as participants in Exploring
Post.
- 1972- National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) is started.
- 1973- First and only time BSA holds two National Jamboree at
Farragut State Park in Idaho & Moraine State Park in Pennsylvania.
73,610 attend.
- 1980- Cub Scouts celebrates 50 years and 30 million Cub Scouts.
- 1982- Alexander M. Holsiger become millionth Eagle Scout.
- 1982- Tiger Cubs is started offering 7 year-olds the search,
discover, & share".
- 1984- Varsity Scouts is started.
- 1998- Venturing Crew is started.
- 1998- BSA unveils Wood Badge of the 21st Century.
- 2000- BSA 100 millionth member registered.
- 2001- In wake of 9-11, Scouts respond to nations call for
assistance by collecting gloves, socks, toothbrushes, bottle water and
other necessities for rescue workers and victims.
- 2002- National Scouting Museum opens.
- 2004- BSA lauches Good Turn For America, a national initiative
with Salvation Army, Merican Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.
- 2007- Eagle Scout Philip Goolkasian of Fresno, CA. wins BSA 100
patch logo.
- 2009- Anthony Thomas Of Lakeville, Minn. Becomes 2 millionth
Eagle Scout.
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