Re: A Game with a Purpose? Help needed!
Ian N Ford FRSH (addvent@DIRCON.CO.UK)
Sat, 3 Jan 1998 23:24:02 +0000
Bill
Whilst BSA was never under B-P's " control " as you put it, there
was a dispute in the early years in which the Boy Scouts of America
Inc. sought an affidavit from Baden-Powell to the effect that the
program brought to the USA by Seton and incorporating ideas from Beard
and others was the " true " Boy Scout program. The details are in Tim
Jeal's biography of B-P. Some of the details re not particularly
edifying.
The " game with a purpose " quote is very similar to other comments
made by B-P. I have not had time to research the details, but I am
fairly sure that something similar is in B-P's writings. He certainly
wrote about " the game of Scouting " on numerous occasions.
BSA certainly developed its own traditions that are different to those
of many other Scout Organisations. The early influences of Seton and
Dan Beard, and the work of West, the first Chief Scout Executive are
still in evidence. Also BSA has been framed by the unique American
culture and legal system.
Interestingly, B-P started his program for use by other organisations,
in particular the Boys' Brigade ... this was very similar to the concept
of " chartered parners " still used by BSA. However, very early on the
emphasis changed and the Boy Scout Association was incorporated. In the
UK and many other parts of the world the program is administered by the
National Association directly, acting through counties and districts.
Whereas in BSA there is scope for Councils and Units to make local
policy within the framework of the " franchise " of the Charter from
BSA National, from very early on B-P's " Imperial Headquarters "
controlled the policy for not just UK Scouting but throughout the
Empire - later the Commonwealth - for many years.
( In fact, some of the first Boy Scout troops in the USA were registered as
units of The Scout Association in 1919, a year before the formation of
BSA, and were later subsumed into BSA. )
Ian Ford
London UK
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