From: Brown Michael-EMB021 (Michael_Brown-EMB021@EMAIL.MOT.COM)
Date: Tue Nov 02 1999 - 10:46:56 CST
All-
One hundred years ago this month, November 1899, Baden-Powell's booklet Aids
to Scouting for
N.C.Os and Men was published.
At the time, Baden-Powell was besieged in Mafeking, which began in mid
October and would last until May.
Due to B-P's fame during the seige, his booklet became a best seller,
inspiring many to make use of it in teaching boys and girls how to be
scouts, and which latter lead to B-P re-writting it as Scouting for Boys.
Some upcoming 100 anniversary dates:
1902- the year Ernest Thompson Seton established his youth organization the
Woodcraft Indians, which was later merged into the fledging BSA, and which
he later re-established as the Woodcraft League. While no longer in
existance, this organization inspired the formation of other such groups in
this country and others.
1905- the year Daniel Carter Beard established his youth organization, the
Society of the Sons of Daniel Boone. Whereas Seton's was based on the ideas
of the Native Americans, Beard's group was based on the ideas of the early
American pioneers. He would later merge his group into the fledging BSA and
become a National Scout Commissioner.
1907- the year of the Brownsea Island experiement, where B-P tried out his
game of scouting. This was based on both his military training booklet Aids
to Scouting, as well as other youth movements like Seton's Birchbark Rolls,
Beard's work and others.
1908- the year Scouting for Boys was first published and the Boy Scouts
established. Over the next few years, many would take this book and create
their own scouting groups and organizations around the world.
1910- the year Chicago publisher William D. Boyce would learn of scouting
after being helding in the London fog by an unknown scout. He would then
incorporate the BSA in February 11, 1910.
Michael R. Brown
Venturing Crew #1838
