Baden Powell visits 2005

[Trevorum 24]

 

In an old thread, Proud Eagle said,

 

"I would hazard a guess that if we could alter the space-time continuum in a way similar to a twighlight zone or Star Trek episode, and have BP try to found Scouting in the modern world, he would make uniform choices that would not sit well with current BSA leadership. It is my guess that either he would use modified civilian outdoor wear, or more likely he would choose a military uniform like the BDUs. Scouting's natural setting is the outdoors. Its activities are dusty, wet, cold, hot, and everything in between. It would therefore be logical for the uniform to be appropriate and sensable attire for wear during many Scouting activities. The current "field" uniform is not sensable attire for most Scouting activities

 

In the spirit of Semper's great thought experiments, what other changes (if any) do you think BP would make if he were transported through a time-warp to the year 2005? Let's assume that he was thoroughly briefed on modern technology, society, etc.

 

[SemperParatus 1]

That would be very hard to conjecture. But, I bet he would be very pleased to see how the program has taken root and blossumed.

[Scoutndad 10]

Pure conjecture - Do you think he may listen more closely to the members of the whole organization and lead us to do the right thing and not the politically correct thing?

[Proud Eagle 13]

Scoutndad,

What exactly do you mean by that. One person's right thing is another person's wrong these days. As to politically correct, I think the last two things BSA did to try to be politically correct were allowing women as adult leaders and moving the uniform to a less military form.

 

While discussions about values or uniforms are interesting, I think there is a better direction we could take this.

 

What about the program itself?

 

In particular, how would troops and patrols be structured? Or would he have even used the patrol method in the current day? Some of our friends in Venturing seem to think the patrol method is a poor organizational system and a corporate model is better.

 

BP used patrols because he thought those were the most natural groupings of young men. However, how do young men naturally organize themselves in the present day? Do they even naturally organize themselves?

 

In BP's day, all the kids in the neighborhood were forced to be a group. They other kids living near by were essentially the only people close enough to get to, after all they had to either walk, or in some cases use a bicycle or horse. Today many kids don't know their neighbors. Instead their parents shuttle them to school, church, soccer, baseball, 4H, and other activities spread all over town. About the only place the old method still exists is in the inner-city environment. Unfortunately the gangs in those areas do a great job of recruiting the youth.

 

So, how would BP organize Scouting today?

 

What would he have Scouts do?

 

Would they still engage in "tracking" and "stalking" or would BP embrace web design?

 

 

[scoutldr 732]

I'll bet BP would insist that all BSA pubs be put on CD and mailed to every registered leader every year. Cost of CD and mailing would be about a buck apiece. Separate CDs for youth would be available containing the BS Handbook, Fieldbook and all MB pamphlets. There would be online ordering for all items in the BSA catalog and everything would be reasonably priced and functional.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

scoutldr, I agree about the CD's, he might even insist trained leaders get them free

 

[dsteele 20]

I respectfully disagree about the CD's. They can not be read in the woods. They also make lousy fire-starters.

 

Unc.

[Eamonn 61]

 

BP said:

Scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens.

 

Be Prepared... the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise.

 

An individual step in character training is to put responsibility on the individual.

 

Scouts of the World - Brothers Together

 

The patrol system leads each boy to see that he has some individual responsibility for the good of his patrol.

 

The uniform makes for brotherhood, since when universally adopted it covers up all differences of class and country.

 

There is no teaching to compare with example.

Trust should be the basis for all our moral training.

Give the old Boy a cell phone with GPS, a laptop and he would be good to go.

Eamonn

[Miki101 14]

Thats an interesting query. What would happen if BP appeared today, other than the fact that he would be mobbed everywhere he went in the Scouting world and would have lots of speaking engagements, much like his 1912 world tour.

 

However, the first thing that I believe he would do would be to re-write SCOUTING FOR BOYS (on his laptop using Word) to reflect the modern times. There probably would be a safe scouting on the internet section along with a section on how to not be a victim of child predators.

 

As the Chief Scout of the World, he would grant lots of interviews and, thereby, garner enormous international attention. He would stress that Scouting as the largest youth Peace Movement in the world but not deflect any attention from Scoutings patriotic duty to serve ones country in time of need. He would have supported the War in Iraq from the standpoint of unwavering national patriotism and assisted in its rebuilding, which would lead to the re-start Scouting in that country.

 

I do not think that he would go around issuing orders to change the uniform. He would instead try to re-build Scoutings infrastructure from the philosophical viewpoint and reiterate that Scouting is non-denominational but there is a basic belief in some Supreme Being. He may even re-issue his 1910 circular on How to Pray.

 

He would stress personal responsibility and throw in lots of stories from his youth to illustrate his points and be the author of many other pieces. He would also start writing his weekly column in THE SCOUT and THE HEADQUARTERS GAZETTE. He would have to have an extremely large entourage to take care of his day-to-day matters, which would allow him to concentrate on the re-building part. He would have little accessibility and would complain about it, but his handlers would have to keep him safe from physical harm. He would spend some of his time giving affidavits in ongoing lawsuits and be called upon as an expert witness.

 

After years of travel, speeches and court summons, he would retire to Kenya and live in Pax-Four.

 

And if Seton were alive at the same time in 2005let the fireworks begin.

 

miki

 

[orennoah 11]

I spoke a couple of months ago at our local Rotary Club about my Troop.

 

I mentioned that if Baden Powell were to come along with us on a trip, he would be amazed at the backpacking stoves, the lightweight tents and the GPS receivers. Heck, he probably wouldn't even be able to pronounce polypropylene.

 

However, he would fit right in and know exactly what we were doing. His patrol method is alive and well and teaching skills and building character now, just as it did 100 years ago.

 

- Oren

[Eamonn 61]

orennoah

Thanks for making me smile.

I love the polypropylene, heck I still call Styrofoam, Polystyrene!! And have to think about Aluminum.

Miki101

Do you think that the HEADQUARTERS GAZETTE would take the form of blog?

Somehow I see BP as being the worlds greatest Blogger.

Eamonn

[Miki101 14]

At-a-boy Eamonn,

 

HQ GAZETTE could be a good Scouting blog. He used his resources then...and he would do so now.

 

miki

[ozemu 10]

Beatboxing would replace campfire songs.

 

Tag art would be required. Every Scout having an individual tag that incorporates their Patrol sign but shows their role in the Patrol.

 

He would employ Dr Phil as a regular on his own tv program.

 

He would have more frequent flyer points than Pope JP did. BP would be every where.

 

His website would be huge (big) and fully sick (very interesting and exciting)and interactive. BP wrote enormously and would love to be in the chat room.

 

He would remove 'Girl Scouting' in all its forms. Obviously he would also get rid of 'Boy Scouts' wherever they are currently found.

 

and the blog of course. Although I've never seen one. Is there a Scouting blog anywhere?

[ozemu 10]

Requirments for MB and advancement would be generalised and the SM given more responsibility in deciding the worthyness of each Scouts efforts in earning these badges.

[Trevorum 24]

Very interesting ideas, all... I think BP would be well-pleased at the movement in general. Over the last near-century his vision has touched countless lives around the world. [someone (Miki?) should write an allohistory (what-if story) in which BP was mortally wounded in the Boer War - like ripples in a pond, his absence from the 20th century would have created innumerable differences in our modern world, great and small.]

 

On the other hand, I also think that he'd have much to say about various details of how his vision is being implemented. Among other issues, I think he'd point to the BSA uniform as "parlour Scouting".