As a recap, here are the notes on the historical figures, events, and materials we discussed
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell (22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941), also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement.
Baden-Powell served in the British Army from 1876 until 1910 in India and Africa. In 1899, during the Second Boer War in South Africa, Baden-Powell successfully defended the town in the Siege of Mafeking.
He wrote Scouting for Boys, published in 1908 for youths and is the fourth bestselling book of the 20th century. During his writing of this handbook, he tested his ideas through a camping trip on Brownsea Island in August 1907, which marks the beginning of Scouting
In 1909, Chicago publisher W. D. Boyce was visiting London, where he encountered the Unknown Scout and learned of the Scouting movement. According to legend, Boyce had become lost in the dense London fog, but was guided back to his destination by a boy who told him that he was merely doing his duty as a Boy Scout. This inspired him to create a similar movement in the US.
Daniel Carter Beard - June 21, 1850 – June 11, 1941 - Beard founded a BSA predecessor organization for youth in the United States called the Sons of Daniel Boone, which later merged with the BSA. He also organized the Camp Fire Girls. He is best known as the first National Commissioner and Chairman of the Court of Honor and was the author of 21 books on outdoor living and survival skills
William D. Boyce - June 16, 1858 – June 11, 1929 - Publisher who encountered the “unknown scout” in London and went on to bring scouting to America soon afterward.
Waite Phillips - January 19, 1883 – January 27, 1964 - Wealthy oil man who in 1938 and in 1941, donated 127,000 acres of his ranch in New Mexico to the Boy Scouts of America, complete with water, mineral and timber rights and an office building, which is known as Philmont.
Ernest Thompson Seton - August 14, 1860 – October 23, 1946 - author, wildlife artist, and founder of the Woodcraft Indians, which later merged with the Sons of Daniel Boone and the BSA. His notable books related to Scouting include The Birch Bark Roll and The Boy Scout Handbook. He is responsible for the strong influence of American Indian culture in the BSA.
James E. West - May 16, 1876 – May 15, 1948 lawyer and an advocate of children's rights, who became the first professional Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), serving from 1911–1943. Upon his retirement from the BSA, West was given the title of Chief Scout. West was instrumental in expanding the third part of the Scout Oath: To help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. He also pushed to add three parts to the Scout Law: brave, clean, and reverent.
Brownsea Island - First Scout Camp was held on this island off the coast of England in 1906 to test ideas outlined by B-P, leading to the publication afterward of the first Boy Scout Handbook, Scouting for Boys.
The First World Jamboree – held in 1920, in London, England. 8000 scouts from 34 countries attended. Included 301 scouts from the USA. B-P was crowned the first and only Chief Scout of the World. Held roughly every 4 years since. World Jamborees unite scouts from across the globe.
Boy Scout Handbook – first published in 1911, provides the blueprint for scouting programs. Originally started as an outdoors guide by B-P, evolved early on by gathering information from other programs manuals.
Boys’ Life magazine- founded in 1911 by George Barton in Somerville, MA to provide a magazine that captures scouting ideas. He sold it to the BSA in 1912, with over 6000 subscribers, and it became the official BSA magazine.
