02/22/2026
Baden Powell Our Founder, the Origin of Scouting
169 years ago today, on February 22 1857, Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, the creator of Scouting, was born. He served in the British Army from 1876 to 1910, in India and Africa. Every year, on this date, we celebrate Scout-Guide Week.
B-P led a storybook life. He attended Charterhouse School. It was in the forests surrounding the school that he taught himself so many of the outdoor skills that became standard for Scouting youth around the world.
In 1899, in the Second Boer War, B-P successfully led the defence of the town of Mafeking and became a hero back home. During the siege, he discovered that the youth of the town were quite capable, so he put them to work in the defence of the town, acting as messengers and orderlies, freeing up soldiers to man the defences.
B-P found that many young soldiers did not know much about the outdoors. To help them develop their skills, he wrote several instruction books. The books became popular back home, and young boys began to read them and follow their teachings.
In 1907, he held an experimental camp on Brownsea Island, for a group of Scout-Aged boys. It was a great success. That camp formed the basis of Scouting. Within months, Scout Troops sprang up all over the UK, and by 1908, Scout Troops were formed in Canada and Australia. Now, Scouting organizations are in every country in the world except for China, North Korea, Cuba and Laos.
The first Scout Rally was held at the Crystal Palace in 1909. Guiding began in 1910, Cubs in 1916, Rover Scouts in 1918, Venture Scouts in 1967 and Beaver Scouts in 1971. Scouting in Canada became co-ed in the ‘90s. Our newest section, just introduced, is Chipmunks for 4-5 year olds.
The secret of Scouting is the Scout Method. Some of the best-known principles of the Scout Method are:
• The Scout Law and Promise
• Learning by doing
• The Patrol System
• A symbolic framework
• The use of nature to create fun, challenging, adventurous environments which provide challenges which Scouts want to conquer, learning new skills as they go.
• Personal Progression (Badges and Scouting levels)
• Adult Support
The goal of Scouting is to contribute to the development of young people by helping them achieve their full physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual potential, enabling them to become responsible citizens and positive members of their communities through outdoor activities and a value-based system like the Scout Promise and Law.
Scouting at Silver Falls goes back decades. Our current charter is dated 1956, but we have met former Silver Falls Scouts whose time in Scouting was earlier than that, so we are not sure exactly when Scouting first started there.
