By: Shwathi Asokumar
Boys Scouts has had its roots from as early as 1908, an organization committed to educating boys 11 to 15 years old about citizenship and outdoor skills. "Boy Scouts" was established by Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell, who wrote the book Aids for Scouting. The book intended to describe the games Powell used to discipline his troops. It found interest in adolescents who enjoyed playing the elaborate and challenging competitions.
Powell regarded this and published his next book, Scouting for Boys, designed for younger readers. Powell attempted an experiment, where he took a group of twenty-one young boys to Brownsea Island. Powell set a campout on the island and trained the youths in camping, observation, boating, lifesaving, patriotism, and chivalry. The boys enjoyed the games and techniques used to teach them. In the evening, they ate a meager meal of milk and biscuits followed by a nightly prayer. The very first meeting of the Boy Scouts had been a success.
Subsequently, Powell set up a central Boy Scouts office. He created a uniform and enrolled over 600,000 scouts. In 1909, the first national Boy Scouts meeting transpired in Crystal Palace. A multitude of scouts came, including a group who called themselves Girl Scouts. Powell later founded another organization called Girl Guides, as well as the Cub Scouts for boys under the age of 12.
Boy Scouts was brought to America by a man named William Boyce. Boyce was lost in the fog when a young boy helped him out. The youth continuously declined Boyce's tip, stating that he was a Boy Scout and would not accept money for good deeds. This humble act of kindness led Boyce to organize a Boy Scouts group in the United States on February 8, 1910.
Conclusively, Boy Scouts have been a success with over 2.2 million members. It remains today, educating people about nature and life skills.
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