Robert Baden-Powell

Biography

Childhood

Lord Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell off Guilwell, known as “BP” (to pronounce Bipi), was born the February 22nd 1857 in the district from Paddington with London. He is the eighth of the 10 children (including 3 died in low age) of the Reverend Baden Powell, mathematics professor at the university of Oxford, and Henriette Grace Powell. He is fore-mentioned Robert Stephenson Smyth, of the name of his godfather Robert Stephenson (wire of George Stephenson), and as of his maternal grandparents (of which the Admiral William Henri Smyth, which is also geographer and astronomer). His/her father dies whereas it is 3 years old.

Baden-Powell makes her studies with Charterhouse, college considered for her discipline. Baden-Powell is a follower of the school buissonnière and hides regularly in wood behind the school. It develops its direction of the observation to with it. His/her brothers regularly take it along to explore the countryside, to camp and sail.

It forever be a very good pupil and spleen his examinations of entry at the university. It is presented then to the military academy and obtains the second place with the entrance examination, at 19 years (1876).

Military career

It integrates 13th Hussards, a regiment of Cavalerie, and is exempted to follow the training courses of the school of officers. In 1877, it is sent as second lieutenant in India (then British colony). It is during its leisures that it is interested more particularly in work of the scouts, and that it realizes of their importance in military operations.

At the 26 years age, it is promoted captain. Its regiment is moved in South Africa, where it at the time of coming into contact with indigenous “scouts” for whom it has much admiration. It improves thus in the art of the approach and exploration. It is in Africa that it has for the first time the possibility of training military scouts according to its methods: it forms them in small units or patrols, each one under the orders of a chief, and allots to more deserving one badge whose drawing takes as a starting point the Northern point of the compass, very similar to what will become the badge of world scouting.

It has a brilliant military career, respected and obeyed because he is a chief who gives the example. It passes by the the Indies where it becomes, between-others, instructor, the Afghanistan, the Balkans, Malta, the Russia (like intelligence agent) and especially in South Africa.

The event which makes it famous in all the British Empire is the rescue of the small town of Mafeking in 1899, during the Guerre of Boers (of the colonists of extraction and Dutch language). With much of easy way and communicative courage, it succeeds in saving the city which is besieged during 217 days by enemy troops four times more. It uses the young people of the city like estafettes (to transmit messages to foot and bicycle), like observers, sentinels or scouts. (cf Head office of Mafeking). With the release of the city, the May 16th 1900, it is acclaimed like a hero and is named Major-general. It proved that young people were completely able to make a success of a mission, provided that one trusts them. It publishes its observations under the name of Scouting ( the art of the scouts ) in a small booklet intended for the soldiers called: Aids to scouting .

Creation of scouting

On its return to the the United Kingdom, it is accommodated triumphantly. It notes that Aids to scouting has an immense success near the British boys and is used by teachers. It receives even many mails of boys asking him councils. Marked by the youth British of the désœuvrés districts, often in bad health and delinquent, it decides into practice to put all the principles which it observed with the war with the service of young boys and from a point of view of peace.

“At the end of my military career, known as Baden-Powell, I put at work to transform what was an art to learn how to the men to make the Guerre, in an art to learn how to the young people to make the Paix; scouting does not have anything commun run with the military principles. ”

In 1907, then 50 years old, it organizes a fifteen day old camp with a score of boys of various social classes on the island of Brownsea. It tests there its ideas of education by the play, independence and confidence. It inaugurates this camp on August first at eight hours into blowing in its horn of kudo.

Following this camp, Sir William Smith (founder of the servant boy' S brigade ) requires of him to write a work on the way in which the scouting could be adapted to youth that it calls: Scouting for servant boys ( Scouts ).

With this book, it tries to launch a new autonomous movement. It creates the base of scouting with the five goals:

Health,
Direction of concrete,
Personality,
Service,
Direction of God.

As well as the ten articles of the law scoute and the promise scoute which do not impose any prohibition but propose a hygiene of life which each member promises to try to put into practice (to better do of sound).

It is in 1909, that the first companies of guides appear organized by Agnès Baden-Powell.

In 1910, it differentiates three age groups:

the Wolf cubs (8-11 years)
the Scouts (12-17ans)
the Truck drivers (17 years and +)

In 1918, it publishes a review entitled Girl guiding edition . It calls rather the femininist movement the Guides than scoutes or girl guides because it estimates that their role is not to light but guide. “A woman who is able to escape from the difficulty all alone is respected as well by the men as by the women. They are always ready to take its advice and its example, it is their guide. ”

In 1910, on the councils of the king of the United Kingdom Edouard VII, it resigns of the army to take the direction of the movement which it has just launched.

In 1912, it Marie with Holy Olave Claire Soames, who becomes world Chief-guide.

The movement takes much importance quickly, and develops in many countries of the world. The Jamboree of 1920 joins together for the first time of the scouts of 21 country. Baden-Powell was named there World Chief (world scout chief).

In 1927, it is anobli by the king Georges V. It takes the name of Lord Baden-Powell off Gilwell, of the name of a property which it received from the McLaren family to make a training center of the chiefs of it.

Today, there is more than 28 million scouts in more than 216 countries of the whole world.

Last word

Baden-Powell and his wife spend much their time to traverse the world to support scouting in its development, and take part in the ceremonies of creation of the movement in new countries. At the end of its life, it is withdrawn with the Kenya and forwards to the scouts of the whole world its last message:

“This is right a short note of good-bye, to recall you, when I disappear, that you must try in the life to be happy and to return the other happy ones. What that appears easy and pleasant, this is not? It is first of all by the daily good deed that you will learn how to bring happiness to the others. The best manner of reaching happiness is to spread it around you.

I had a very happy life, and I would like that one can say as much of each one of you of it. I believe that God placed you in this world there to be happy and enjoy the life. It is neither the richness, neither the success, nor indulgence towards oneself which creates happiness.

the study of nature will teach you that God created beautiful and marvellous things so that you enjoy it. You satisfy with what you have and make the best possible use. Look at the beautiful side of the things and not darkest.

Try to leave this world a little better than it was it when you came there and when the hour of death approaches, you can die happy by thinking that you did not waste your time and that you made “your better”.

Be ready to live happy and to die happy. Be always faithful to your promise even when you are adult.

That God helps you.

Your friend

Baden-Powell”

He dies the January 8th 1941 in Kenya where he is buried. On its tomb a sign of track (symbol) is engraved, fine sign the “of track, to turn over” and which can be interpreted by " I returned to moi".

Lady Baden-Powell continued her role of bond between the girl guides of the whole world. She died the June 25th 1978 in England.

Works

Scouts (in English Scouting for Servant boys ), several republications

See too

Homages to Baden Powell
Holy Olave Claire Soames
Agnes Baden-Powell

External bond

portrait of Baden Powell by Michel Seyrat

Random links:

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