Scouting is approaching its 116th anniversary since our founding in England in 1907 and this past February 8 was the 113th birthday of the Boy Scouts of America. The founder of Scouting, Lord Baden Powell, called Scouting a game with a purpose.
The founding of Scouting was somewhat of an accident. While Lord Baden Powell was a General for the British Army prior to the turn of the century, serving during wars in Africa and India, he wrote a book for military scouts called Aids to Scouting. Much to his surprise when he returned to England, adolescent boys were acquiring his book that he had written for adults.
On his return from Africa in 1903, Baden-Powell found his military training manual, Aids to Scouting, had become a best-seller, and was being used by teachers and youth organizations. Baden-Powell decided to re-write Aids to Scouting to suit a youth readership. In August 1907, he held an encampment on Brownsea Island to test out his ideas with approximately 20 boys.
After his observations on Brownsea Island, Baden Powell wrote Scouting for Boys from his findings and experiences. The Scouting movement exploded all over England.
