British Boy Scouts: Difference between revisions

| country =United Kingdom

| f-date = 1909-05-24

| award-for =

| members =

The '''British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association''' (BBS & BGS Association; also known as "National Peace Scouts", The "Brotherhood of British Scouts") was a early Scouting organisation that split from the main Scouting organisation [[Boy Scouts Association]] in 1909 and led to the formation of the first international Scouting organization, the [[Order of World Scouts]].

''On my honour I will Love God; Honour the Queen; Respect all.  

On my honour I will, without fear or reward, protect the weak, defend the helpless, and assist my neighbour.  

The BBS was able to ally with the Cassell and Company publisher of the CHUMS publication, who previously tried to develop their own league of 'CHUMS league of Scouts' with the [[CHUMS Scout Patrols]].  Cassell merged their Patrols with the BBS and allowed them to publish a weeky page June 1909 until mid-1911.<ref name="BBS">{{cite web | url=http://www.boy-scout.net/en/page8/page9/page9.html | title = The BBS Story | accessdate  = 2008-10-06 | date =2008-09-25 | format=html | date = 2002-06-18| format = html | work = boy-scout.net | publisher  = The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association | location = Dorset, England, UK }}</ref>. From the beginning in 1909, the BBS had a 10 part Law, whereas the Boy Scouts Association Law, only had nine clauses,<ref>Baden-Powell, Lieut. Gen Robert, Scouting for Boys by B-P, Horace Cox, London Part I 8th January 1908, pages 49-51</ref> the tenth being added in 1911 at the suggestion of the Reverend Dr A T Scholfield. <ref>Woodcraft and World Service, I O Evans, Noel Douglas London 1930, Page 43</ref>

''1.  A Scout is honourable, truthful and reliable.  

10. A Scout is upright in his/her conduct.''

With spread of the alternative British Boy Scouts program through out the world via CHUMS publication<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.boy-scout.net/worldscouts/ws.htm | title=The Order of World Scouts history | accessdate  = 2008-10-08 | date=1997 | format = html | work = boy-scout.net | publisher = The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association | location = Dorset, England, UK }}</ref> and Vane's efforts, Vane informally alligned the various groups as the Legion of World Scouts, the first international organization, in 1911 then formally launched as the [[Order of World Scouts]] (OWS) in 1911.<ref name="hbu">{{cite web | url        = http://www.histclo.com/youth/youth/org/sco/int/sco-intows.htm | title  =Boy Scout Movement: Internationalism--Order of World Scouts | accessdate  = 2008-10-08 | author= Christopher Wagner | date=2002-02-06 | format = html | work=Historic Boys' Uniform Web Site | publisher  = Christopher Wagner}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.sossi.org/others/others.htm | title = Other Youth Programs| accessdate  = 2008-10-08

By the mid-1911, the original organisers had resigned from the BBS, losing the organisation sponsorship from CHUMS.<ref name="BBS">{{cite web | url=http://www.boy-scout.net/en/page8/page9/page9.html | title = The BBS Story | accessdate  = 2008-10-06 | date =2008-09-25 | format=html | date = 2002-06-18| format = html | work = boy-scout.net | publisher  = The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association | location = Dorset, England, UK }}</ref> Vane put his wealth behind the organisation: providing a London headquarter and financed the organisation, even the manufacture of BBS uniforms.  This over burdened his finances to the point of having to declare bankruptcy.  Thus the British Boy Scouts and the Order of World Scouts lost their headquarters, source of equipment and uniforms and their leader, Sir Francis Vane.<ref name="hbu">{{cite web | url = http://www.histclo.com/youth/youth/org/sco/int/sco-intows.htm | title  =Boy Scout Movement: Internationalism--Order of World Scouts | accessdate  = 2008-10-08 | author= Christopher Wagner | date=2002-02-06 | format = html | work=Historic Boys' Uniform Web Site | publisher  = Christopher Wagner}}</ref><ref name="BBS">{{cite web | url=http://www.boy-scout.net/en/page8/page9/page9.html | title = The BBS Story | accessdate  = 2008-10-06 | date =2008-09-25 | format=html | date = 2002-06-18| format = html | work = boy-scout.net | publisher  = The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association | location = Dorset, England, UK }}</ref>  By the end of 1912 Captain Masterman, then Assistant Grand Scoutmaster - Britain, led Troops and Junior Troops in joining the [[The Scout Association|Boy Scouting Association]] while in 1913 some troops were led by Mr. Barrow Cadbury to join the Boys' Life Brigade (BLB), becoming the BLB Scouts.  This left about 100 Troops under the new Grand Scoutmaster, Albert Jones Knighton.  Vane kept in contact, and in 1915, home from leave from his duties for the Army in Ireland, inspected a Troop under London Commissioner, Mr Percy Herbert Pooley.  Under Knighton and Pooley, the BBS & BGS became a definite Christian association.<ref name="AD">{{cite web | url=http://www.boy-scout.net/en/page8/page12/page12.html | title=The Constitution of the British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association Version 18/06/2002: APPENDIX D -- A History of the British Boy Scouts | accessdate  = 2008-10-08 | date =2001-03 | format = html | work = boy-scout.net | publisher  = The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association | location = Dorset, England, UK | pages =24-27 }}</ref>  

The UK Parliament had a bill in 1921 before it to restrict use of "Boy Scout" and Scout uniform and Badges to the Boy Scouts Association but the measure failed.  In 1926, a broader bill to protect all Chartered Associations was passed but with a clause by Herbert Dunnico a Labour MP, and a BBS Scoutmaster that exempted any 'bona fide national organisation' from the act, such as the British Boy Scouts. Knighton had resigned without waiting for the outcome of the legislation and formed the "the British Boy Sentinels", a non-scounting organization. Pooley took over as Chief Commissioner with Rt Hon. Lord Alington as Grand Scoutmaster.  Some Boy Scouts Association Troops from Shoreditch, East Ham and Lewisham allied with the BBS until 1932 forming 'The Independent Scout Alliance'.  Some BLB Companies affiliated with the BBS as the 'Young Life Pioneers' when in 1926 when the Life Brigade merged with the Boys' Brigade.  Sir Francis in vain tried to reconcile the BBS with the BSA after returning from Italy in 1927 <ref name="AD">{{cite web | url=http://www.boy-scout.net/en/page8/page12/page12.html | title=The Constitution of the British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association Version 18/06/2002: APPENDIX D -- A History of the British Boy Scouts | accessdate  = 2008-10-08 | date =2001-03 | format = html | work = boy-scout.net | publisher  = The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association | location = Dorset, England, UK | pages =24-27 }}</ref>. This initiative failed due to a lack of a positive response from the B-P HQ. They required the BBS to disband, and Troops and individuals apply in the normal way - without any reassurance as to the acceptance of units.

E.P. Carter turned his Boys Guides' Brigade, founded in 1902 into the South African (SA) British Boy Scouts (BBS).  The Boys Guide Brigade was found by Carter in 1902.  With the turmoil after 1912, the SA BBS rebuffed Baden-Powell's effort to have them join the [[The Scout Association|The Boy Scout Association]] instead renaming themselves Naval Cadets.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boy-scout.net/en/page3/page3.html |title=Order of World Scouts Story |accessdate=2008-10-08 |date= |year=1997 |month= |format=html |work=boy-scout.net |publisher=The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association |location=Dorset, England, UK }}</ref>

The British Boy Scouts also were organized in Canada, New Zealand, India, Creillos, South America and Egypt.  All of these were original members of the [[Order of World Scouts]].  Most of which lost most or all of there members during the First World War.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boy-scout.net/en/page3/page0/page0.html |title=THE CONSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF WORLD SCOUTS |accessdate=2008-10-23 |date=29 |year=2001 |month=03 |format=html |work=boy-scout.net |publisher=The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association |location=Dorset, England, UK }}</ref>

* [http://www.boy-scout.net/en/page8/page8.html homepage The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association]

[[Category:Non-aligned Scouting organizations]]

[[Category:Order of World Scouts]]