Olave Baden-Powell: Difference between revisions

Olave was the younger daughter of [[brewery]] owner and artist Harold Soames (himself descended paternally from a [[landed gentry]] family, and maternally from a self-made man, Joseph Gilstrap Gelthorpe, who had been Mayor of [[Newark, England|Newark]] in [[Nottinghamshire]]).  She was educated by her father, her mother Katharine (nee Hill), and a number of governesses at home. Home repeatedly changed, as her father continually moved house as he travelled.  Olave became keen on outdoor sports including tennis, swimming, football, skating and canoeing, and also played the violin.

In January 1912, Olave met [[Second Boer War]] hero and founder of the Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell on an ocean liner (Arcadia) on the way to [[New York]] to start one of his Scouting World Tours.  She was 23, he 55, and they shared the same birthday.  They became engaged in September of the same year, causing a media sensation.  To avoid press intrusion, they married in secret on October 30, 1912.

* Hon. Betty Baden-Powell (1917–2004) who married 1936 Gervase Charles Robert Clay (b. 1912), and had issue 3 sons and 1 daughter.

During [[1915]] and [[1916]], with [[World War I]] in progress, Olave assisted directly with the war effort in [[France]]. Robert had seen the usefulness of the [[YMCA]]'s recreational huts for the soldiers and persuaded the [[Worshipful Company of Mercers|Mercers' Company]] to pay for such a hut at Val-de-Lievres, [[Calais]].<ref name="War Years">{{cite web | title =Window on My Heart. Chapter X. The War Years. | date =[[2004-04-25]] | url =http://pinetreeweb.com/bp-olave-10.htm | accessdate =2007-03-26}}</ref> It was to be staffed by adults connected with Scouting.<ref name="War Years"/> Olave was one of the team of five men and three women that staffed the hut at the start.<ref name="War Years"/> She persuaded her mother to look after the children for time she would be away.<ref name="War Years"/>

During this time, Robert had organised the Scouts to sponsor another recreational hut.<ref name="War Years"/> Olave and two others started this hut at [[Etaples]] after Christmas 1915.<ref name="War Years"/> At the end of January, Olave was ordered home due to sickness, ending her three months in France.<ref name="War Years"/>

Olave became a County Commissioner in the [[Girlguiding UK|Girl Guides]] in 1916 and became Chief Guide for Britain in 1918. Later the same year she was presented with a gold [[Silver Fish]], one of only two ever made. She was elected World Chief Guide in 1930.   

In 1932, she was awarded the Dame Grand Cross of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ([[Order of the British Empire|GBE]]) by [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]]. As well as making a major contribution to the development of the Guide / Girl Scout movements, she visited 111 countries during her life attending [[International Scout Jamboree|Jamborees]] and national Guide and Scout associations. Her father also assisted financially with the purchase of [[Pax Hill]] near [[Bentley, Hampshire]] as a family home where she lived with her husband from 1918 until 1939.

Olave Baden-Powell was presented a personal standard by the County Commissioners in the UK.<ref name="Kerr">{{cite book| last =Kerr | first =Rose | title =Story of the Girl Guides 1908-1938 | publisher =Girl Guides Association | date =1976 | location =London}}</ref> It was designed by Mrs Zigomala.<ref name="Kerr"/> Miss Kay-Shuttleworth supervised the making of the standard.<ref name="Kerr"/>

<blockquote>The Standard of Lady Baden-Powell, Chief Guide of the World, is blue (azure) from the [[Flag terminology|hoist]] to the [[Flag terminology|fly]]. Nearest the hoist is the gold ([[Or (heraldry)|or]]) trefoil; then come two small hemispheres, showing a coloured map of the world, indicating her post as Chief Guide. These are placed high to the left of the main fly, which is divided throughout its length by two silver ([[argent]]) waves, amongst which are shown three ships with black hulls and white sails, four dolphins and the Gold Fish of the Chief Guide. Then between two red ([[gules]]) motto bands on which are embroidered the Baden-Powell and Girl Guide mottoes in gold letters, there is a section alluding to the outdoor life, showing white tents on a green ([[vert]]) field. In the extreme fly the Baden-Powell crests are embroidered.<ref name="Kerr"/></blockquote>

In October 1939, Olave moved to [[Nyeri]], [[Kenya]] with her husband, where he died on January 8, 1941.  

Having suffered a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] in [[1961]], she was finally banned from travelling at the age of 80 in [[1970]] when she was diagnosed with [[diabetes]] from which she eventually died.

Olave died on [[June 19]], [[1977]] at Birtley House, [[Bramley, Surrey|Bramley]] in Surrey, UK. Her ashes were taken to Kenya to be placed next to her husband's.  She was survived by her two daughters, her son having predeceased her.

The [[Olave Centre]] for Guides was built in north [[London]] in Olave's memory. This has the World Bureau and [[Pax Lodge]] in its grounds. Pax Lodge is one of WAGGGS' four World Centres.

The Olave Baden-Powell Bursary Fund was set up in 1979 from voluntary contributions in memory of Olave B-P. Annually awarded bursaries aim to allow girls in [[Girlguiding UK]] to further their interests and hobbies and realise their dreams.

1973: ''Window on My Heart''<ref>{{cite web| last =Orans| first =Lewis P.| title =Window on My Heart | date =[[2004-04-25]] | url =http://pinetreeweb.com/bp-olave-00.htm | accessdate =2007-03-22}}</ref>

<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags and the tag below -->

<references/>

* [http://www.olavebadenpowell.org/ Olave Baden Powell — The World Chief Guide] including a [http://www.olavebadenpowell.org/life/time.htm timeline]

* [http://www.thepeerage.com/p6312.htm#i63111 Family details (from ePeerage)]

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[[Category:Bronze Wolf awardees|Baden-Powell, Olave]]

[[Category:Guiding|Baden-Powell, Olave]]

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