Scouting: Difference between revisions

[[Image:Scout stone Brownsea.jpg|thumb|200px|This stone on [[Brownsea Island]] commemorates the [[Brownsea Island Scout camp|first scout camp]].]]

In [[South African Republic|South Africa]] in the Second Boer War, Baden-Powell got besieged in the small town Mafeking against a much larger Boer army (the [[Siege of Mafeking]]).<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/mafeking.htm | title = The Siege of Mafeking | publisher = British Battles.com | accessdate = 2006-07-11}}</ref> The [[Mafeking Cadet Corps]] was a group of youths that supported the troops by carrying messages, which freed the men for military duties and kept the boys occupied during the long siege. The Cadet Corps performed well, helping in the defense of the town (1899–1900), and were one of the many factors that inspired Baden-Powell to form the Scouting movement.<ref name="cadet1">{{cite web | last = | first =  | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://www.scouting.milestones.btinternet.co.uk/cadets.htm | title = The Mafeking Cadets | format = | work = Scouting Milestones  | publisher = btinternet.co.uk | accessdate = 2007-02-04}}</ref><ref name="cadet2">{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year =  | url = http://www.scouting.org.za/seeds/cadets.html | title =The Mafeking Cadets | format = | work =The African Seeds of Scouting  | publisher = Scout Web South Africa | accessdate = 2007-02-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Webster| first=Linden Bradfield| year=| title= Linden Bradfield Webster's Reminiscences of the Siege of Mafeking| journal=. The South African Military Society (Military History Journal) | volume=1| issue=7| pages=}}</ref> Each member received a badge that illustrated a combined [[compass]] point and [[spearhead]]. The badge's logo was similar to the [[fleur-de-lis]] that Scouting later adopted as its international symbol. In the United Kingdom the public followed his struggle to hold Mafeking through newspapers, and when the siege was broken Baden-Powell had become a [[national hero]]. This pushed the sales of a small instruction book he had written about military scouting, ''Aids to Scouting''. On his return to England he noticed the large interest of boys in this book, which was also used by teachers and youth organizations.<ref name="NPG">{{cite web |url=http://www.npg.org.uk/live/wobaden.asp |title=Robert Baden-Powell: Defender of Mafeking and Founder of the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides | work = Past Exhibition Archive | publisher = [[National Portrait Gallery (United Kingdom)|National Portrait Gallery]] | accessdate= 2006-12-03}}</ref> He was suggested by several to rewrite this book for boys, especially during an inspection of the [[Boys' Brigade]]. This brigade was a large youth movement, drilled with military precision. Baden-Powell thought this would not be attractive and suggested that it could grow much larger when scouting would be used.<ref name="BPJeal">{{cite book | last = Jeal | first = Tim | authorlink = Tim Jeal |publisher=Yale University Press| coauthors = | year = 1989 | url = | title = Baden-Powell | pages = 360-362, 371 | accessdate =2007-02-04}}</ref> He studied other schemes, parts of which he used for Scouting.