Photo: Robert Baden-Powell, Scouting for Boys (initially serialized & later as a book) , Famous Painting of B-P

Inscribed stone on Brownsea Island commemorating the first ever Scout camp

The first Scout camp was held August 1st 1907 with ~20 boys on Brownsea Island off the south coast of England. The camp was opened at 6:00am with the sound of a Kudu horn that B-P brought back from Africa.

General Baden-Powell was already a well known military hero in England after his successful defense of the city in the siege of Mafeking during the second Boer war (1899-1902).

In Jan 1908 "Scouting for Boys by B-P" was published - using his experiences at Brownsea Island, and based on the contents of his previous military training publications. These books, including: Aids to Scouting, were written during his time as a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army in Africa and India.

Scouting For Boys was initially published as a biweekly serial of 6 installments (see above image) - it proved so popular it was released in book form in May 1908. B-P was friendly with Rudyard Kipling and with his permission adapted portions of Kipling's wonderful stories of India from 'The Jungle Book' into his themes for Cub Scouting. 

Scouting is now the worlds largest youth organization - by far - and is active in all except 6 countries worldwide.

Centennial:

6:00am August 1st 2007 marks 100 years of Scouting from this first ever Scout camp in England, (exactly at 10pm July 31st/Aug1st Arizona time!).

See more history of Robert Baden-Powell and the start of the Scout movement worldwide

Baden-Powell was honored extensively for both his military career and for the founding & worldwide growth of the Scouting movement. He served 5 English sovereigns: Victoria & Edward VII during his military service and George V, Edward VIII, and George VI during his Scouting years. All except Edward VIII (reigned only 11 months) conferred major awards on him:

Queen Victoria
Ashanti Star Medal, 1895
Matabele Campaign Medal, 1896-97
South African War Queen's Medal, 1899
Companion of the Bath, C.B., 1900

King Edward VII
South African War King's Medal, 1901
Knight Commander of the Bath, K.C.B., 1909
Knight Commander of the Victorian Order, K.C.V.O., 1909

King George V
Coronation Medal, 1911
Baronet, 1922
Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order, 1923
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, G.C.M.G., 1927
Peerage, Barony, 1929
Jubilee Medal, 1935

King Edward VIII

King George VI
Coronation Medal, 1937
Order of Merit, O.M., 1937

B-P also received a total of 20 significant awards from foreign countries & 6 honorary university degrees (from the likes of Oxford, Cambridge) mostly for his work growing Scouting.

See Baden-Powell's final message to Scouts

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