On this date in 1908, Lt Gen Robert Baden-Powell organized the first Boy Scout troop in England. His idea was simple - boys should group themselves into small units of six or seven under a boy leader, the patrol leader. Their training consisted tracking and reconnaissance, mapping, signaling, knotting, first aid and skills that arise from camping and other outdoor activities. To become a scout, a boy promised to be loyal to his country, help other people and obey the scout law, an easily understood code of chivalrous behavior. By contrast, certain of Baden-Powell’s professional decisions are hard to understand.
© 2024 John Oliver
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