HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SCOUTING.

Key dates In the Development of Scouting.
1857: the birth of Robert Stephenson Smyth Powell (B.P)

1876: B-P passed brilliantly the army examination to become right away an officer without having to be
trained at the Royal military College in Sandhurst.

1897: B-P promoted to command the 5th Dragon Guards.

1899: B-P returned to England from India bringing with him the manuscript of a little book, he had
Written, called “Aids to Scooting.” The book described the training he had given to his soldiers
Scouts in India.

1899: B-P sent to South Africa with orders to raise two regiments of mounted cavalry, as trouble was
brewing between the British in South Africa and the Boers.

1899: With 9,000 men General Cronje of the Boers Army marched to Mafikeng (Meaning the place of
stones in Baralong language). The siege of Mafikeng begun with B.P having only 1000 men to
face 9,000 Boers. But being the resourceful man he was, he managed to save the town after
Some seven months, ending 218 days of siege. Knowing that he needed all his men who were
not injured (400 out of his 1000 were killed in the siege) he accepted the idea of training the boys
who were in Mafikeng as Scout cadets so that they could carry out routine jobs and use the men
to defend the town militarily. The idea is said to have come from one Lord Cecil who was
among B.P’s commanders. The Mafikeng cadets with their leaders Warner Goodyear, made a
wonderful contribution to the origins of Scouting. This was the first time a boy was made a
Scout, a special corps of the army.

1907: B-P returns to England.

1908: B-P started providing the concept of Scouting through his original book “Scouting for boys.”
The attraction was immediate. Groups began to form all over the world. In the beginning, the
movement grew almost faster than support could be provided.

Scouting in Kenya
BP first came to Kenya in 1906 for a holiday tour to get away from his busy schedules. Scouting first started in Kenya on November 24, 1910 with the formation of 1st Nairobi troop at what is now St. Johns church, Pumwani. The first African troop was formed at Alliance Boys High tertiary Institution in 1927, opening the door for many other units later on.

BP visited Kenya again in 1935 and later came to spend the winter here in 1937. In October 1938, suffering from ill-health, BP returned to Africa, which had been very close to his heart for much of his life, to live in Nyeri, Kenya. Even there, he found it difficult to curb his energy, and he continued to write and sketch. He called his little home in Nyeri “PAXTU”, that us “PAX”, the name of his home in England and “TU” is the distortion of two while referring to his second home in Kenya.
He lived until his death on January 8, 1941 at an elderly age of 83. he was buried in a simple grave at Nyeri in the compound of St. peters church within sight of Mt. Kenya. On his headstone are the words “Robert Baden-Powell” Chief Scout of the World surmounted by the Boy Scout and Girl Guide Emblems.

Lady Olave Baden-Powell, BP’s wife, had been a very enthusiastic supporter of BP’s work and she herself was World chief Guide. Following BP’s death, she continued with his work, promoting Scouting and Guiding around the world until her death in 1977.

Coincidentally, BP and his wife share the same birthday though different years Scouts call this day “Founders Day” while Guides refer, to it as “Thinking Day”. Scouts and Guides from all over the world, commemorate this day, February 22, as a gesture of honour to the founder, Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. The celebration is normally characterized by weeklong activities and is climaxed by prayers and laying of a wreath of flowers at BP’s graveyard in Nyeri, Kenya.

Origin of Scouting in Kenya.
In the pre-independent Kenya, Scouting was a branch of the British Scout Association. However, in 1964 the Kenya Scouts Association (KSA) was instituted by an act of Parliament, thereafter referred to as The Kenya Scouts Act chapter 219. The Association aims at developing the youth at their formative ages so that they become responsible citizens through social, physical, intellectual and spiritual development.

KSA is a a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) that comprises all National Scouts Associations across the globe. The mission of the KSA is to promote the development of the Scouts Programme within the country as well as globally.

Thus, KSA adheres to the fundamental principles of scouting i.e. voluntary membership open to all youth with no form of discrimination whatsoever. The goal is to mould youth by designing Programmes that interest young people and encourage them to realize their full potential. These Programmes are consequently tailor made to meet the ever-changing needs of the young people.

The status of Scouting today.
Since it’s beginning, Scouting has spread to over 216 countries and territories worldwide involving more than 28 million youths. This makes Scouting undoubtedly the largest and most popular youth organization in the world.

From the beginning, Scouting placed the holistic development of young persons at the core of its existence. Early Scouting programs revolved around.

• Instilling positive values such as belief in God and good citizenship
• Personal hygiene and general health
• Environmental protection.
• Avoidance of risky behaviour (i.e. campaign against smoking, drug abuse etc).
• Promotion of self-development
• Positive social attitudes i.e. thinking about others.
• Physical fitness and endurance

The fact that the number of scouts across the globe has continued to rise tremendously attests to this commitment. The 30 million Scouts found in 21st countries in the world continues to work closely with all development partners such as Girl Guides Associations, United Nations organizations e.g. UNFPA, UNDCP & UNICEF, UNAIDS among others.

At camps, expeditions, and in executing the Scout programme, the Scouts are expected to show high standards of achievement in traditional Scouting skills, discipline as well as emerging contemporary issues. The adults in Scouting, Scout Leaders and Rover Scouts are expected to guide the Scouts through the Scout programme. The goal is service, and participating in community development initiatives as well as activities that suit their interest. Details of programs and activities must always change with circumstances or need without eroding the essence of Scouting.