Brownsea Island Scout Stone On 1 August 1907 20 boys pitched their tents on Brownsea Island, little realizing how important and far-reaching their week would be. Lord Baden-Powell's experimental camp, based on scouting skills learnt in the army during the Boer War, set the foundation of the Scouting and Guiding movements today. Apr 18, 2020 Scouting Heritage 7. Reproduce the equipment for an old-time Scouting game such as those played at Brownsea Island. You may find one on your own (with your counselor’s approval), or pick one from the Scouting Heritage merit badge pamphlet. Teach and play the game with other Scouts. First Aid 14. Teach another Scout a first-aid skill selected. What is seen as the first true Scout Camp was held at Humshaugh, Northumberland from 22 August to 4 September 1908, as this was held after the official start of the Scout Movement. Despite this the Brownsea Island Camp is seen by many as the first camp and the same week of the camp in 2007 was used to officially mark the centenary of Scouting.

MILESTONES to Scouting was originally chosen as the title for this series of articles to demonstrate that there was no single event that can claim to be the starting point for Scouting. It must be remembered that the Brownsea participants were not Scouts in the true sense of the word - they had not taken the Law and the Promise.Some did go on to become Scouts, but others did not join when eventually the opportunity was presented, preferring to remain in the Boys' Brigade or their School's Cadet Corps. All of the original participants that left any sort of written record seem to agree that what happened on Brownsea was very special and stayed with them throughout out their lives.

Baden-Powell was 50 years old in 1907. He had achieved world-wide fame as 'The Hero of Mafeking'. He had toured Britain extensively and spoken to a wide range of audiences about his ideas of using Army Scout training to motivate what he saw as disaffected youth. He had involved other youth organisations - notably the YMCA and the Boys' Brigade. He had a populist publisher waiting for the drafts of his latest book, which was a revision, designed especially to appeal to the young, of his army manual Aids to Scouting. He had the support of the great and the good throughout the land. What he did not have was practical experience in working with young people! True, his ideas had worked on Army Scouts. The Mafeking Cadets were, in the main, much younger and though inspirational were not trained by Baden-Powell. As far as boys of 'scout age' were concerned, B-P only had the word of others, young and old alike, that his ideas would work. Now he needed to find out for himself.

Organisation

DURING a fishing holiday in May 1907 at Knocklofty in Ireland, B-P had met Mr and Mrs Charles van Raalte. They got on very well and invited B-P to visit them in their London home or at their castle on the 500-acre Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset.

As a boy, B-P had sailed in Poole Harbour with his brothers and made illegal landings on Brownsea Island's private beaches. It seemed to him to be the ideal place to conduct his experimental camp. On his return to London, B-P wrote asking for permission, and was sent back van Raalte's recently-published little booklet about Brownsea. Yes it had everything he needed, particularly isolation. He wrote,

'I was anxious to get away from outsiders, press reporters and other 'vermin', where I could try out the experiment without interruption.'

SOME press reporters must have become aware of the camp, because B-P replied to the Editor of The Daily Mirror from Brownsea on August 4th, 1907, on Brownsea Camp headed stationary (see later image). B-P insisted that the camp was a 'small experimental one' and in no way worth publicity at that stage. He skilfully manipulated the situation by promising full co-operation when 'the scheme' was in its complete form. I am sure that the Editor of The Daily Mirror understood by this that no such 'co-operation' would be forthcoming had he dared go against B-P's wishes and report on the Brownsea 'experiment'.

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge Class Preparation Page ..

Baden-Powell invited some of his army chums to send their sons, but right from the start he was clear that Scouting was to be for all boys, not just a privileged minority. In Edwardian Britain this was a revolution in its own right. As far as education was concerned, youngsters from the different classes were well segregated. On Brownsea there were ten of 'town boys' and eleven were the children of his friends who were mainly at (fee-paying) public schools. To make this social mix a reality a 'sliding scale' of fees was charged, the 'town boys' paying three shillings and six pence (17½p) whilst the public schoolboys were charged £1 per boy. Baden-Powell intended that 'the troop' be 18 strong, but found that 21 boys wanted to attend, plus one he had not expected, his nephew Donald Baden-Powell - the nine-year-old son of his late brother George.

B-P could not of course run the entire venture by himself and so he invited his life-long friend, Major Kenneth 'The Boy' McLaren to accompany him on the venture. McLaren had served with B-P in India and in South Africa. He was wounded in the relieving of Mafeking and made a prisoner-of-war. B-P wrote to him every day and, knowing that the Boers would read his letters, B-P used them to give misleading information.

The 'town boys' were to come from Boys' Brigade Companies, seven from Bournemouth and three from Poole. B-P left much of the practical details to the local Boys' Brigade in the person of Captain Henry Robson of the Bournemouth Company and instructions were coming to him from B-P in London thick and fast. In a letter to Robson, dated June 19th, 1907, B-P asks him to supply six lads (this was later to alter) and, where he can, hire bell tents with flooring for sleeping and obtain a 'contractor for feeding and cooking'. There would need to be a flag pole and several other items that caused Robson to scratch his head; B-P wanted two rowing boats, a quantity of logs and some steel-tipped harpoons with an eye in the shaft so that they could be secured by rope. Harpoons were not common in Poole, and Robson had to have them speedily-made by a local blacksmith. In the same letter, B-P declared the purpose of the camp: 'I propose to teach them' [i.e Robson's Boys' Brigade boys] 'my new form of Scouting for Boys . . .' It seems likely that this might be the first use of the term 'Scouting for Boys'.

The photograph (taken after the Brownsea Island camp in 1909) shows two of the boys selected by Captain Robson - Sgt. Herbert 'Nippy' Watts (left) and Sgt. Herbert Collingbourne (right) of the 1st Bournemouth Boys' Brigade.

The venture needed food stores and catering facilities and in this B-P was lucky. Robson's friend, Captain G W Green of the Poole Boys' Brigade, was involved in the catering business.

In 1927, Captain Robson re-visited the island with 500 Scouters on the occasion of the Bournemouth Scouting Conference. He told the delegates of the 'marooning' of the provisions for the camp and, except for 'the mercy of providence' how they very nearly found a watery grave on their way to the island the night before B-P arrived. Unfortunately, I have found no further details of these dramatic events.

After correspondence with B-P, the two BB Captains supplied the names of the ten Boys' Brigade 'town boys'. B-P had written to Captain Robson on July 19th, to say he could take eight in total. He was under the impression that some of these would be from the Church Lads' Brigade. Of his friends's children, two came from Eton, two from Harrow and and two Cheltenham, one from Elstree School Charterhouse, the two remaining boys as were at that point being tutored at home.

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William Stephens, the C.O. of the Coastguard Station at Sandbanks, near Poole, was contacted and agreed to be on hand to give demonstrations to the boys in First Aid and Firefighting.

B-P wrote letters of invitation to all the parents, they were explicit and promised ' .. wholesome food, cooking and sanitation, etc. would be carefully looked into .. ' The boys should be practised in three knots - reef, sheet bend and clove hitch - before arrival and they must be able to swim.

The camp was planned for nine days starting on Monday, August 1st, 1907, but both Baden-Powell and McLaren were on Brownsea before that, preparing for the boys' arrival, contrary to what some sources say - but the evidence is incontrovertible.

The first letter sent out from the Brownsea Island camp by B-P is shown on the right (John Ineson Collection). The postmark is '27 JY' and the letter itself clearly records the date as July 26th, 1907. The writing paper was obviously supplied by the van Raaltes. B-P wrote:

'Now I am down here preparing my Boys Camp. It is the perfect place for it - a splendid island, well-wooded and wild, giving plenty of scope for Scouting. I think we shall have a very good time if the weather is only kind, which it doesn't promise to be at the moment.'

In a subsequent letter, to a Miss Lyttelton, again written from Brownsea, dated July 28th, B-P gives an interesting insight on one of his pet hobby-horses:

'But I quite agree with you one wants to teach these boys the quality of not 'grousing' - and I think that may come as a result of such training as that of 'Scouts' - for they are not born grousing: there is hope if one catches them young enough . . . The Loafers are the grousers.'

During the Siege of Mafeking, B-P had been disconcerted by 'grousers' and had publicly remonstrated with them, threatening financial consequences should they continue! The success of the 'anti-grousing' training at Brownsea can perhaps be best demonstrated by the comments of one of the BB lads, who wrote to him afterwards.

'The most important thing that a great many boys need to learn is to look at the bright side of things and to take everything by the smooth handle. I myself found that a great lesson . . .'

THE Projected Schedule for the Week, as quoted by Sir Percy Everett. Note that this must have been written in advance, as the actual camp lasted for 9 days - longer for the first arrivals.

The Brownsea Island Scout Camp was the world's first Scout camp, and is regarded as the formal birth of the worldwide Scout movement. Robert Baden-Powell ran the camp from August 1 to August 8, 1907 on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour on the South coast of England. Many of the concepts still used worldwide in the Scout programme were first used at the Brownsea Island camp.

The centenary of Scouting will be celebrated worldwide on the 100th anniversary of the start of the camp, on August 1, 2007.^[1]

Background

Baden-Powell had become a national hero as a result of his successful defence during the Siege of Mafeking of 1899–1900 during the Anglo-Boer War.^[2] During the siege, the Mafeking Cadets had impressed him with their resourcefulness and courage. He had also published a number of popular books on military scouting, including Aids to Scouting (written in 1899) which became a bestseller and was used by teachers and youth organisations. In the years following the war, he began discussing the idea of a new youth organisation with a number of people, including William Alexander Smith, founder of the Boys' Brigade. To test his ideas for 'Scouting for Boys', Baden-Powell conceived of an experimental camp, and organised a camp to take place on Brownsea Island during the summer of 1907. He invited his life-long friend, Major Kenneth McLaren, to attend the camp as his deputy.

The first Scouts

Old Scouting Games

Baden-Powell invited 20 boys to the camp, from different social backgrounds - a revolutionary idea in class-conscious Edwardian England.^[3] Ten came from the well-to-do public schools of Eton and Harrow, mostly sons of friends of Baden-Powell. Seven came from the Bournemouth Boys' Brigade, and three from the Poole Boys' Brigade. Baden-Powell's 9 year old nephew Donald Baden-Powell also attended. The camp fee was dependent on means: £1 for the public school boys, and three shillings and sixpence (17½ p) for the others. The boys were arranged into four Patrols: Wolves, Ravens, Bulls and Curlews.^[4]

The site

Brownsea Island covers 560 acres of woodland and open areas with two lakes. Baden-Powell had visited the site as a boy with his brothers, and the owner, Charles van Raalte, was happy to offer him use of the site. It suited his needs perfectly as it was isolated from the mainland and hence the press, but only a short ferry trip from the town of Poole, making the logistics easier.

Uniform and badges

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge And Worksheet

The boys wore khaki scarves and were presented with brass fleur-de-lis badges, the first use of the Scout emblem. They wore a coloured knot on their shoulder indicating their Patrol - green for Bulls, blue for Wolves, yellow for Curlews, and red for Ravens. The Patrol Leader carried a staff with a flag depicting the patrol animal. After passing tests on knots, tracking, and the national flag, they were given another brass badge, a scroll with the words Be Prepared, to wear below the fleur-de-lis.

Camp programme

The camp began with a blast from a kudu horn Baden-Powell had captured in the Matabele campaign. He used the same kudu horn to open the 'coming of age' Jamboree 21 years later in 1929. Baden-Powell made full use of his personal fame as the hero of the Siege of Mafeking. For many of the participants, the highlights of the camp were his campfire yarns of his African experiences, and the Zulu 'Eengonyama' chant - meaning 'he is a lion'.

Each Patrol camped in an army bell tent. The day began with cocoa, exercises, flag break and prayers, followed by the morning activity. After lunch there was a strict siesta, followed by the afternoon activity and tea. The day ended with games, supper, campfire yarns and prayers.

Each day was based on a different theme:^[5]

Day 1 (August 1) - Preliminary

Formation of patrols, distribution of duties, special instruction for Patrol Leaders, settle into camp.

Day 2 - Campaigning

Camping skills, building huts, knots, fire lighting, cooking, health and sanitation, endurance

Day 3 - Observation

Tracking, memorising details, deducing meaning from tracks and signs, training eyesight.

Day 4 - Woodcraft

Study of animals and birds, plants, stars, stalking animals.

Day 5 - Chivalry

Honour, code of the knights, unselfishness, courage, charity, thrift, loyalty, chivalry to women. Doing a 'Good Turn' daily.

Day 6 - Saving a life

From fire, drowning, sewer gas, runaway horses, panic, street accidents etc. First Aid.

Day 7 - Patriotism

History and deeds that won the Empire, our Navy and Army, flags, duties as citizens, marksmanship.

Day 8 - Conclusion

Summary of the course, sports day

The participants left by ferry on the 9th day, August 9.

Aftermath

Following the successful camp, Baden-Powell went on an extensive speaking tour arranged by his publisher, Pearsons, to promote his forthcoming book, Scouting for Boys. It initially appeared as six installments in a boys' fortnightly magazine, beginning in January 1908, and later appeared in book form. Scouting began to spread throughout Great Britain and Ireland, then through the countries of the British Empire, and soon to the rest of the world.

In 1932, the new owner of the island, Mrs. Mary Bonham-Christie, allowed 500 Scouts to camp there to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Scouting, but shortly afterwards, she closed the island to the public and it became very overgrown.

The site today

The island was reopened to the public in 1963 by Lady Baden-Powell when it came under the control of the National Trust.^[6] Since then it has been maintained as a conservation area and is a popular site for visitors. It is accessible by ferry from Poole.

The Scout campsite and parts of the island have been cleared, and Scouts have been able to camp there since 1964. A commemorative stone by sculptor Don Potter was unveiled in 1967. St Marys Church (about 0.2 miles from the camp) is lined with scouting flags from across the world. It is often used for services during large camps. There is a memorial to Baden-Powell and his wife inside the Church.

The Brownsea Island Scout and Guide Management Committee maintains the site,^[7] and operates a small trading post on the site. In Spring 2007, the Baden-Powell Outdoor Centre will be built where the present trading post is, creating a more extensive visitors' centre and Scout museum.

From the 24th March 2007, Brownsea Island will be open for day visitors (The island is closed to the public on the 1st August). The National Trust are operating a number of events throughout the summer months including guided tours, trails and activities in the visitor centre.

Since March 2006, packages have been available for Scouts to camp on the island, while Scout and Guide groups can also book day activities. To celebrate one hundred years of Scouting, there are four camps which are being organised by The Scout Association during July/August. Pre-booking is required for these camps.

The Replica Camp will run parallel to the three other camps (28th July-3rd August). Replica will be a 'living Museum' and recreate the original 1907 experimental camp on Brownsea Island for visitors to the island.

The Patrol Leaders Camp which will be held between 26 to 28 July 2007, will be the first of the four camps and involve Scouts from across the UK, participating in activities like sea kayaking.

The Sunrise Camp (29th July - 1st August) will host over 300 Scouts from nearly every country in the world. The young people will travel from the World Scout Jamboree in Hylands Park, Essex to Brownsea Island in order to be at the birthplace of Scouting on the 1st August for the Sunrise Ceremony.

Finally, the New Centenary Camp (1st-4th August) will host Scouts from both the UK and abroad and will celebrate the start of the second century for Scouting. Scouts from all backgrounds and religions will come together to show the world that peace is possible in the same way that Baden-Powell brought together boys from different classes for the first camp back in 1907.

On the 1st August 2007, Brownsea Island will become the focus of Scouts worldwide as the island hosts the World Sunrise Ceremony. At 8am on the 1st August, Scouts all over the world will renew their Scout promise - the focus being to make the world a better and more peaceful place.

See also

• Humshaugh

References

1. ↑http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/6477573.stm
2. ↑'The Siege of Mafeking'. British Battles.com. http://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/mafeking.htm. Retrieved July 07.
3. ↑Woolgar, Brian; La Riviere, Sheila (2002). Why Brownsea? The Beginnings of Scouting. Brownsea Island Scout and Guide Management Committee.
4. ↑Beardsall, Jonny (2007). 'Dib, dib, dib.. One hundred years of scouts at Brownsea'. The National Trust Magazine (Spring 2007): pages 52-55.
5. ↑Walker, Johnny. 'Scouting Milestones - Brownsea Island'. http://www.scouting.milestones.btinternet.co.uk/brownsea.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
6. ↑'National Trust - Brownsea Island - History'. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-brownseaisland/w-brownseaisland-history.htm. Retrieved July 07.
7. ↑'Brownsea Island Scout & Guide Camp'. http://www.brownsea-island.org.uk. Retrieved July 07.