Scouts


Scouts

or

Boy Scouts,

organization of boys and girls 11 to 17 years old, founded (1907) in Great Britain by Sir Robert (later Lord) Baden-Powelland originally for boys only; since the late 20th cent., many national organizations have also moved to admit girls. The Scout movement has spread throughout most of the world, with the organization and program basically the same in every country. Worldwide membership is more than 50 million. The group's first international gathering, called a jamboree, was held in London in 1920, and the World Organization of the Scout Movement gradually evolved from the international Scout meetings.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was incorporated in 1910 in the United States, where its appearance was connected with earlier organizations—the Sons of Daniel Boone, organized by Daniel Carter BeardBeard, Daniel Carter,
1850–1941, American illustrator and naturalist, b. Cincinnati, Ohio, studied at the Art Students League, New York City. He illustrated many books (among them the first edition of Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court
..... Click the link for more information. , and the Woodcraft Indians, organized by Ernest Thompson SetonSeton, Ernest Thompson,
1860–1946, American writer and artist, b. England. His name was originally Ernest Seton Thompson. His stories and paintings of wildlife, especially Wild Animals I Have Known (1898, new ed.
..... Click the link for more information. . In the United States, James E. West was chief scout during the early years of the BSA (1911–43). The Supreme Court affirmed the BSA's right to limit membership to those who believe in God in 1993 and its right to exclude homosexuals in 2000. The BSA subsequently voted to admit openly gay youths (2013), permit gay adult leaders (2015; Scout units sponsored by religious groups were exempted), and admit girls (Cub Scouts in 2018, Scouts BSA in 2019).

The Scouts are intended to be nonmilitary and without racial, religious, political, or class distinctions. Activities of Scouts BSA (BSA's 11 to 17 program) aim at mental, moral, and physical development, stressing outdoor skills and training in citizenship and lifesaving. The basic Scout unit is a troop of about 15, under the leadership of an adult scoutmaster. Cub Scouts and other adjunct programs of the BSA expand the range of included ages to from 7 to 21 years old.

See also Girl ScoutsGirl Scouts,
recreational and service organization founded (1912) in Savannah, Ga., by Juliette Gordon Low. It was originally modeled after the Boy Scouts (see Scouts) and Girl Guides, organizations created in Great Britain by Sir Robert Baden-Powell during the early 20th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Bibliography

See E. Nicholson, Education and the Boy Scout Movement in America (1941, repr. 1973).