 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FUN
Facts |
How many Fun Facts do you know?
You can also learn more about scouting at Pack
Meetings and Council Events. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
How Well Do You Know Scouting...
|
 Whose
book 'Scouting for Boys' started
Scouting? |
Robert Baden Powell.
Robert Baden Powell (Baden Powell, no
hyphen, was his last name. Later he was
honored as Lord Baden Powell of Gilwell) was
a distinguished British soldier. His book,
'Scouting for Boys' was based on his
experiences in Africa and India. Churchill
was British Prime Minister & Douglas Bader
was a WWII airman who had lost his legs in a
flying accident before the war. Kipling was
a famous author whose books Baden Powell
used as inspiration for Scouting for younger
boys.
|
Scouting
has a formal mission statement that
explains its purpose. What is included
in this mission? |
To contribute to the
education of young people. Physical
activity, teamwork & leadership development
are all important elements of Scouting, but
they are not specifically included in the
mission statement. Good leaders will use
these, and a whole lot of other things, to
meet the mission statement of Scouts. The
full mission statement is: The mission of
Scouting is to contribute to the education
of young people, through a value system
based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help
build a better world where people are
self-fulfilled as individuals and play a
constructive role in society. This is
achieved by: - involving them throughout
their formative years in a non-formal
educational process. - using a specific
method that makes each individual the
principal agent of his or her development as
a self-reliant, supportive, responsible and
committed person. - assisting them to
establish a value system based upon
spiritual, social and personal principles as
expressed in the Promise and Law.
|
Scouts
were into icons well before computers
and icon clip art came along. Scouts
from all over the world wear a badge
based on what icon? |
Fleur de Lys.
Fleur de Lys is French for lily. A stylized
three-petal lily flower (Fleur de Lys) was
used as the emblem of the Kings of France
and now Scouts! The other icons were used in
heraldry. An escutcheon is a shield with a
coat of arms. Acorn & Leaves symbolized
Endurance and the Cross symbolized
Redemption.
|
Scouts
have their own language (to a degree
anyway). What do they call their regular
large gatherings? |
Jamboree.
Jamborees are a highlight of any Scout's
life. They get to meet Scouts from around
the world and undertake lots of exciting
activities. Gymbaroo is a excellent
pre-school physical development program,
Ginganguli and Kumbaya are 'nonsense' words
from traditional Scouting songs.
|
Girl
Guides (or Girl Scouts in some
countries) were an offshoot of Scouting
- which was originally for boys only.
Who was first asked by the founder of
Scouting to develop a similar program
for girls? |
His sister, Agnes.
At the Scouts' first rally, at Crystal
Palace in 1909, Baden-Powell was faced with
a small group of girls, representing
hundreds of others, who insisted they wanted
to be Scouts too. In 1910, he formed the
Girl Guides, asking his sister Agnes to look
after the new organization. A few years
later his wife Olave became involved and, in
1918, was appointed Chief Guide. Marcia is
my Mum, Tabitha is my daughter. Neither of
them have met Baden Powell.
|
Scouting
Leaders must undertake training. What
will a Leader wear to show that they
have completed advanced training? |
Wooden beads.
Uniform, badges and pins are used to denote
various levels of training, but it is the
Wood Beads that are the worldwide badge of
advanced leader training. The original Wood
Beads were taken by Baden Powell from a Zulu
King's necklace.
|
Scouting
developed largely spontaneously in
response to 'Scouting for Boys'. In 1909
a Rally was held that led to a more
formal organization under the leadership
of the founder. Where was this Rally
held? |
Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace is in London and Baden Powell
called for the Rally here at the suggestion
of King Edward. Over 11,000 boys, and a
small number of girls, turned up. Brownsea
Island is offshore from Poole in England and
was the site of the first Scout camp in
1907. Gilwell Park is outside London and was
bought for Scouts in 1919 by Mr. de Bois
Maclaren for £10,000. Cottermouth is a Scout
Camp outside Canberra in Australia where I
did my Leader training.
|
OK,
let’s test your knowledge of the special
Scout language again. Most Scout
uniforms include a brightly colored
scarf. Usually the scarf will identify
where the Scout comes from, or at times
such as during large gatherings, that
they are part of that gathering. Scouts
use a special fastener for their
scarves. What do Scouts call this
fastener? |
Woggle. The
fastener is called a woggle. They can be
made from a variety of materials – leather,
canvas or even wood are the more common. The
first woggle is reported as having been made
by Bill Shankley who worked at Gilwell Park
and was based on the Turks Head knot. The
word ‘woggle’ is thought to have come from a
term – ‘Boon Doggles’ - used in the USA for
their original woggles using rings made of
animal bones. ‘Boon Doggles’ itself was a
corruption of ‘dog bones’. Boggle is a fun
word finding game involving lettered dice.
Oggel is a brand name for a strap that holds
on swimming goggles while a toggle is a pin
that is inserted into a loop in a rope,
chain or strap to hold it fast.
|
Scouts
have often been featured in the movies
or on TV. What is the name of the 1966
Disney film starring Fred MacMurry as
the somewhat reluctant Scoutmaster who
later came to realize how Scouting had
enriched not only the lives of his
Scouts, but his life as well? |
Follow Me, Boys!.
'Follow Me, Boys' is a good family film from
gentler times. 'Be Prepared’ is the
universal Scouting motto. I made up ‘Summer
Camp’ & ‘The Long Hike’, but who knows, they
may be movies, but not from 1966, they
didn't star Fred MacMurray and they have
nothing to do with Scouting!
|
Scouting
is about providing members with skills
for life. What is something that a Scout
might learn during Scouting activities? |
All of these (First Aid,
Map Reading, Acting). That was an
easy one to finish off. All of these and a
whole lot more as well. Maybe you should get
involved whatever your age!
Did you find these entries particularly
interesting, or do you have comments /
corrections to make? Let the author know!
Send the author a thank you or compliment
Submit a correction
|
|
|
|
|
