The Philippine Council was founded in 1923 by the Rotary Club of Manila to organize Scouting activities in the Philippines. The founding/charter members were all prominent figures in the commercial, political, social, and cultural scene of Manila. Most held simultaneous memberships in a number of organizations, such as the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands, the

Masons Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutt ...

, the Elks, the

Army and Navy Club The Army and Navy Club in London is a private members club founded in 1837, also known informally as The Rag.Boys' Life ''Scout Life'' (formerly ''Boys' Life'') is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Its target readers are boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18. The magazine‘s headquarters are in Irving, Texas. ''Scout Life'' is pu ...

'' magazine, reported: In 1931, ''

Boys' Life ''Scout Life'' (formerly ''Boys' Life'') is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Its target readers are boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18. The magazine‘s headquarters are in Irving, Texas. ''Scout Life'' is pu ...

'' magazine, reported: In 1932, The heroism of Scout William Warmsley of Tuguegaráo in 1931 was mentioned by BSA Chief Scout Executive

James West James or Jim West may refer to: People * James West (Australian journalist) (born 1982), Australian journalist and author * James West (antiquary) (1703–1772), English politician and antiquary; president of the Royal Society * James E. West (po ...

in''Boys' Life''. Also in the same year, three Scouts of the Philippine Council were awarded the Gold Medal for saving life, the BSA Shanghai District was placed under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Council, and the award of the Silver Buffalo was given to

Dwight Filley Davis Dwight Filley Davis Sr. (July 5, 1879 – November 28, 1945) was an American tennis player and politician. He is best remembered as the founder of the Davis Cup international tennis competition. He was the Assistant Secretary of War from 1923 to ...

for active "support of Scouting in the Philippines while Governor General of the Islands", 1929–32. In 1933, the Philippine Council delegation of 6 Scouts and 1 Scouter joined the Boy Scouts of America contingent to the

4th World Scout Jamboree The 4th World Scout Jamboree ( Hungarian: ''4. Cserkész Világdzsembori''), a gathering of Boy Scouts from all over the world, was hosted by Hungary and held from 2 to 13 August 1933. It was attended by 25,792 Scouts, representing 46 different n ...

Gödöllő Gödöllő (; german: Getterle; sk, Jedľovo) is a town in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary, about northeast from the outskirts of Budapest. Its population is 34,396 according to the 2010 census and is growing rapidly. It can ...

, Hungary. The Council also qualified for the President Roosevelt Award. In 1934, Arthur Frederick Fischer, Director of the Bureau of Forestry, issued Special Order No. 52, March 27, 1934, directing Forestry staff to prepare a Boy Scout forestry handbook. In the same year, the Rover scheme was introduced. In 1935, the first National Jamboree of the BSA, scheduled for 21–30 August in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, was cancelled due to a

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

outbreak. The Philippine Council contingent of 32 boys and 3 men toured the US making presentations of Philippine culture. James West, in words and photographs, reported on the tour and exhibitions by the Philippine Council contingent. In 1936, the

Boy Scouts of the Philippines The Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) is the national scouting organization of the Philippines in the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The Scout movement was first introduced in the Philippines on 1910 during the American Occupat ...

organization was founded through the efforts of Philippine Council President

Josephus Stevenot Josephus H. Stevenot (23 December 1888 – 8 June 1943) was an American entrepreneur and U.S. Army officer in the Philippines with many accomplishments, but today mostly remembered in the Boy Scouts of the Philippines as a co-founder. Background a ...

, supported by the vital roles played by Tomás Confesór and

Manuel L. Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his dea ...

. Stevenot, the actual Founder, performed the actual organizational work of establishing the BSP. He prepared the draft document for the BSP's establishment and lobbied the proposal at the National Assembly. In 1937, the Philippine Council officials met on 11 October and resolved to transfer the Council's jurisdiction, authority, and assets to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines organization. The Council turned over its assets and its jurisdiction for Filipino boys to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines on 31 December.

References

Further reading