Traditional Scouting
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Traditional Scouting is "old-fashioned" or "back to basics"
Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
in some form, often with an emphasis on
woodcraft The term woodcraft — or woodlore — denotes bushcraft skills and experience in matters relating to living and thriving in the woods—such as hunting, fishing, and camping—whether on a short- or long-term basis. Traditionally, woodcraft per ...
and
scoutcraft Scoutcraft is a term used to cover a variety of woodcraft knowledge and skills required by people seeking to venture into wild country and sustain themselves independently. The term has been adopted by Scouting organizations to reflect skills and ...
activities. As a pluralist movement, there is no one set definition for the term, but most traditionalists share a common set of values and procedures. Traditionalists aim to return the
Scout Movement Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
to something approximating its original style and activities; rejecting the trend of modernizing the program in an attempt to widen its appeal and/or use the name "Scouts" for new programs for ever-younger children. Baden-Powell traditionalists follow
Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the worl ...
's model of Scouting or his book ''Scouting for Boys''. Yet other traditionalists reject even Cubs and Rovers programs and some organizational structures which were used by Baden-Powell as they are outside original Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.


History

The
Scout Movement Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
is a pluralist movement, not a unitary organization. The
Scout Movement Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
and its fundamental tenets were well established for both boys and girls internationally by 1910. Subsequently, some Scout organizations began other programs for younger children, such as
Wolf Cubs Cub Scouts, Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with Scouting for young children usually between 7 and 12, depending on the organization to which they belong. A participant in the program is called a Cub. A group of Cubs is called a 'P ...
.
Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the worl ...
insisted that his Wolf Cubs were not junior Scouts and must have an identity and program distinct from Scouts but, later, the distinction was changed and they were re-branded as Cub Scouts.http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/design.pdf The Chief Scout's Advance Party decisions (PDF) Some Scout organizations changed away from traditional Scout programs, schemes, ideals and identity.


United Kingdom

In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, there have been alternative
Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...
organizations since the origins of the movement, including the
Boys' Brigade The Boys' Brigade (BB) is an international interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by the Scottish businessman Sir William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values. Following its inception ...
Scouts (1906-1927), Church Scout Patrols/Church Lads' Brigade Scouts (1909-1926), Boys' Life Brigade Scouts (1909-1922),
British Boy Scouts The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association (BBS & BGS Association; also known as The Brotherhood of British Scouts) is an early scouting organisation, having begun as the Battersea Boy Scouts in 1908.'' The Scout'', September 190 ...
(BBS) formed 1909, YMCA Boy Scouts formed 1908, 1st Notts Church Scouts (1908-1918),
The Boy Scouts Association The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origin of Scouting in 1907, the association was form ...
formed 1910, National Peace Scouts (1910-1922), Life Saving Scouts of the
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
(1913-1949), Association of Independent Scout Troops (1920s), scouts in exile and diaspora groups such as Armenian Scouts, Plast Ukrainian Scouts, Lithuanian Scouts, Latvian Scouts, Estonian Scouts, Hungarian Scouts, Russian Scouts, and the
European Scout Federation (British Association) The European Scout Federation (British Association) is a Traditional Scouting youth organisation. It is a part of the other Scouting in the United Kingdom. Original test work set out by Robert Baden-Powell is still used. The original uniform is ...
(FSE) formed in 1959. The world's oldest international Scout organisation, the
Order of World Scouts The Order of World Scouts (OWS), founded in 1911, is the oldest international Scouting organisation. It is headquartered in England, with the administration headquarters in Italy. As of November 2008, the Order of World Scouts includes member ...
, predated the Boy Scouts Association's international alliance by nine years. The BBS and FSE are now associated with Traditional Scouting by virtue of their adherence to original tenets and programs. New groups also continue to form in the United Kingdom, including the Pathfinder Scouts Association in 1982. Another form of Traditional Scouting is associated with rejection of changes made within
The Scout Association The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origin of Scouting in 1907, the association was for ...
from 1967 following ''
The Chief Scouts' Advance Party Report The Boy Scouts Association's ''The Chief Scout's Advance Party Report 1966'' attempted to address the association's falling enrolment numbers and modernise its programs. It resulted in changes from traditional iconic uniforms, changes to awards, ...
1966'', which attempted to address declining participation numbers, particularly for older boys of Scout and Senior Scout ages and modernize the association's programs. The Boy Scouts Association, the largest Scout organization in the United Kingdom, made sweeping changes. The association dropped the word "Boy" from its name and from "Boy Scout" and discontinued the wearing of shorts by its Scouts because, it was claimed, they contributed to a juvenile image. The most apparent and impacting changes were: * the discontinuation of Rovers. * change from the iconic scout uniform items of wide-brimmed felt Scout hat and shorts to less utilitarian dress uniforms. * a loss of distinction of Wolf Cubs and merging of their identity in name, badges, belt buckle emblem, salute, motto, promise and program to be Cub Scouts. Less apparent but of impact were: * discontinuation of
Lone Scouts Lone Scouts are members of the Scout movement who are in isolated areas or otherwise do not participate in a regular Scouting unit or organization. A Lone Scout must meet the membership requirements of the Scouting organization to which they be ...
* forced amalgamations and de-registrations of Scout Groups not meeting minimum enrolment numbers. * forced retirement ages for volunteer adult leaders. * increased paid staff against a tradition and ideals of volunteer leadership. * abandonment of long-used awards and training programs for entirely new schemes. * shift in ideology and values e.g. changes to Promises and use of generalisations in the Scout Law. The changes caused a schism in The Scout Association resulting in the formation of the
Baden-Powell Scouts' Association The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association (''B-PSA'') is a worldwide youth organisation originating in the United Kingdom, with friendly relationships with similar traditional scouting organisations in various countries. Baden-Powell Scouting focuses ...
in 1970.
Olave Baden-Powell Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell (''née'' Soames; 22 February 1889 – 25 June 1977) was the first Chief Guide for Britain and the wife of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and co-founder o ...
, widow of
Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the worl ...
, approved the use of the name.


North America

Traditional Scouting is followed in some groups in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, particularly among followers of Ernest Thompson Seton and Daniel Beard
woodcraft The term woodcraft — or woodlore — denotes bushcraft skills and experience in matters relating to living and thriving in the woods—such as hunting, fishing, and camping—whether on a short- or long-term basis. Traditionally, woodcraft per ...
and
scoutcraft Scoutcraft is a term used to cover a variety of woodcraft knowledge and skills required by people seeking to venture into wild country and sustain themselves independently. The term has been adopted by Scouting organizations to reflect skills and ...
and where
William Hillcourt William Hillcourt (August 6, 1900 – November 9, 1992), known within the Scouting movement as "Green Bar Bill", was an influential leader in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization from 1927 to 1992. Hillcourt was a prolific writer and ...
was an advocate of B-P Traditional Scouting. Traditional Scouting came to North America in 1996 with the founding of the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association of Canada (B-PSAC). Forced by
Industry Canada Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED; french: Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada; french: ISDE, label=none)''Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal I ...
to remove "Scout" from its name, the organization renamed itself the Baden-Powell Service Association. In 2006, a group of independent Rovers in the United States formed an organization named "Baden-Powell Scouting" to promote Traditional Scouting. They were renamed the Baden-Powell Service Association (BPSA-US) in 2008, and began offering youth programs shortly thereafter.


Scheme

Traditional Scouting is often based on
Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the worl ...
's book ''
Scouting for Boys ''Scouting for Boys: A handbook for instruction in good citizenship'' is a book on Boy Scout training, published in various editions since 1908. Early editions were written and illustrated by Robert Baden-Powell with later editions being extensi ...
'', often extended with other sources used by early Scouts such as, Ernest Thompson Seton's ''The Birch Bark Roll''.''The Birch Bark Roll''
/ref> and
Daniel Carter Beard Daniel Carter "Uncle Dan" Beard (June 21, 1850 – June 11, 1941) was an American illustrator, author, youth leader, Georgist and social reformer who founded the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905, which Beard later merged with the Boy Scouts of Ameri ...
's ''The Boy Pioneers: Sons of Daniel Boone'',''The Boy Pioneers: Sons of Daniel Boone''
/ref> making changes only for advances in health and safety practices, environmental concerns (" Leave No Trace"), and lightweight equipment. Traditional Scouting uses a
Scout Method The Scout method is the informal educational system used in the Scouting Movement. The aim of Scouting is character training with the goal of helping participants become independent and helpful, and thereby become "healthy, happy, helpful citizen ...
of progressive self-education through: * Having a Scout uniform, Promise, and Law; * Learning by doing (hands-on training); * The Patrol System - Scouts work in small, youth-led groups where they are responsible to and for each other; * A progressive and stimulating program of varied activities based on the interests of the participants, including games, useful skills, and services in the community, and all taking place largely in an outdoor setting in contact with nature


Differences

There are several differences between Traditional Scouting and non-traditionalists: * The Patrol Method is central; groups are youth-led with adults providing only the minimum amount of supervision. * Uniform - The uniform is designed to be used as a practical outdoor method, rather than as expensive indoor clothing for "formal occasions." The uniform should be a joy to wear in the wilderness. Some groups use a traditional uniform style, with
campaign hat A campaign hat, sometimes called campaign cover, is a broad-brimmed felt or straw hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners. The campaign hat is occasionally referred to as a Stetson, derived from its origin in the company' ...
, as Baden-Powell's original Scouts did. They also may wear square neckerchiefs; the extra material means the neckers are not just decorative but have additional practical uses. * All leaders and association officials are volunteers, with no paid staff. * Badges reflect proficiency in skills, not one-off accomplishments, and Scouts are re-tested every year to demonstrate their continued proficiency in order to keep wearing the badges they have earned. * Scouts practice and display their proficiency by teaching younger Scouts in their Patrol. * Badges are earned in Scoutcraft, woodcraft and public service. There are no badges for technology or other modern topics. * Advancement is based strictly on the mastery of
Scoutcraft Scoutcraft is a term used to cover a variety of woodcraft knowledge and skills required by people seeking to venture into wild country and sustain themselves independently. The term has been adopted by Scouting organizations to reflect skills and ...
skills and Proficiency Badges: There are no ''Scout spirit'', ''Scoutmaster conference'', or '' Board of Review'' requirements. Traditional Scouting is analogous to a game played to teach Citizenship strictly through indirect methods. * Traditional Scout associations often support both Rovers and Lone Scouts. * Modernist Scouting sees itself as anything done by a worldwide organization whereas Traditional Scouting is seen as a popular movement following a specific scheme. * Modernist Scouting involves ever younger age groups and increased adult involvement and family activities.


International organizations

The constitution of the
World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOS ...
recognizes only one Scout organization per country to protect its founding members, so Traditional Scouting associations had to form alternate international organizations to foster cooperation across national borders. The
Order of World Scouts The Order of World Scouts (OWS), founded in 1911, is the oldest international Scouting organisation. It is headquartered in England, with the administration headquarters in Italy. As of November 2008, the Order of World Scouts includes member ...
has existed since 1911 and is the oldest international Scout organization with Traditional Scouting member organizations. The
World Federation of Independent Scouts The World Federation of Independent Scouts (WFIS) is a non-governmental international Scouting organization with over 7 million members in 151 affiliated Scout organizations in 65 countries. WFIS was formed in Laubach, Germany Germany ...
(WFIS) and its spin-off
World Organization of Independent Scouts The World Organization of Independent Scouts is an international Scouting organization for traditional Scouting. Members Full Members * Brazil: Federação dos Escoteiros tradicionais * Chile: Federación Nacional de Boy Scouts y Girl Guides de ...
WOIS were founded following 1960-70s changes and schisms, to coordinate international cooperation between Traditional Scouting organizations.i


Inclusivity

Some Traditional Scouting groups are distinguished from Baden-Powell's model and organizations by being open to groups of people originally excluded. The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association was one of the first to admit girls and host co-educational troops. More recently, other groups have formed specifically to welcome gay and lesbian Scouts and leaders banned from other Scouting organizations. The BPSA-US, since its founding, has promoted a policy it calls "Inclusive Scouting", welcoming all adults and children "regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, ability, religion (or no religion), or other differentiating factors."


See also

*
Non-aligned Scouting and Scout-like organisations Non-aligned Scouting organizations is a term used by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and their member national organizations to refer to Scouting organizations that are n ...
*
World Federation of Independent Scouts The World Federation of Independent Scouts (WFIS) is a non-governmental international Scouting organization with over 7 million members in 151 affiliated Scout organizations in 65 countries. WFIS was formed in Laubach, Germany Germany ...
* Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme


References

{{Reflist, 2


External links


Traditional Scouting blog

UK Pathfinder Scout Association
Non-aligned Scouting organizations