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History of Cub
Scouting
The History
of Cub Scouting
The
following information is an excerpt from the files of pack 295
In 1910, newspapers featured Model T Fords chugging along rutted roads
at eight miles an hour; Detroit's center fielder, Ty Cobb, batting
.385; and Tom Swift hitting the book market with a bang. Buried deep in
one newspaper was this report: "William D. Boyce, a Chicago publisher,
incorporated the Boy Scouts of America in Washington, D.C., on February
8." That was all it said.
We can't blame reporters for missing the biggest story of the day,
because who could have guessed that from such a small beginning,
Scouting would become the giant it is today? From 2,000 Boy Scouts and
leaders in 1910, Scouting in the United States has grown to 5 million
strong. And from a program for Boy Scouts only, it has spread into a
program including Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, Webelos Scouts, Boy Scouts,
Varsity Scouts, and Venturers. Although Scouting has changed over the
years, the ideals and principles have remained the same: service to
others and duty to God and country.
Our Founder
Scouting's history
actually goes back to the turn of the century and a British Army
officer, Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell. Baden-Powell, who was
stationed in India at the time, found that his men did not know basic
first aid or the elementary means of survival in the outdoors. They
couldn't follow a trail or tell directions, recognize danger signs, or
find food and water. Baden-Powell, who had earned the reputation as a
courageous soldier and able army scout, felt a need to teach his men
resourcefulness, adaptability, and the qualities of leadership demanded
by frontier conditions, so he wrote a small handbook called Aids to
Scouting.
While serving in south Africa in 1899, Baden-Powell became world famous
during the Boer War by protecting, for 217 days, the small town of
Mafeking. The town was being besieged by an enemy force 10 times larger
than his own. Upon his return to London, he was promoted to major
general and hailed as a national hero.
Baden-Powell was also amazed to find that his little handbook had
caught the interest of English boys. They were using it to play the
game of scouting.
Scouting
Begins on Brownsea Island
Baden-Powell had the
vision to see some new possibilities, and he decided to test his ideas
on boys. In August 1907, he gathered together 20 boys from all parts of
England. Some were from exclusive schools and others were from the
slums, the shops, and the farms. He took them to Brownsea Island, in a
sheltered bay off England's southern coast. There, along the shore,
they set up a makeshift campsite which would be their home for the next
12 history-making days.
The boys had a great time! They divided into patrols and played games,
went on hikes, and learned stalking and pioneering. They learned to
cook outdoors without utensils. And in the evenings, in the magic of
the campfire, they were spellbound by Baden-Powell's stories of his
army adventures. What none of them realized was that Scouting had begun
on that island and would sweep the globe in a few short years. Soon
patrols and troops began to spring up all over England and in other
countries, as well.
The next year Baden-Powell published his book Scouting for Boys, which
revealed a warm understanding of boys and what they like to do. He had
no idea that this book would set in motion a movement that would affect
the boyhood of the entire world. The same year, more than 10,000 Boy
Scouts attended a rally held at the Crystal Palace. This was living
proof of how quickly Scouting was establishing itself. Two years later,
the membership had tripled.
Early
American Origins
About this same time,
the seeds of Scouting were growing in the United States. Our rich
pioneering traditions had caused American Indians and frontier heroes
to be part of every boy's life, whether he lived in the city or
country. Some creative youth leaders saw an opportunity to use this
hero worship to develop in the boys qualities of independence and
resourcefulness, as well as skills in nature lore and outdoor
activities.
On a farm in Connecticut, a naturalist and author named Ernest Thompson
Seton was organizing a group of boys called the Woodcraft Indians. He
sent Baden-Powell a copy of his book, The Birchbark Roll of Woodcraft
Indians, which told how American boys formed "tribes" of Woodcraft
Indians, and about the games they played and the Indian lore they
practiced.
In addition to Seton, another American was working to bring boys and
the outdoors closer together. Daniel Carter Beard, an artist and
writer, organized the Sons of Daniel Boone, which soon became the
biggest boys' club in the United States. In many ways the two
organizations were similar, but they had no connection with each other.
And the boys who belonged had never heard of Baden-Powell or of the Boy
Scouts, and yet both groups were destined to become Boy Scouts one day
soon.
Scouting
Comes to the United States
In 1909, a Chicago
businessman and publisher, William D. Boyce, was lost in a London fog.
As he groped his way through the fog, a boy appeared and offered to
take him to his destination. When they arrived, Boyce reached into his
pocket for a shilling tip. But the boy stopped him by courteously
explaining that he was a Scout and could not accept payment for a Good
Turn.
Intrigued, the publisher questioned to boy and learned more about
Scouting. The boy took him to Baden-Powell's office, and once there,
disappeared into the fog. No one knows what happened to him. The
unknown Scout was never heard from again, but he will never be
forgotten. At the Scout Training Center at Gilwell Park, England, a
statue of a buffalo was erected in honor of this "Unknown Scout." His
Good Turn is what brought Scouting to our country.
As Boyce interviewed Baden-Powell, he became captured by the dream.
When he boarded the transatlantic steamer for home, he had a suitcase
filled with information and ideas. And so, on February 8, 1910, Boyce
incorporated the Boys Scouts of America. Shortly thereafter, a group of
public-spirited citizens set up an organization. Seton became the first
Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of America, and Beard was made the
national commissioner.
A search began for an executive officer. The man chosen was James E.
West, a young man from Washington who had risen above his tragic
boyhood to become a successful lawyer. His father had died before he
was born, and his mother died when he was 7. He was sent to a home for
orphans. There it was discovered that he had an incurable disease in
one leg, which would leave him physically impaired for life.
In spite of his disability, West put all his ambition, ability, and
energy into becoming a lawyer. He succeeded and dedicated himself to
helping children -- healthy, sick, or with disabilities -- to have a
better life. He led the Boys Scouts of America for 32 years as the
Chief Scout Executive. He was a strong, wise leader who helped build
Scouting into the largest boy movement in the country and in the free
world.
Wolf
Cubbing Begins
Back in England, Boy
Scout troops were being bombarded by younger boys who were eager to
become Boy Scouts. In 1914, Baden-Powell began experimenting with a
program for younger boys that was based on Rudyard Kipling's Jungle
Book. In 1916, he made a public announcement of the Wolf Cub program.
Since that time it has spread with very little change to other European
countries.
How Cub
Scouting Started
In America, millions
of Cub Scout-age boys and their families were clamoring for a program
of their own. As early as 1920, at the first national training
conference for Scout executives, the needs of the younger boys were
discussed. However, the Boy Scouts of America felt it wise to postpone
any action until there was more objective evidence.
In 1925, Dr. Harold W. Hurt, a research psychologist and veteran
Scouter, was authorized to study existing organizations for younger
boys, such as Boy Rangers, Boy Pioneers, American Eagles, Young Men's
Clubs of America (YMCA), and Boys' Clubs. He found that only one boy in
50 participated regularly in any type of worthwhile leisure-time
program. He also found that younger boys responded even better to
leadership and program efforts than older boys. He worked closely with
Ernest Thompson Seton. Both men recommended that the BSA adopt a
program for younger boys, with older Boy Scouts as leaders, to tie into
home, church, school, and Boy Scouting.
The National Executive Board authorized the Chief Scout Executive to
proceed with a thorough scientific study of the whole younger-boy
matter. An advisory committee was appointed to work with the BSA in
developing a plan and producing the necessary literature. Advice was
obtained from leading psychologists, sociologists, teachers, school
superintendents, professors of education, college executives, and
recreation and welfare directors.
By 1929, the new Cubbing program (it wasn't called Cub Scouting until
several years later) was taking shape. It was introduced as a
demonstration project in a limited number of communities. Its structure
was similar to today's Cub Scouting, except that dens were led by Boy
Scout den chiefs. The plan included neighborhood mothers' committee to
encourage Cubs and den chiefs. (Den mother registration was optional
for the first few years. By July 1938, 1,100 den mothers had registered
and soon became a very important part of Cub Scouting.)
The first dens met weekly at a member's home where they played games
and enjoyed crafts and ceremonies. The pack met weekly or semimonthly
for games, den competitions, awards, stunts, and other activities. Cubs
advanced from Bobcat (for all new members) to Wolf (age 9), Bear (age
10), and Lion (age 11), and joined the Boy Scout troop at age 12.
In 1949, the age requirement was lowered to between 8 and 10 for Cub
Scouts. In 1986 it was lowered again to include second-grade boys. In
1982, the Tiger Cub program was started based on shared leadership of
boy-adult teams. It is a school-year-based program.
In 1930, Cub Scouting was formally launched, with 5,102 boys registered
at the end of that first year. By 1933 the time had come to promote Cub
Scouting throughout the country as a part of Boy Scouting. All
experimental restrictions were removed and the first national director
of Cub Scouting was appointed.
Cub
Scouting, American Style
Our Cub Scouting is
different from the younger-boy programs of any other country because it
is home and neighborhood centered and is built around
in-between-meeting-time activities. The program suggests a wide variety
of interesting things for a Cub Scout and his den to do, with the
encouragement of family and leaders. It suggests activities that boys
enjoy doing on their own, when not under adult supervision. These
activities are particularly suited to boys of Cub Scout age and are
kept quite different from those they will encounter in Boy Scouting.
Cub Scouting has drawn upon the adventure and lore of the American
Indian, just as Seton's Indian lore influenced Boy Scouting, but a
strong influence from Kipling's Jungle Book, still remains. The terms
"Law of the Pack," "Akela," "Wolf Cub," "grand howl," "den," and "pack"
all come from the Jungle Book. The Gold and Silver Arrow points,
Webelos emblem, and Arrow of Light emblem are taken from our American
Indian heritage.
Gone, but Not Forgotten
Scouting is updated periodically to keep pace with a changing world. It
isn't the same as it was on Brownsea Island in 1907, but the ideals of
Scouting remain the same. Its ideals are still based on principles that
Baden-Powell had been taught as a boy. Scouting continues to be
sensitive to the needs of young people everywhere.
Scouting's founder was a simple man, avoiding fuss where he could, but
willing to play the role expected of him. He had an intense and lively
mind, and was far too interested in planning the future to think much
about the past.
Baden-Powell was never able to completely overcome his surprise at the
immensity of Scouting's worldwide appeal. As it swept the globe,
Scouting brought him new adventures and responsibilities as Chief Scout
of the World. He traveled extensively and kept in touch with Scouting
around the world. Success followed success. Eventually, Baden-Powell's
health began to fail.
Heeding his doctor's advice, Baden-Powell and his family left England
for the last time in 1938. They set up a winter home at Nyeri in Kenya,
where his remaining years were happily spent. There were expeditions
and picnics and opportunities for the simple pleasures such as
painting, sketching, and studying wildlife. He wrote three more books
for boys during that time. His health gradually lapsed, and on January
8, 1941, he died peacefully. Scouts of different races carried him to
his final resting-place in the small cemetery at Nyeri on the slopes of
the Aberdares, facing Mount Kenya. His final resting-place is marked
with a simple headstone that bears his name and the Scout sign for "I
have gone home." Today, in Westminster Abbey, a tablet records his
name, along with the names of the greatest Britons of all time.
After his death, a letter was found in Baden-Powell's desk. It was a
letter he had written to all Scouts, which included this passage: "Try
and leave this world a little better than you found it."
These words are a fitting epitaph, for as he won the respect of the
great by his strength, he won the hearts of the youth by his own
example.
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