A Baden-Powell Biography
There are a number lists to be found of
Baden-Powell's publications, so you might well think there is little need for
another. Maybe so, but I have read all of the books (a rare distinction!) and
so have been able to add my comments as to the content of each title, as well
as an image of the cover. Readers who perhaps (like me prior to my retirement)
have never seen some of the publications will be able to gain some idea of
their size and contents, as well as the usual bibliographical details.
Appropriate links have also been made to the relevant articles in Scouting Milestones
Afew of the
publications - mainly the pamphlets - do not as yet have images or commentary.
I hope to remedy this in time.
If you have a good copy of any
of the missing texts, I would be pleased to illustrate its cover here with an
appropriate acknowledgement and, if you wish, your description of its contents.
Similar details on publications
by other authors, which have been used during the research into these Scouting
Milestones, can be found in the Bibliography.
Books
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1883 On Vedette: An Easy Aide-Mémoire Major
R S S Baden-Powell, 13th Hussars. Gale & Polden |
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BADEN-POWELL
did not instruct this publication to be listed as a 'previous work' in his
later publications, so perhaps he thought of it as a pamphlet. However, because
it has a hard cover I have included it here. A later version with a soft
cover is included in the Pamphlets Section. |
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1884 Reconnaissance and Scouting Captain
R S S Baden-Powell. William Clowes, 52pp inc. fold-out map. 4" x 6" |
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THIS very rare
book is completely eclipsed in Scout Folklore by Aids to
Scouting. This is understandable as it was published whilst
B-P was besieged in Mafeking, was avidly read by young people and
educationalists and spontaneously started Scouting. On the other hand Reconnaissance
and Scouting, published 16 years earlier, clearly demonstrated that B-P
had developed a philosophy - if not a lifestyle - around the skills of army
scouting in the field. From this point on Baden-Powell's name was to be
indelibly linked to the activities he described as scouting and elevated that
art/science to a far greater prominence than in army circles. The book is set out in 'Lessons' in much the same way
that Scouting
for Boys was presented as a series of yarns. Of
particular interest to those interested in Scouting are the lessons on Scouting
Generally, Riding Squadron Scouts and Scouting
mounted outdoors. There is no doubt about it; this book can rightly be
described as a Scouting Milestone. |
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1885 Cavalry Instruction Captain R S S Baden-Powell, late 13th Hussars. Harrison & Sons, illustrated, 40pp. 4½" x 5½" |
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 The illustration is of the 3rd edition
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AS the preface
states this is, "A manual for the use of officers conducting a course in
Military Instruction in accordance with General Order No 30 of 1884",
and as such it must have had a very limited readership. The manual is arranged as a four-week course,
finishing with an 'examination' that presumably replicated the actual one
that the officer candidates wanted to pass. Given that the publication date of the book was 20 years
before Scouting for Boys the topics encountered in the last
two weeks of the course on 'Patrolling and Scouting' and 'Camping', were
prophetic indicators of things to come. There are no illustrations, B-P's usual cartoon line
drawings being inappropriate to the technical nature of the manual, but
thankfully the text is enlivened by an anecdotal style that was to become the
hallmark of all B-P's writing. |
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1889 Pigsticking or Hoghunting Captain
R S S Baden-Powell. Harrison & Sons, 211pp |
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BADEN-POWELL
dedicated this book to His Royal Highness, the Duke of
Connaught. "The first prince of the Royal Blood who has taken
a 'first spear'", in other words, was the first to 'stick' a particular
wild pig. There is an introduction on the The Nature of
Pigsticking and it is then divided into four parts:- Pig; What
you have to contend with; Animal allies and How
to succeed as a Pig-sticker. The book has 25 wonderful illustrations,
each by protected by tissue paper. Baden-Powell was well-placed to write this manual, as
he was a well-known exponent of the sport and the winner of its highest
honour, the Kadir Cup, (though it has to be said only by virtue of the fact
that he was the owner of the winning mount, and not its rider.) Pigsticking would today be regarded as a
cruel blood-sport and B-P's critics have concluded that he was cruel to
animals and hypocritical when he formulated the sixth Scout Law, "A
Scout is a Friend to Animals". This, however, is ignore the 'tunnel
vision' of the Victorians, who saw no conflict between blood sports and
moralizing over how animals should be treated - societies for providing water
troughs for carriage animals, for example, flourished in Victorian Britain.
Pigsticking was as deeply embedded in the culture of the Indian army as its
close relation, foxhunting, was in the life of the British upper classes.
Times change however, and by the time of his death in 1941 and in other books
reviewed here, B-P was to renounce the unnecessary hunting of animals and
advocate conservation measures. Long-time Milestone's reader Steve Bobrowitz informs
me that a Canadian University has a version which uses just one of the
chapters, Ch. 4 from Sport in Warand is given the same title i.e.The
Sport of Rajahs.It was published by G.A. Morang and Company, Toronto in
1900. Chapter 4 in the original runs to 44 pages but each page has very wide
margins and a pretty green border. There is then room for no more than 20
lines at an average of 7 words per line - making a total of no more than 6600
words which makes a hardly adequate chapter, let alone a stand-alone book!
This single chapter book has escaped all the bibliographies I have seen and
so obviously is quite rare and probably sold very few copies. |
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1896 The Downfall of Prempeh Lieut.
Col. RSS Baden-Powell. Methuen & Co., 199pp |
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THE British
Government decided that King Prempeh had broken treaties and was still
practising human sacrifice. The Ashanti Expedition was sent to East Africa in
December 1895 to re-open a roadway to Prempeh's 'palace' at Kumassi and bring
the offending King to account. B-P was in charge of the native force or Levy
of road makers, and he details his adventures in diary form. He is careful to
compile 'evidence' of Prempeh's human sacrifices and writes as though he has
actually seen one. The gold embossed graphic on the cover records the time
when B-P had to overcome one of Prempeh's court officials, who had escaped to
summon help through a cordon placed around the Royal 'Palace'. There is an
additional chapter by B-P's brother, George Baden-Powell, on 'Policy and
Wealth in Ashanti'. |
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1897 The Matabele Campaign Colonel
RSS Baden-Powell 13th Hussars, FRGS. Methuen & Co., 144pp |
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BADEN-POWELL
had much to thank his mother for, not least the fact that she encouraged him
to keep specially illustrated diaries for her on his trips abroad. This book
is based one such diary and covers the 'campaign in suppressing the Native
Rising in the Matebeland and the Mashonaland'. B-P, amongst the daily
diary-like entries, extols the principals of military scouting. It was on
this expedition that B-P found the Koodoo horn that was to sound at Brownsea and
Gilwell Park. |
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1899 Aids to Scouting for N.C.O.s
and Men Bt.-Colonel R S S Baden-Powell. FRGS, 5th Dragoon
Guards. Gale & Polden, 138pp |
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THERE is a full
account of Aids to
Scouting and its historic impact elsewhere on this Site.
It is significantly smaller than all the other books except perhaps 'On
Vedette' and was designed to be carried in uniform pockets. It measures just
over 3½" x 4½" (9 x 11.6cm) and has a soft fabric cover. |
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1900 Sport in War Major-General
R S S Baden-Powell. Heinemann, 202pp |
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THE publishing
date gives the game away. B-P was otherwise occupied at the time in Mafeking,
and unlike 'Aids to Scouting'; the proofs of this book were not run through
the Siege! The book was compiled by Alfred Watkin, editor of the Badminton
Magazine from articles from previously published from 1895 onwards.
It was designed to exploit the enormous popular interest in B-P immediately
following the Relief of Mafeking. Each page has a wide green border that
looks very attractive, but in fact reduces the number of words per page to
around 120! There are however sporting anecdotes not available from any other
source and 21 wonderful illustrations, mainly taken from B-P's own
water-colours. |
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1907 Sketches in Mafeking and East
Africa Major General R S S Baden-Powell. Smith, Elder and
Co., 183pp |
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IF I had to
choose which was my favourite B-P book it would be this one. It is certainly
the most lavishly produced with gilt-edged pages and quality paper that
enhances the many B-P photographs, water-colours, pen and ink and pencil
illustrations. They show a power of observation that is present in all B-P's
work but nowhere more than here. My favourite, of course, is the line drawing
of the Mafeking
Cadets, which, I think, includes B-P himself. The book combines B-P's travels in 1906 with
reminiscences of what it was like in Africa in his former army service days,
and especially Mafeking. The publishing date was around the time of the Brownsea
Experimental Camp and so, as we might have expected from
Baden-Powell, the conclusion is a powerful summary of the need to provide
boys with a scheme of training. Whilst B-P does not go on to say that he is
going to provide it, clearly he had already formulated his plan for doing so. |
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1908 Scouting for Boys (in six
parts) Lieut. Gen. Baden-Powell CB. C Arthur Pearson Ltd. |
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FIRST of the
fortnightly parts. A full assessment of the part-series is discussed on the Scouting for
Boys Page of this Website. Please
note that from 1957 replica versions of 'The Parts' have been published. All
of the replica parts are the same size 1.e. 18.2cms tall. The original 'Part
I' is smaller than the rest of the 1908 set but the same size as the replica
i.e. height=18.2cms. The original parts 2-6 are 19.6cms tall- over a
centimetre taller than the replicas. Buyer Beware, especially cotemplating a
purchase of a 'Part I' by itself! |
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1908 Scouting for Boys Complete
Edition Lieut. Gen. Baden-Powell CB. C Arthur Pearson Ltd.,
288pp |
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Afull
assessment of the book is discussed on the Scouting for
Boys article on this Website. In 1919, Pearsons
published The Scouts First Book by Sir Robert Baden-Powell
Bart., an abridged edition of this, the Official Handbook, for the use of Boy
Scouts. |
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1909 Yarns for Boy Scouts Lt.
Gen. Sir R S S Baden-Powell KCB. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., The Scout Library
no.2, 212pp, 29 line drawings |
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BADEN-POWELL
explains in his preface that the book is intended as a continuation of the
work began in Scouting
for Boys published the previous year. 'Yarns' are
collected together under various chapter headings: Peace Scouting; Path
Finding; Sherlock Holmes' work; Stalking wild animals; Endurance of Scouts;
How to grow strong; Campaigning; Seamanship; The Knights of the Round Table;
How a boy can rise; Gallantry; Scout Texts; Good Turns; To Scout Masters and
To Scout Mistresses. Nearly all had previously appeared in the 1908 editions
of The Scout, and some became constant themes throughout the
course of Baden-Powell’s long writing career. The chapter on 'Scout Texts' is not, as might be
supposed, a review of available Scouting Literature, but is a collection of
yarns based on well-known sayings, such as "Softly, softly, catchee
monkey", instanced elsewhere in these Pages. The preface is of particular interest as it was
written before the existence of Girl Guides but acknowledges the existence of
girls and women within the movement - "a few special remarks will be
found at the end of the book ... addressed to Scoutmasters, that is to say,
to ladies, who are inclined to take up scouting for girls." This chapter
only just over a page long and, although B-P is often accused of being a male
chauvinist, it would be hard for a Victorian General not to be a product of
his times. However, he clearly shows he is on the sides of the angels,
"Girls" wrote B-P "should be brought up as comrades and
helpers, not to be dolls". He proposes that girls, and the nation,
would benefit if they were able to take up the principles already established
in Scouting albeit via a 'slightly modified' form of training. "I am
forced to this suggestion by the fact that already some thousands of girls
have registered themselves as 'Boy Scouts'!" |
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1910 Scouting Games Lieut.-Gen,
Sir Robert Baden-Powell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 144pp |
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THIS is a list
of Scouting Games; some devised by B-P, some new, some as old as the hills
and some, with acknowledgement, borrowed from E T Seton.
In the preface B-P points out that each of the games has a physical or moral
aim and are very much a part of the Scouting method of inculcating
'manliness' and 'good- citizenship'. (The fact that they were also good fun
is taken for granted!) One of the 'games' is a play which was first
published in the part-series of Scouting for Boys published
in 1908 - 'Pocahontas: or the Capture of Captain John Smith' which had a
special meaning for B-P as he believed that he was descended from Smith. (B-P
was later to exhibit a wonderful bust of Smith that he had sculpted.) In
neither this book nor Scouting for Boys does B-P make any
claims about Smith being an ancestor, which was just as well as it seems very
unlikely that this was the case. |
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1912 How Girls can Help to Build
Up the Empire Miss Baden-Powell and Sir R
Baden-Powell. Thomas Nelson, 472pp |
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THIS was meant
to be the female equivalent of Scouting for Boys, written in
collaboration with Baden-Powell's sister Agnes, but also with the guidance of
his mother. B-P was not impressed with the results and was later to refer to
it as 'The Little Blue Muddly'. There was a US edition edited by Juliette
Lowe. |
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1913 Boy Scouts Beyond the Seas Lt.Gen.
Sir Robert Baden-Powell K.C.B. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., The Scout Library No
19. 250pp |
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THE book
describes a "recent tour of inspection, not only in our overseas
dominions, but also in the United States, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Holland, and Belgium." When one takes into account that the 'overseas
dominions' included The West Indies, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand,
the journey is really best described as a World Tour. Though chronological, the book regrettably lacks
specific dates. (I am compiling an exhaustive day-by-day B-P Chronology,
which will enable the places mentioned in the book to be cross-referenced
against the date.) B-P expands on his experiences to illustrate worthwhile
'teaching points', drawing on his vast repertoire of historical and
geographical knowledge, whilst maintaining an interesting narrative. As I
have observed before, Baden-Powell was a natural teacher. The visit to Panama was particularly interesting, as
the building of the Panama Canal was in progress and its original proposer,
Ferdinand de Lesseps, is likened to a "stout-hearted Scout".
(Vicomte Ferdinand de Lesseps (1805-1894) conceived the Suez Canal, which was
completed in 1869. He projected the original Panama Canal, which failed. The
Panama Canal finally opened in 1914.) Baden-Powell was often received by the Heads of State
of countries he visited. On this occasion he met President Taft, one the many
US presidents B-P was to meet, to review United States Boy Scouts at the
White House on February 3rd, 1912. There are 9 black and white plates, some photographs,
and some of B-P's watercolours. In addition, there are numerous B-P line
drawings and illustrations, some of which I believe to be unique to this
book. Unfortunately, but understandably, nobody seems to
have had the time to add up just how many miles B-P covered, Scouts he met,
or even the countries he visited. Most of these statistics are now beyond
recall, but my tally of counties visited is 21. |
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1914 Indian Memories Lieut.-Gen.
Sir Robert Baden-Powell. Herbert Jenkins, 363pp |
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THE book is a
compilation of the author's everyday experiences while stationed as an
officer of Her Majesty in India, as recollected from his letters and diaries
sent to his Mother, who fortunately kept everything, knowing that her son
would one day become famous. No wonder B-P dedicated this book to her. B-P
reminisces at length, his stories are sharply-drawn observations and never
boring, sometimes humorous, sometimes designed to shock, always with a point.
There is no doubt B-P would have made a fine teacher! In the book, we are introduced to the B-P's lifelong
friend, Captain 'the Boy' McLaren. A new doctor had arrived in India and B-P
was to accompany him to his regiment. "But what", B-P asked him,
"will you do with your son?" The doctor replied that the other
person present - who looked like a lad of fourteen - was in fact McLaren,
another officer also gazetted to the 13th Hussars. (Some of B-P's
biographers, who should have of course have read this book, choose to ignore
this account in their innuendo as to why McLaren was called The Boy!) There are twenty water-colour illustrations and one
hundred line drawings, reproductions of those he sent home to show what India
was like and "...have the virtue of being done on the spot." B-P
last served in India in 1884; the reminiscences were in print, thirty years
later, in July 1914. Publication however was deferred owing to the outbreak
of WW1. My own copy was given as a Christmas present (not to me!) in 1915 and
is entitled Memories of India and is an American edition. Perhaps the slight
change in the title was to differentiate between the sub-continent and the
indigenous peoples of America. |
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1914 Quick Training for War Lieut.-Gen.
Sir Robert Baden-Powell. KCB. Herbert Jenkins, 112pp |
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BADEN-POWELL
uses his long military experience to distil soldering down to 'the four C-s'.
Courage, Common sense, Cunning and Cheerfulness. These qualities, B-P wrote,
were well-regarded in the German Forces and were what would win the war for
us. In the British forces, he maintained, much value was placed on the need
for individual mental intelligence, in contrast to the sheep-like qualities
encountered in the enemy who had been drilled to march blindly into the guns.
(I am not sure that the casualty figures on our side actually bear this out.) The book is full of practical hints and became a
standard, but privately bought, survival guide for many of our troops. 60,000
copies were sold within the first month of publication. Compare that to the
fact that at the time of the Boer War the German Army issued B-P's Aids
to Scouting (in German of course) to all their soldiers. |
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1915 Marksmanship for Boys Lt
Gen Sir Robert Baden-Powell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 64pp |
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THIS small book
was written within a year of the outbreak of the First World War. It contains
details of how Boy Scouts could win the newly-introduced Scouts Defence Corps
'Red Feather'. (White feathers were a sign of cowardice and, during the WW1,
were sent to some non-combatants. This was nothing to do with Scouting.) One of the requirements for the Red Feather was the
ability to drill with and shoot small arms. Instruction in these matters
comprise the rest of the book. B-P was well-suited to give such instruction,
not merely from his army experience, as he himself had been in a
prize-winning school rifle
club team. The book would seem to provide the perfect ammunition
(forgive the pun) to those who knew all along that Scouting was militaristic,
but it should be remembered that it was produced at a time when it was by no
means certain that Britain would win the Great War and that to be a member of
the Scout's Defence Corps you had to be 16 years old. Many 16 year-olds on
both sides were fighting on the front line, as instanced by the Scout V.C. Jack Cornwell. |
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1915 My Adventures as a Spy Lieut.Gen.
Sir Robert Baden-Powell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 159pp |
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BADEN-POWELL
yarns about his exploits as a spy and talks about 'the sport of spying'. The
butterfly illustrated on the cover is referred to in the 'Englishmen as
fools' chapter, where B-P writes how useful it is to the English spy that our
stereotypical image abroad was seen as being eccentric and foolish. On one
occasion B-P, pretending to be an English gentlemen butterfly collector,
appeared to making field sketches of the delicate pattern of a butterfly
wings (used as the cover graphic). This bumbling foreigner did not apparently
alarm the local guards to 'sensitive' military installations. But B-P was
actually recording a plan of an enemy fort with gun emplacements,
camouflaging their shapes amongst the delicate details of the wings. Even
more ingenious, I feel, was a field sketch of the fort concealed in a drawing
of the head of a moth. The book was republished as The Adventures of
a Spy in 1936. |
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1916 The Wolf Cub's Handbook Robert
Baden-Powell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd. 256pp |
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See the Milestone Scouting for
Younger Boys - The Wolf Cubs THE book is
arranged in a series of fifteen 'bites' or chapters. The first half-dozen
rely very heavily on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle
Book. The imagery from these stories provides the basis on for
the rest. This was not just a handbook for pack-nights, but for life, though
it has to be said that it was more for Akelas than for boys who, after all,
might have been as young as eight. The qualifications required to pass the
proficiency badges and progress through the training scheme are detailed and
what cub did not want both eyes open and a Leaping Wolf, bright gold against
his green jersey! As usual, the text is illustrated throughout with wonderful
B-P line drawings. |
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1916 Young Knights of the Empire Sir
Robert Baden-Powell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 210pp |
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 Image courtesy of the Collection of Attilio Grieco, Italy
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THE full title
is Young Knights of the Empire, their code and further Scout Yarns.
Chapters explore each of the ten Scout Laws, travelling abroad, Sea Scouting
and 'How to become Backwoodsman', and there is a further chapter on Tracking. On the cover of the book, written on the transoms of
the cage are the slogans Honour God and the King, Obey
the Law of the Scouts and Do a Good Turn to Somebody Every
Day, whilst on the bars there appears two precepts hidden by the Knight
himself (whose shield bears the motto Be Prepared) and
then: Courtesy; Kindness; Obedience; Cheerfulness; Thrift; Purity and Honour. There is a letter in the UK Scout Archive from B-P to
Pearson's dated February 12th, 1916: |
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1918 Girl Guiding. The Official
Handbook Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd.,
180pp |
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 The illustration is of the 1931 edition
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A Handbook for Guidelets, Guides, Senior Guides, and
Guiders. THIS book
replaced the earlier How Girls
Can Help manual (reviewed above) written by
Baden-Powell's sister, Agnes. B-P was later openly critical of it calling it
"The Little Blue Muddly". Agnes was President of the Girl Guide
Association and B-P's wife, Lady Olave Baden-Powell, had been just been
appointed Chief Guide by the time this book was published - so one can
imagine that the Chief had to tread warily. Unlike Scouting for Boys, this book is a
catch-all, with specific sections for every branch of the Guide Movement.
That said, the mixture of anecdotes, woodcraft teaching, listings of
proficiency badges and so on, are a parallel of those contained in Scouting
for Boys, some being imported directly from it. Baden-Powell was to later apologise for earlier
editions of this book for "not sufficiently emphasising the importance
of nature-lore and its essential place in our programme". "As a
consequence", he wrote, "there may be a tendency, especially in
towns and during the long winter months, to attach in its stead too great a
value to signalling and drill, etc." Though B-P was critical of
"drill for drill’s sake" in the Scout movement, his remarks
underline his view that Guiding was not to be thought of as slightly
watered-down version of Scouting, but a special training specifically
designed to suit the different needs of Girls and Young Women in the early
part of the 20th century. Some may feel this sounds very 'non P.C.' in the
21st Century, but B-P, as he often did, had a wider vision. It has been
proved beyond doubt that boys and girls do indeed benefit from forms of
single sex teaching and learn, not to mention succeed, in different ways. In 1920 an abridged version of this book was
published under the title Steps to Girl Guiding. |
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1919 Aids to Scoutmastership Sir
Robert Baden Powell [sic] (Chief Scout). Herbert Jenkins. 125pp |
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Aslim volume,
but of a length that B-P thought might prove too long for his audience!
Scoutmastership, he insists, 'is a jolly game', not a 'difficult science'. The book naturally is written for the adult Scouter
and goes deeply into justifications and explanations of the 'philosophy' (my
words not B-P's) of Scouting. It is illustrated by many line drawings. The
success of the volume can be judged by the fact that it became the standard
work in all Scouting Countries. Written the year after 'The Great War for
Civilisation', the record death toll, particularly of former Scouts and
serving Scoutmasters, played heavily on B-P's mind and the book concludes
optimistically that if each 'plays the game' the end will result would
be Peace and goodwill among men. |
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1920 Brownies or Bluebirds Lord
Baden-Powell of Gilwell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 60pp |
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THIS slim
volume is often described as a booklet, but it has a soft cover like
the Cub Scout Handbook and, I think, needs to be on a par
with it, so is included here in the Book section. The first chapter is freely acknowledged by B-P as
being an adaptation of Mrs Ewing’s Brownies. I am uncertain as
yet as to whether the word 'Brownies' in the title came from the junior part
of the Guide Movement, or whether the junior section was named after the book
title. I suppose that B-P hoped that this story would do as much for Brownies
as Kipling’s Jungle Book had
done for Wolf Cubs. However, it has neither the length, the substance or the
magic of Kipling’s creation. The other chapters are in the main what you
would expect to find in a Brownie handbook, much enlivened with B-P's own
line drawings. |
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1921 An Old Wolf's Favourites Sir
Robert Baden-Powell. Bt. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 126pp |
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THE book was
designed to be read by Wolf Cubs. The sub-title is Animals I Have
Known, and B-P yarns about his favourite animals that he had encountered
in his already extensive world travels. His horses, pet elephants, wild and
pet birds are all described and sketched. There are yarns about other animals
that B-P had hunted such as moose, boar, bear, jackal and panther. |
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1921 What Scouts Can Do - More
Yarns Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd.,
173pp |
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THE book,
illustrated by Baden-Powell, starts with an appraisal of what was wrong with
the 'modern youth' (not Scouts!) of his day. This, as intended, forms a
complete contrast to the activities related later on in the book. The Chief
Scout describes adventures he had himself as a youth and what Scouts of the
day were doing at the time the book was written. I thought my own youth reasonably adventurous. I can
instance, for example, how a friend and I cycled around the cathedral cities
of Northern France in 1967. How tame this seems compared to B-P's bike ride
in 19th Century in Bosnia, where he encountered people who had never seen a
bicycle before! The cover illustrated is the 4th Edition of 1936. |
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1922 Rovering to Success Sir
Robert Baden-Powell. Herbert Jenkins, 253pp |
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CLEARLY written
for the newest section of the Movement at that time, Rover Scouts. The title
continues on the preface page as A Book of Life Sport for Young Men.
The Young Men in question were between 17 and, I think, 25. The introduction
on 'How to Be Happy - Rich Or Poor' portrays life as a canoe journey and
later on the book deals with such 'rocks' as Horses, Wine, Women, Humbugs and
Cuckoos and Irreligion. From the 21st century it is very easy to laugh its
moralistic tone and outdated advice, but it is still a fascinating read. The
last chapter deals with 'Rovering'. The book is illustrated by B-P with over
60 pen-and-ink drawings. |
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1927 Life's Snags and How to Meet
Them Sir Robert Baden-Powell Bt. C Arthur Pearson Ltd.,
127pp |
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THE book looks
at the motives in life and examines one B-P's favourites, 'sticktoititus' -
which I used to know as 'stickability' - or as it is called in more mundane
terms - perseverance. There is also an interesting chapter, considering the
date of publication, on Climbing as an Education. The book is illustrated, as
usual, with B-P's line drawings. |
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1929 My Hat Sir
Robert Baden-Powell. Basil Blackwell 13 pp out of 40pp |
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THROUGHOUT his
life, Baden-Powell periodically added to a series of short stories which he
began whilst still at school under the general heading 'My Hats'. Each story
was written through the eyes of a fictitious character, each from different
trade or profession, so each wore a different 'hat'. Some of these stories
were published in Greyfriar, the Charterhouse school
magazine whilst he was still there, but he contributed others long after he
had left the School. As he progressed through his life, The Founder had a
wide range of experiences, and some these in reality required different hats.
So stories were added as seen through the eyes of soldiers, spies and even a
plumber. B-P had undertaken a stage role as a plumber and to prepare
adequately for it had gone into the East End of London, dressed appropriately
and pretending he was a plumber. He made friends with a real plumber and was
been taken back to the tradesman's home to meet his wife. Later, whilst
dressed in full regalia of a Major, he met the couple at Military Review and
astounded them when he introduced himself. B-P's 'plumbing experience' led to
another story in 'My Hats'. I am not aware that any of these stories were
published, other than in the Greyfriar, until 1929 - some 55
years after B-P left Charterhouse - when this story was published. The hat
Baden-Powell wears on this occasion is one he often used and indeed it had
become his trademark, his famous 'cowboy' hat. Not that the story is about
cowboys, B-P took his old hat off its peg to go exploring the plains of
Africa and encounter its wildlife. It is these experiences that he relates as
himself in this publication. This was a very unusual venture for B-P, as the
publishers decided to run his story alongside a more substantial work by
another author, Nicholas Palmerston, entitled A Gentleman of Burgundy and
this title also appears on the book's cover. My Hat is
one of B-P's least-known titles and because of this and the fact that the
book contains the work of another author, it is often missing from other
Baden-Powell Bibliographies. |
|
1929 Scouting and Youth Movements Sir
Robert Baden-Powell. Benn's Sixpenny Library No. 82. No Illustrations. Ernest
Benn, 79pp |
|
 |
IN his preface,
B-P points out that the public are generally occupied with "cinema
stars, Test Matches, Cup Finals and murders". These "false
values" he lays at the heart of the nation’s ills. Baden–Powell hoped to
show in this book that the work of organisations such as the Boy’s Brigade,
Church Lad's Brigade, the YMCA and of course his Scout Movement could make a
difference. His chapters are clear and concise. B-P sets out,
"The Need", "The Origin", "The Organisation"
and "The Training" that are required to make this difference. It
had to be concise, because each page averaged only 200 words and there are
only 79 pages, though all are without illustrations. Having addressed the nature of Scouting, B-P goes on
to give credit to the adults already involved in the Movement and reveals the
real purpose in writing the book: B-P was angling, as ever, for
leaders. Benn’s Sixpenny Library was chosen as the medium
for this message because, as the other 250 plus titles published up to this
date demonstrate, it was likely to be read by a thinking, moral audience, the
ideal target for a recruiting drive. Later chapters deal with The Religious Aim, Is
Scouting a Military Movement? and the Imperial and
International dimensions. These chapter titles were chosen so that
B-P could counter the main objections made against Scouting by the critics of
the day. The Founder’s responses are cogently argued to cut the ground from
under any would-be helper who might have had lingering doubts. As a recruiting document the book was tour-de-force,
though its present-day rarity leads one to question just how widely it was
read. |
|
1933 Lessons from the 'Varsity of
Life Lord Baden-Powell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 316pp |
|
 |
BADEN-POWELL
outlines his own formal education and then proceeds through a chronology of
the events and activities that shaped his two 'lives'. There is a B-P
water-colour, 'The Gates of Troy', and fine line drawings and photographs.
The book was written as B-P's final 'message' to his Scouts, though
thankfully he was to live for eight more years and write other titles. |
|
1934 Adventures and Accidents Lord
Baden-Powell of Gilwell, GCMC, CCVO, KCB. Methuen & Co., 184pp |
|
 |
THIS basically
is a book of B-P's reminiscences. In it he gives his own account of the
controversy that was said to have followed the issue of the Mafeking Blue
stamps with his portrait instead of that of Queen Victoria.
There is a very full account of the 1911 Windsor Rally, which will figure in
a future Milestone Page. The book is wonderfully
illustrated with 10 half-tone sketches and water-colour paintings. |
|
1935 Scouting Round the World By
The Chief Scout, Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. Herbert Jenkins, 192pp |
|
 |
THE book
records the round-the-world voyage undertaken in 1934 by the Chief Scout,
Lady Baden-Powell and their two daughters. The journey required several
ships, all normal service liners, as well as a special carriage attached to
the Trans-Canadian Railway. This was the Baden-Powell's second major cruise
of the year, having already been on the Cruise of
the Calgaric. As might have been expected, the Chief was welcomed
everywhere he went by enthusiastic Scouts. (I am not quite sure how the other
'normal' fare-paying passengers reacted to all the Scout yells and chants
from Sea Scouts who came out in their boats to welcome The Founder!) Once
ashore, there were formal receptions and rallies, ranging from a single Scout
troop to a march-past by 11,000 Scouts at the Australian Jamboree at
Frankston, on Port Phillip Bay, just south of Melbourne, Victoria. Amongst the highlights of book is the Chief's
description of his watching through a telescope his daughters climb the Franz
Joseph Glacier in New Zealand and the occasion when his wife, the Chief
Guide, became an honorary Plains Indian, 'Emanis Akeor' or 'Otter Women', in
Calgary, Canada. B-P met US President Franklin Roosevelt in the White House
before returning home on the Majestic, which, he said, lived up
to its name and was a wonderful floating hotel, although B-P made it clear
that he would have much preferred a 'real ship'. |
|
1936 Adventuring to Manhood Lord
Baden-Powell of Gilwell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 192pp |
|
 |
Amixture of
personal reminiscences and Scouting stories. B-P explores the full symbolism
contained in the Rover Scouts ritual such as the vigil. He has a chapter on
his own induction into Sea Scouting (His boyhood cruises with his brothers,
see The History of
Sea Scouting). Illustrated with the usual B-P line drawings. |
|
1937 African Adventures Lord
Baden-Powell. C Arthur Pearson Ltd., 191pp |
|
 |
THIS is B-P's
own account of his journeys around Africa in 1937 and is scattered with
reminisces of earlier tours and his military service. The book is illustrated
with simple, yet charming, black and white line drawings. On this visit the
B-Ps visited sixteen 'Scout Centres' and on the return cruise, the Scouting
communities on Ascension Island and St. Helena There is no conclusion but a 'Farewell'; B-P it must
be remembered was 81 at the time. The 'Farewell' however is not so much a
'last message', more a giving of veiled notice of his intention to return to
Africa to live. It's not that far away says B-P "If you are in a hurry
it only takes four and half days by air." |
|
1938 Birds and Beasts of Africa Lord
Baden-Powell. Macmillan, 169pp |
|
 |
THE book is
dedicated to Eric and Lady Beattie Walker. Eric Walker served
Scouting in its early years and in later life founded the Outspan Hotel at
Nyeri, Kenya, and the adjacent famous Treetops Hotel. B-P had visited these
locations as the Walkers' guests and this resulted in B-P taking shares and
building a permanent home, Pax-tu, there. This was B-P's final residence. The
book is filled with life, colour and energy. The colour comes from
illustrations of B-P's original water-colours. The book recounts B-P's
experiences with his animal contacts at Nyeri. Birds and beasts have personal
names but never loose their animal characteristics. Their antics are based on
very close observation. Particularly endearing are those of the hydrax that
was to become the family house pet. |
|
1939 Paddle Your Own Canoe Baden-Powell.
Macmillan, 155pp |
|
 |
WRITTEN
at Paxtu, his final home in Kenya, B-P was 82 when this, his
penultimate book, was published. There are aspects of it that seem to be a
compendium of previous ideas and the dust jacket, although it could have
served well for either of the previous titles, seems to have little to do
with paddling one's own canoe! (The hard cover, however, does carry a very
attractive gold-blocked image of a canoe explorer.) The Chief explained his
choice of title as being a core message for all Scouts, but would have
been better suited to another of his books, Rovering to Success,
which uses the analogy of a canoe journey for each of its chapters. Baden-Powell uses his long and active involvement
with animals to bring home the message to his Scout audience that they should
be prepared to shift for themselves. I emphasise 'Scout audience', as I have
a suspicion that B-P, either consciously or sub-consciously, aimed this book
at younger target audience than was his norm, and although the book is amply
illustrated by the usual line drawings, they too seem to be aimed at a
younger audience than usual, as they are nearly all very simple humorous
cartoons. The significance the publishing date of 1939 is shown
in one of the final chapters, when B-P writes about the ‘Duty of Service’.
There is some very good advice to boys about mastering skills that might
be useful in a war, whilst there is still peace-time left in which to
practice. As was the case for the First World War, B-P clearly predicted that
the forthcoming war was inevitable. |
|
1940 More Sketches of Kenya Lord
Baden-Powell. Macmillan, 152pp |
|
 |
BADEN-POWELL'S
last book and very much a sequel to Birds and Beasts of Africa,
continuing B-P's love affair with the animals, domestic and wild, around his
final home at Pax-tu, Nyeri, Kenya. The opening line of the book states "The Nearer you
are to Nyeri, the Nearer your are to Happiness." The
surrounding countryside, as B-P demonstrates, is clearly 'a land for animal
lovers'. In the book we meet old friends such the house pet Hyrie the Hydrax
and more members of the 'bird club', with 'the big five' of African wild life
also present. As usual, the book is illustrated by B-P's charming line
drawings. As you will have noted from other entries in this
Bibliography there are one or two books that contain a 'final' message. It is
a little ironic that in this, the last of B-P's books, written only a year
before his death, there is no farewell. B-P portrays an idyllic setting in
which he was clearly happy, surrounded by his human and animal friends. His
written words speak of a deserved contentment. Who could ask for anything
more? |
Books Concluded?
THE list of
titles, though long, does not daunt the serious collectors of my acquaintance.
The number of editions however, especially if you were to count foreign language
versions, would require a very serious library indeed! Books are meant to be
read, but a necessary step, particularly if the author is dead, is their
preservation. Many of the titles in this list, particularly if dust jackets are
not required, can be still be bought very cheaply. However, some of the earlier
titles are extremely rare and command very high prices.
Pamphlets
BADEN-POWELL
was a most prolific author and, if his contributions to The Scout, Headquarters
Gazette and The Scouter were to be counted, he must
surely have a world record for most words published. It is very difficult to
draw a line between book and booklet, booklet and pamphlet, and pamphlet and
article. What follows is a listing of some of the better-known separately
published but short works without a hard cover. It would be very presumptuous
indeed to claim that this was anywhere near complete and if you are aware of
any others we would be very happy to include them.
|
1896 The Native Levy in the
Ashanti Expedition. 1895/6 Major R S S Baden-Powell,
13th Hussars. Royal United Service Institution. 7pp. 6½" x 9½" |
|
|
"OUR
frequent little wars in all parts of the globe necessitate continually the
raising of native levies, and yet one looks in vain for any book that gives
one details of organisation, or even the experience of previous efforts, and
that may serve as a guide to similar work when occasion demands it." So Baden-Powell describes in this pamphlet his
motivation for writing his book, The
Downfall of Prempeh, illustrated and reviewed above. I have
read both, though at a little distance in time from each other, and my
impression is that the pamphlet is far less anecdotal and tries to serve as a
memo to fellow officers on what might be expected in a similar situation. B-P
concludes the pamphlet by what would today be taken as an admission of guilt,
but in the days of Empire-building was a fact of life in dealing with native
forces under white leadership, or come to that discipline within our own
armies. "Strict justice goes a very long way towards bringing natives
under discipline...up to the point of shooting one’s own men." On a happier but similar theme, B-P explains that the
very best way of coping in exasperating situations was to whistle!
"There this nothing like whistling an air when you feel exasperated
beyond patience. 'Softly, softly, catchee monkey'. And I believe that is only
by acting in this way that a man could, on the Gold Coast, organise a native
levy and – live." Twelve years later this sentiment was to be enshrined
as one of the nine original Scout Laws - "A Scout smiles and whistles
under all circumstances". |
|
|
1897 The Campaign in Rhodesia |
|
|
1900 Memoranda for Cavalry Scouts
and Vedettes (Taken from 1883 On
Vedette - see book section) Major General R S S Baden-Powell, FRGS,
13th Hussars. Argus C., Salisbury, 2pp |
|
 |
THE pamphlet is
a revised version of On Vedette. It is a double-sided single
sheet printed on both sides, designed to be read in the field. Note the
reinforced hole at the top, and the instruction that it should "…carried
inside the head-dress" Basically, it very a short manual for Army Scouts
on how to give useful and concise reports. |
|
1901 Notes and Instructions for
the South African Constabulary R S S
Baden-Powell Major-Genl., Inspector General, South African Constabulary. T
Maiskew Miller, 99pp (excl. appendices), 4" x 6" |
|
 |
THIS, as the
title implies, is a manual for the Constabulary which was set up by
Baden-Powell during the Boer War, less than six months after the Relief of
Mafeking. (B-P wrote the preface in Pretoria in October 1900.) As there were
no inherited traditions, B-P was able apply his ideas and principals from the
start, even to the extent of designing the uniform which was, without doubt,
the basis for that worn by Boy Scouts in 1908. Unfortunately the booklet does
not contain any illustrations. There are seven sections with appendices that detail,
chapter and verse, how the new force is to be run. Section II is headed by
familiar words 'Conduct of Scouts and Patrols', though the terms 'Scout' and
'Patrol' apply to army scouting and were by no means fresh concepts, having
been well-explored by B-P in his earlier books. (See book section above.) The 'cover image' shown here is in fact that of the
flyleaf. Should any reader have access to a complete copy, we would be very
grateful to use a scan of it, with, of course, an appropriate
acknowledgement. |
|
1907 Boy Scouts Scheme Lieut.-General
Baden-Powell., CB. 4¼" x 5½", 28pp |
|
 |
THE booklet has
a message printed in red on its inner cover, A suggestion which may
help any man who desires to do a good turn to his country, his neighbour and
himself. There then follows a series of 'hints', sometimes three to a
page, in which B-P puts forward the case for 'Peace Scouting' as a remedy to
hooliganism. A list of "men who are best the best qualified", to
run such a scheme follows: "Schoolmasters; clergymen; members of the
YMCA; Legion of Frontiersmen; officers of the Cadet Corps; Boys and Church
Lads Brigades; Rifle Clubs; country squires; telegraph-masters, etc."
These adults were encouraged to gather to themselves a patrol of six to eight
'smart lads'. A handbook 'Scouting for Boys' is promised in the near future
to assist them. Baden-Powell is careful not to "teach my grandmother to
suck eggs", addressing his 'hints' only to those who had not had
previous practice in teaching boys. The 'experimental camp' on Brownsea
Island is described and there are hints on how to acquire and
maintain a 'club room' which would need to have a 'bright fire' in winter,
and the provision of a coffee bar would help develop a regular income to
offset costs. There is advice on religion and discipline and the book
concludes with a further exhortation to the reader to "train half a
dozen boys." The booklet predates Scouting for Boys,
and is of vital significance. Clearly the long-term future of the Movement
required adult leadership to assist the rising tide of boy-initiated patrols,
inspired by the author's Aids to
Scouting. This pamphlet ensured their supply. "Play the Game: Don’t look on", "The
British Empire wants your help". |
|
1909 A Trip to Sunshine Reprinted
from The Graphic. Lieut-Gen. Sir R S S Baden-Powell 6" x
8", 16pp |
|
 |
THIS is surely
the 'Rolls-Royce' of B-P pamphlets. Although there are only a few pages, the
pamphlet is lavishly illustrated, some pages having as many as three
delightful watercolours by Baden-Powell, two being full plate. As befitted
the sophisticated readership of The Graphic, B-P’s style is far
more descriptive than usual and although devoid of 'teaching points' there is
a lot to learn! We are told by the author that he was seeing a friend
off from Southampton Docks when he "got the scent of sunshine". The
"wander-lust" came over him; he bought a ticket and was on the next
Royal Mail Steam Packet to South America. I wonder what Scout Headquarters
made of that? The booklet is a wonderful travelogue, but, as is
usual in B-P's commentaries, no dates are mentioned. There are wonderful
descriptions and watercolours of Rio de Janeiro and of Chile, though often
the illustrations are not referred to in the text. There is scant reference to Scouting, but it is clear
that it was never far from The Founder's mind. "We began our journey among Boy Scouts in
Southampton, and when we reached the furthest point of it the Boy Scouts were
to be found, Buenos Aries has its corps of them, and in Chile there are 4,000
of them today." (Remember this is 1909! Chile was the second country in
the world to have Scouting.) Just in case the reader too could smell the sunshine,
the inside back cover carried a full page advertisement for the Royal Mail
Steam Packet Company's cruise! |
|
1909 Aims Methods and Needs Sir
Robert Baden-Powell, Bart., GCMG, GCVO, KGM, FRGS, LLD. Boy Scouts
Association, 5½" x 8½", 19pp. 1 line drawing |
|
 |
"MANY
people", B-P wrote, "still ask 'what is Scouting?'" This
pamphlet is his answer. As a part of 'Aims', B-P explains that he wanted to
help boys on leaving school to find employment, but to avoid 'blind alley'
jobs. He opened up, for example, the possibility of employment in the
'Dominions'. (15 years later 'Scout Migration' was more fully explored in a
pamphlet The Boy
Scout and Overseas Settlement, also reviewed on this Page.) Under 'Methods', the training scheme, with a
description of the badge system, was outlined. A key principle was that the
boys themselves should find the finance necessary for their group and it
should not "be solicited". The religious dimension of Scouting is examined
and every Scout was expected to "belong to some religious denomination
and attend its services." The Association’s greatest 'Need' was not funds, but
Scoutmasters. The way in which people might contribute their time or money
was clearly laid out with a contact address and a form to use to bequest
money to the Scout Association. Baden-Powell may well have been pleased with the
pamphlet's content - but he was not pleased with the original cover. There is
a note dated March 19th, 1914 from B-P to a Mr Cameron (now in the UK Scout
Archives) that, when the pamphlet was reprinted, "I suggest a better
cover. A few Scouting pictures (as in leaflet) to attract. If any adverts are
taken I hope they will all be put at the end. But personally I am against
them." B-P did not always get all his own way; later covers have
'scouting pictures', but carry adverts. at the front and back! |
|
1909 Pocahontas. A display for Boy
Scouts Lt.-General Sir Robert Baden-Powell, K.C.B. 16pp |
|
 |
WHILST I have
never seen a copy of this, it would seem likely that is the play contained in
the part series of Scouting for Boys and also published
in Scouting Games in 1910. There are a few of B-P's
illustrations in the pamphlet. |
|
1910 Boy Scouts in Connection with
National Training and National Service |
|
|
1910 Workers or Shirkers Lt.-Gen.
Sir Robert Baden-Powell. 6½" x 9¾" |
|
 |
THE pamphlet is
an article reprinted from Pearson’s Magazine, which, on a monthly
basis, examined "some of the most pressing problems which must be solved
if Britain is to maintain her position of pre-eminence amongst the
nations" by "those best qualified to do so". The first two pages are taken up with eulogies written
by the 'great and the good' of the day, including HRH, The Duke
of Connaught (the President of the Scout Association at the
time) endorsing B-P's every word. Baden-Powell harangues "the idle poor",
tramps who are "happy, healthy and dirty" who can lie and watch
others working, just as he lambastes the idle rich "who do little else
but loll, like ladies, behind a steering wheel and who are to be met in
hundreds driving about the country" (presumably by B-P driving his car
at the time). "The loafer is content to sit and think, or profess to
think, whilst his fellows are doing the world’s work". "The workers
complain only of the shortness of time available for doing their work, the
shirkers complain ... of the shortness of time which does not allow them to
take up their work." B-P goes on to describe "racing loafers",
"woman loafers" and "rich loafers" who are blind to the
misery all around them in the lower classes. Some of this misery was,
however, self-inflicted as £189,000,000 was spent every year on alcohol and
tobacco, resulting in "dire consequences for the National Economy",
though B-P does not explain how he would make up the revenue from taxes
accruing to the Exchequer on these items if they were no longer purchased.
B-P quotes King George V in exhorting England to "Wake Up", and the
pamphlet concludes with a description of his Scout Movement. Candidly B-P
admits he started with a mistake! His principle of "Begin with the
Boys" was flawed. "I believe within my heart that it should be
'Begin with the Girls', because they are to be the mothers and the character
educators of the following generation." As might be expected, there is an exhortation for men
and women to join with B-P in this great work and instructions on "How
to help", though, surprisingly, these are of little practical value as
there is no contact address or any advice on how to join the Movement. However,
there is no doubt that the pamphlet was a success. B-P was later to claim
that 10,000 men had volunteered to be involved in Scouting as a result of
this pamphlet. |
|
1911 Sea Scouting for Boys Sir
Robert Baden-Powell KCB. James Brown and Son., Glasgow. 4½" x 5¾" |
|
 |
THE pamphlet
introduced a new section to the Movement. "What is Sea Scouting?"
asks B-P, and he gives the answer, "... one of the several forms of work
carried out by Boy Scouts in further development of their Scout
Training." and the new Scheme of Training is outlined. B-P envisaged
that there would be two kinds of 'Sea Scouts', Coastguard Scouts and 'Seaman
Scouts'. A Sea Scout troop was to be known as a 'Ship's
Company', a term which I do not think ever gained wide usage. Patrol Leaders
were to be known as Coxswains and Sea Scouts would wear a normal Scout
Uniform, but a man of war seaman's cap or sou'wester instead of the usual
'wide-awake' hat. "Boy Scouts Coastguards", wrote The
Founder, "are being recognised by the Marine Department as assistants to
the Coastguards and Coast Watchers". Recognition however was not to be complete
until the start of the First World War. "A club Guard-Ship is of first importance ...
any old hulk would do but it would require a range of smaller workable
vessels". One such vessel, we are informed, was already in
operation, manned by Boy Scouts, in Vancouver, Canada. The booklet concludes with the news that a detailed
book of instruction on the subject was to be published shortly, written by
B-P’s brother, Warington Baden-Powell K.C., late of the Royal Naval Reserve.
His book is reviewed on The Early
History of Sea Scouting Page. |
|
1914 Report on Boy Scouts Overseas Lt-Gen.
Sir Robert Baden-Powell, KCB &c. |
|
 |
THIS pamphlet
is the official report of Baden-Powell's overseas travels in 1912, more fully
chronicled in his book Boys Scouts
Beyond the Seas, published in 1913 and reviewed above. The Chief Scout’s visits around the world were
officially 'tours of inspection', which no doubt justified their expense.
B-P's general finding was that standards everywhere were "... on the
whole quite good" - which sounds to me a little like damning with faint
praise, though Canada is singled out being head and shoulders above all other
countries in terms of numbers and organisation. Baden-Powell, always strongly in favour of the men
that "built up our Empire", often maintained, as he does in this
report that, "The overseas boy is generally more forward and
self-reliant for his age than the English boy". He lists "the
possible uses for the Boy Scout Movement" which might be of value,
presumably to the 'mother country'. I feel some of these are well worth
further exploration:- "Extinction of Race Feeling between Boers and
British boys in South Africa and French and British Canadians in
Canada". This was B-P at his visionary best putting into practice his
finest creation, the fourth Scout Law. The same message of conciliation
formed the theme for the Great Trek pamphlet
(also reviewed on this Page) some 24 years later. One of B-P's pet projects at the time was Buckhurst
Scout Farm in Sussex where Scouts received residential training to fit them
for a career in farming. (This will form the basis of a future Milestone). "Every
Dominion", B-P reported, "was showing great interest in the
scheme" [at Buckhurst Farm] "and expressed themselves willing to
take its 'graduates'". This was probably the start of the 'Overseas
Migration' scheme covered in The Boy
Scout and Overseas Settlement pamphlet, also reviewed on
this Page. |
|
1915 (Published
prior to June 1916) British Discipline Lieut.-General Sir R
S S Baden-Powell, CB, KCVO, FRGS |
|
 |
THIS pamphlet
was published by the Duty and Discipline Movement, founded by The Earl of
Meath, a friend of Baden-Powell and a member of the Scout
Association's Executive Committee. He is famously depicted in the 1920 Imperial
Jamboree Book standing next to the youngest cub to attend, as he was
the oldest adult present, aged 80. B-P attended committee meetings of the D
& D Movement. The aims of the movement were:- "To combat
softness, slackness, indifference and indiscipline, and to stimulate
discipline and a sense of duty and alertness throughout the national life,
especially during the formative period of home and school training" and
"to give reasonable support to all legitimate authority". As far as I am aware, the Movement was mainly active
during the years of the First World War. I have letter from the Earl of Meath
dated April 1917, in which he says he has 4,000 signed supporters (who had
all paid a membership fee). Baden-Powell's 'essay' was no 32 in a series of
40, written by a range of prominent citizens such as Field Marshal Earl
Roberts, prominent women educationalists, various bishops and the Earl of
Meath himself. Baden-Powell's pamphlet evokes icons of patriotism,
such Lord Nelson, who famously called upon every man to do his duty, (B-P
informs us that British sailors wear black neckerchiefs still, out of respect
for his passing), the Battle of Balaclava and the sinking of the Birkenhead,
a troopship without enough lifeboats, where the men were steadfast in going
to their certain deaths, in allowing the women and the children to escape in
the few boats available. Baden-Powell concludes:- "So be a good brick in
this great nation of ours, be strong and stick to your duty, obey orders
cheerily and at once, and don't be a waster; play the game without thinking
of your own comfort or safety, but in order that your own side may
win - that the great Empire to which you belong may be strong and flourish
for ever." |
|
1916 Report on the Boy Scouts and
Girl Guides in South Africa by the Chief Scout and the Chief Guide |
|
 |
|
|
1917 Scouting Towards
Reconstruction Sir Robert Baden-Powell,
Chief Scout. 16pp, 19 line drawings |
|
 |
|
|
1918 Today and Tomorrow |
|
|
1920 Boy Scouts and Citizenship |
|
 |
ISSUED in
Conjunction with the 1920 Wembley Jamboree. |
|
1920 Scouting in Education Pamphlet |
|
 |
|
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1924 The Boy Scout and Oversea
Settlement Pamphlet, 8pp. Boy Scouts
Association |
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BADEN-POWELL
was a fervent believer in the British Empire. From his own experience, gained
from living in India and Africa and subsequent frequent 'world tours', he
could visualise the benefits to be obtained, both for the nation and the
individual, from encouraging unemployed young men from Britain's depressed
industrial centres to help open up the outposts of the Empire. To this end he
instituted a department within Imperial Scout Headquarters to encourage
'Scout Migration'. This pamphlet explains its rôle and the possibilities for
migration open to older Scouts. Like the Scouts'
Friendly Society, this was a case of better that the Scout
Association promotes and organises Scout involvement, than commercial
operators who were already targeting Scouts as potential migrants. The concept of being a pioneer suited Scout
philosophy One important plus that the Scout Migration
Department had over any commercial organization, was that it could promise
links within the worldwide Scout brotherhood to existing troops in the target
country. I have no figures for the success of the scheme, but from
time-to-time letters would appear in Headquarters Gazette from
young men who had successfully made the transition. If you, or a relative, were part of this scheme we
would very much like to hear from you with a view to compiling a web article
on 'Scout Migration' in these Pages. |
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1927 Hints on the Scout Tests Published
by Boycraft |
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1927 South African Tour 1926-27 Robert
Baden-Powell. Booklet, 83pp plus double-page map of the tour, 2 line drawings
including goodbye card |
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Areport on the
Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in South Africa by the Chief Scout and the Chief
Guide, based on their visit to South Africa between September 20th, 1936 and
April 1st, 1927. |
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1932 Rover Scouts Pamphlet |
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1936 The Great Trek of the Early
Scouts of South Africa Baden-Powell Chief
Scout. 5½" x 8½", 20pp, 9 line drawings |
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THE pamphlet
commemorates the 100th anniversary of 'The Great Trek' which was a mass
exodus by wagon-train of 2,000 Boer farmers or 'Voortreckers' as they were
called at the time. They journeyed from the South African Cape into the
interior of a Africa in order to escape from the restricting laws of the
British Government, which they felt impinged on their culture - especially on
their 'right' to own slaves. Baden-Powell briefly chronicles the history of South
Africa in a way which might surprise some. He describes his old enemy, the
Boers, as "fine sturdy strong minded individuals" of
"independent spirit" and of being "real scouts". The
Great Trek is described and there several stories of 'Boy Heroes'. Baden-Powell alludes to the ethnic origin and
characteristics of the peoples present in South Africa at the time, for the
purpose of informing his Boy Scout readers of "how necessary it is for
all races to sink differences of the past and work together for the greater
good". B-P suggests that South Africa faced "another Great
Trek, this time an ideological one where people had to move from the old ways
of thinking to a new beginning based on 'Love your neighbour as
yourself'". He called upon the Scouts of the world bring about this
new order. The message was first propagated by B-P in a pamphlet Report on
Boy Scouts Overseas, also reviewed on this Page, published
some 24 years earlier. That however does not detract from the visionary
nature of his words which, despite the removal of apartheid, are
still relevant today. |
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1939 About Those Boy Scouts Baden-Powell.
Booklet, printed on card, 7pp, 8 line drawings |
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THIS took the
form of a facsimile of an open hand-written letter, with pen and ink
drawings, to prospective financial sponsors. The document is a well-directed adult recruiting
tool. The psychology is excellent as it takes the form of a very informal
handwritten letter direct from Baden-Powell. To break up the pages and keep
the mood light, there are eight delightful cartoon caricatures that could not
fail to raise a smile. The reader is cajoled into realising that they are
just the right person to help, though some of B-P's criteria would rule many
of us out today, "Can you ... stalk your own stag ... milk a cow ...
stop a runaway horse?" "9 out of 10 of our workers", writes
B-P had what they thought were valid reasons for not helping, "before
they joined and before they found themselves up to the neck – heart and soul
- in it, in spite of them." Whatever the age or condition of the reader, there
was to be no escape! B-P wanted hobby instructors, organizers, physical
trainers etc, "and the number of invalids whom Scouting has led to
forget their ills is very large." (this enlivened with a caricature of a
very old and be-whiskered gent leap-frogging over a Scout!) The Scoutmaster, we are told, does not need to
demonstrate every virtue, the only requirement is an understanding of
"the boy". "The prevalent crime throughout our nation is
self–interest", claimed B-P, but goes on to say that there is something
in Scouting for the individual, because, besides helping the country and
youngsters, it would bring the helper, "close to God". He
concludes: "May I send you some further information on the
subject?" |
Acknowledgements:
This Page would not have been
possible without the support and encouragement of:
- My good friend John Ineson, Scouting Collector and
historian.
- Peter Ford, British Scout Collector
- American collector and Scouting Historian Ken
Kittleburger
- German Scouting Historian and collector Dr. Stephan
Schrölkamp
- and the UK Scout Archive